V-Band Cross-Link Space Relay Mesh Network Demonstration (V-Band)

Updated Nov 14, 2026

Presolicitation from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Due Nov 20, 2026, 3:00 PM (UTC-5), 6 days left.

Description

NASA/Glenn Research Center (GRC) plans to issue a NASA Research Announcement (NRA) for: V-Band Cross-Link Space Relay Mesh Network Demonstration (V-Band). NASA is transitioning from the traditional model of owning and operating government space communications infrastructure toward acquiring communications services from a robust and competitive commercial marketplace. The Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) program’s Communications Services Project (CSP) advances this transition by partnering with industry to develop and demonstrate commercial communications capabilities that can meet the needs of NASA missions while remaining commercially viable beyond NASA use.

This solicitation extends that approach to V-band relay services. The objective of this solicitation is for the contractor(s) to demonstrate a network mesh V-band cross-link and potential application capabilities in space and evaluate the potential for those V-band cross-links to be used to transmit large volumes of science and Earth remote sensing data to users with high-speed and low latency.

The Government does not intend to acquire a commercial product or commercial service using FAR Part 12. This acquisition is a total small business set-aside. The NAICS Code and Size Standard are 541715 and 1,000 employees, respectively.

The anticipated release date of the NRA is on or about November 27, 2027, with an anticipated offer due date of on or about January 11, 2027. All responsible sources may submit an offer which will be considered by the Agency. NASA Clause 1852.215-84, Ombudsman, is applicable.

The Center Ombudsman for this acquisition can be found at: hq.nasa.gov/office/procurement/...

If a solicitation is released, then it and any additional documents will be available on Sam.gov. It is the offeror's responsibility to monitor this website for the release of the solicitation and amendments (if any). Potential offerors will be responsible for downloading their own copy of the solicitation and amendments (if any).

Prospective offerors are encouraged to notify this office of their intent to submit an offer. All contractual and technical questions must be submitted electronically via email to: Ian Park, Contracting Officer - [email protected], and Dustin Hatherill, Contracting Officer - [email protected]. No later than 3:00PM on November 20, 2026.

Please reference the Notice Title (NASA Research Announcement: V-Band) in any response. Telephone questions will not be accepted.

Contracting contact

• Dustin Hatherill · [email protected]
• Ian Park · [email protected]

As published on the official notice. Ask questions in writing and before any questions deadline the notice sets.

Is your business small enough?

For NAICS 541715, a business counts as small if it has no more than 11 employees (SBA size standard, with exceptions in the notes). This notice is set aside, so only businesses under that size, or in the named program, can bid. SBA table, current as of Oct 15, 2026.

Notice history

• Sep 23, 2026: Sources Sought Due Oct 6, 2026, 12:00 PM (UTC-4)
• Sep 21, 2026: Sources Sought Due Oct 6, 2026, 12:00 PM (UTC-4)

Companies that win this kind of work

Federal contractors paid for research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences work, who also hold NASA contracts (last 12 months): possible competitors, or partners to team with.

• California Institute Of Technology $2.2 billion in this trade
• The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory LLC $1.9 billion in this trade
• The Aerospace Corporation $1.1 billion in this trade
• Lockheed Martin Corp $817.1 million in this trade
• Booz Allen Hamilton Inc $791.0 million in this trade

About the buyer

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration awarded $17.0 billion in contracts in the last 12 months; its biggest suppliers were California Institute Of Technology, The Boeing Company and Blue Origin, LLC. See what NASA is buying now.

Who can bid: Small Business set-aside

Total and partial small business set-asides are open to any business under the SBA size standard for the notice's NAICS code.

All open Small Business set-asides.

Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences contracts right now

There are 280 open government contract opportunities in this trade (NAICS 541715), 46 posted in the last 7 days; 30% are set aside for small businesses. The agencies buying the most are Department of the Air Force, Department of the Army and National Institutes of Health. Most of the work with a stated place is in Maryland, District of Columbia and Virginia. A notice in this trade gives a median of 46 days from posting to deadline; this one gives 7 days.

All open research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences contracts

Coming up in this trade

Planned contracts from the agencies' procurement forecasts, often months before a solicitation. Plans can change.

Recent awards in this trade

• UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING Laramie WY $1.0 million · Department of the Army · Nov 13, 2026
• Regents of the University of California, The Berkeley CA $2.0 million · Department of the Army · Nov 12, 2026
• Hayzel, LLC $2.5 million · Department of the Army · Nov 5, 2026
• Airborne Holdings Inc $232,060 · Department of the Navy · Nov 3, 2026
• UNIVERSITY OF MAINE SYSTEM Orono ME $632,224 · Department of the Army · Nov 3, 2026

From the award notices agencies publish.

Similar open research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences bids