NASA released its long-awaited final request for proposals on October 9, 2026, asking private industry to submit formal plans for commercial space stations to succeed the retiring International Space Station. The solicitation sets a proposal deadline of December 8, 2026, with contract awards anticipated in spring 2027.
NASA Sets Proposal Deadlines and Contract Tiers for Orbital Stations
The solicitation outlines firm-fixed-price, multi-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts designed to support development, certification, and crewed services in low Earth orbit. Under the acquisition framework detailed by NASA, the agency intends to select two or more contractors for an initial development phase. That early stage will feed into a subsequent competitive task order for final design, test, evaluation, and operational certification from one or more providers.
Proposals from aerospace companies are due on Tuesday, December 8, 2026. The agency expects to announce winning contractors in the spring of 2027. The opportunity is significant, but the economics ultimately have to work,
Isaacman stated, adding that the agency wants to see credible technical execution and private investment alongside government contracts.
How NASA Plans to Handle Crew Transportation and Explicit Price Estimates
Private station developers face a formidable logistics hurdle because SpaceX has indicated it plans to retire the Crew Dragon spacecraft as soon as possible, likely around the 2030 or 2032 deorbit of the International Space Station, without offering seats directly to private operators.
Instead, NASA offered to furnish transportation for the first four service missions to private destinations, effectively brokering deals between commercial operators and vehicle providers like Boeing. The agency recently awarded an additional $359 million to support Boeing in certifying its Starliner spacecraft. The agency published explicit price estimates for future flights: a four-seat crew flight in 2030 is projected to cost $325 million, while a cargo flight is estimated at $300 million.
Industry Response and Commercial Realities Facing the New Stations
Potential bidders spent Friday reviewing the lengthy procurement documents, offering early perspectives on the contest. Marshall Smith, chief executive of Voyager’s Starlab space station, called the release an important milestone, noting that the agency incorporated industry and government feedback.
We believe Starlab has the strongest business plan and technical solution to be America’s next space station and we look forward to competing.
Marshall Smith, chief executive of Voyager’s Starlab space station, via Arstechnica
Axiom Space also welcomed the final solicitation, noting that its team was actively reviewing the text.
With years of experience executing human space flight missions and developing orbital hardware, we are confident the proposal we provide NASA will demonstrate that Axiom Space is the clear choice to meet NASA’s objectives in low-Earth orbit.
Axiom Space spokesperson, via Arstechnica
NASA’s current budget carries $272.3 million for the program, with roughly $2.1 billion allocated across the next five years—a total five-year development pot that is smaller than a single year of running the International Space Station, which historically cost about $3 billion annually alongside a cumulative $150 billion over three decades.