Spacecraft Optical Navigation and Autonomy Modules

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Ames Research Center (ARC) intends to negotiate and award a firm-fixed-price contract on a sole source basis to EraDrive, Inc. of Palo Alto, California, pursuant to 41 U.S.C. 3304(a)(1), as implemented by Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.302-1, Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements.

The Government intends to acquire commercial products and services using FAR Part 12.

NASA ARC, as servicing agency under an Economy Act reimbursable interagency agreement with another Federal agency, requires three (3) flight-qualified spacecraft autonomy modules, one optical hardware-in-the-loop stimulator, and one electrical ground support equipment (EGSE) kit with integration, test, verification, and validation tooling, together with associated nonrecurring engineering and engineering support services. The modules are integrated hardware and software systems providing vision-based, Global Positioning System (GPS) independent positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT); autonomous onboard maneuver planning; and autonomous optical detection, identification, and orbit determination of resident space objects.

EraDrive, Inc. is the only known responsible source capable of satisfying this requirement. The required capability was demonstrated on orbit aboard NASA's Starling small spacecraft swarm and is the only known GPS-independent optical navigation and autonomy capability of its kind with demonstrated flight heritage. EraDrive holds proprietary rights to the flight software and algorithms, and the Government does not possess rights in the technical data or software sufficient to enable performance by another source. Award to any other source would require duplicative redevelopment and on-orbit revalidation of the capability at substantial cost to the Government not expected to be recovered through competition, and would result in unacceptable delays inconsistent with the delivery schedule and the execution timeline of the supporting interagency agreement.

This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals, and no solicitation document is available. Interested organizations may submit their capabilities and qualifications to perform the effort electronically via email to Joshua Taggart at joshua.d.taggart@nasa.gov not later than 12:00 PM CDT on July 1, 2026. A capability statement should demonstrate, at a minimum: (1) an existing, flight-proven optical navigation and autonomy capability providing GPS-independent optical PNT, autonomous onboard maneuver planning, and resident space object detection and orbit determination; (2) the rights and technical data necessary to produce and deliver flight-qualified modules without Government-furnished proprietary information; and (3) the ability to meet the delivery schedule. The Government encourages sources with emerging or developing capabilities in this area to respond so that their interest and capabilities may be considered in market research for any future requirement.

Such capabilities/qualifications will be evaluated solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct this acquisition on a competitive basis. A determination by the Government not to compete this acquisition on a full and open competition basis, based upon responses to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the Government.

NASA Clause 1852.215-84, Ombudsman, is applicable. The Center Ombudsman for this acquisition can be found at: https://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/procurement/regs/Procurement-Ombuds-Comp-Advocate-Listing.pdf

Telephone inquiries will not be accepted. Any future solicitation or award information will be posted to SAM.gov.