Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) Frequency Reference System (FRS) Flight
NASA · NASA GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER
Capture briefs (a one-page, shareable copy of this page) are part of Pro. The CSV here holds the notice, its timeline and past awards.
Where this opportunity stands
Every notice posted under solicitation NASA-GSFC-LISA-FRS-FLIGHT in this department, oldest first.
Next steps for this stage
Standard steps for the notice type; not advice about this buyer.
- Answer the notice: this is when the requirement can still be shaped.
- Contact the contracting officer named on the notice.
- Check who won similar work; they are the likely bidders.
What the notice says
NASA/GSFC is hereby soliciting information from potential sources for three flight assemblies and one flight spare Frequency Reference System (FRS) for the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) mission delivered according to anticipated schedule. Each FRS unit shall consist of an optical reference cavity (ORC) and associated electronics. The scope of this requirement is anticipated to include design, analysis, fabrication and full qualification of the flight units with environmental testing. See the attached LISA FRS Flight Requirements Document for a detailed description of the requiremen… (show all)
ts. The following major reviews are anticipated: Flight contract kickoff Preliminary Design Review (PDR) Critical Design Review (CDR) Pre-Environmental Review (PER) for each unit Pre-Shipment Review (PER) for each unit Monthly Status Reviews (MSRs) virtually or at vendor facility as conditions warrant (status, schedule, changes, technical performance metrics, issues, anomalies, mishaps) Vendor support for Project Preliminary Design Review and Project Critical Design Review The following environmental tests are anticipated: EMI/EMC Vibration Shock Thermal Balance with four thermal cases (hot operational, cold operational, hot survival, and cold survival) Thermal Vacuum (TVAC) testing. All units must complete 8 cycles with temperature plateau criteria matched to thermal sensor nearest to FRS-O internal cavity to ensure temperature-driven stresses are exercised. Comprehensive performance testing must be performed at first and last cycles including basic functionality testing at maximum, minimum, and nominal voltages. Long-term measurements must continue during operational temperature transitions. Comprehensive performance testing (one before any environmental testing, one at first and last hot plateau in TVAC, one at first and last cold plateau in TVAC, and one after all environmental testing has been completed). Comprehensive performance testing includes verification of all performance requirements. Targeted delivery dates: Flight unit #1 � February 9 2029 Flight unit #2 � September 4 2029 Flight unit #3 � March 11 2030 Flight spare � May 31 2030 Number of deliveries � 3 flight units, 1 spare unit (fully tested and qualified) The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) GSFC is seeking capability statements from all interested parties, including all socioeconomic categories of Small Businesses (SB) and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU)/Minority Institutions (MI) for the purposes of determining the appropriate level of competition and/or small business subcontracting goals for LISA FRS Flight. Vendors are encouraged to demonstrate capabilities as a prime, subcontractor and/or teaming partner. The Government reserves the right to consider a Small Business, Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB), HUBZone, Veteran Owned Small Business (VOSB), Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business, and Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) business set-aside based on responses received. Respondents are requested to provide informed input on realistic and appropriate SB subcontracting and/or participation goals for the specific requirement. This type of feedback supports NASA�s market research and helps ensure the acquisition strategy is aligned with actual industry capability. Industry feedback is requested for: SB Subcontracting goals; Barriers that may limit SB participation, such as certifications, unique technical requirements, security needs, specialized tools, or high-risk performance areas and/or Strategies to increase SB participation, including: Breaking requirements into smaller components Identifying areas appropriate for subcontracting Considering teaming or mentor prot�g� approaches No solicitation exists; therefore, do not request a copy of the solicitation. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on SAM.gov. Interested firms are responsible for monitoring this website for the release of any presolicitation or solicitation notice. Interested firms having the required capabilities necessary to meet the above requirement described herein should submit a capability statement of no more than 10 pages indicating the ability to perform all aspects of the effort as well as a supporting Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM). See Section 2.1 of Attachment A for detailed instructions on the capability statement. The ROM should be broken down into two fundamental partitions which both include design, development, assembly, integration, management, mission assurance, systems engineering, and review support: First flight unit with assumed non-recurring engineering (NRE) All subsequent flight and spare units Please advise if the requirement is considered a commercial or commercial-type product. A commercial product and commercial service is defined in FAR Part 2, Definitions. All responses must be submitted electronically via email to Stefan Flessa at stefan.d.flessa@nasa.gov no later than 5:00 PM EDT on August 6th 2026. Please reference LISA FRS Flight in any response. This sources sought notice is for information and planning purposes only and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government nor will the Government pay for information solicited. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation.
Who won similar work
3 award notices on SAM.gov in the last 24 months. Matched by: Same office (NASA GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER), same product/service code (PSC) 1675 and NAICS 336414.
Single-winner award sizes (3): middle half $22.4M to $25.2M, median $24.3M; range $20.5M to $26.2M.
| Winner | Awards | Value | Last |
|---|---|---|---|
| SOUTHWEST RESEARCH INSTITUTE San Antonio TX 78238 USA | 1 | $26.2M | Jan 23, 2025 |
| UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF NEW HAMPSHIRE Durham NH 03824 USA | 1 | $24.3M | Nov 14, 2024 |
| THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY APPLIED PHYSICS LABORATORY LLC | 1 | $20.5M | Jan 17, 2025 |
Value counts single-winner awards. "Shared" awards are multiple-award contracts that list every winner with the same total ceiling; that ceiling is not one company's win, so it is not added in. Revenue next to a ticker is the company's last annual revenue from its 10-K.
- Jan 23, 2025SOUTHWEST RESEARCH INSTITUTE San Antonio TX 78238 USA$26.2MSpace Weather Next L1 Series Magnetometer (MAG)No listed company matched (Materiality N/A)
- Jan 17, 2025THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY APPLIED PHYSICS LABORATORY LLC$20.5MSpace Weather Next L1 Series Suprathermal Ion Sensor (STIS)No listed company matched (Materiality N/A)
- Nov 14, 2024UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF NEW HAMPSHIRE Durham NH 03824 USA$24.3MSpace Weather Next L1 Series Solar Wind Plasma Sensor (SWiPS) ProcurementNo listed company matched (Materiality N/A)
Competitive landscape
For the 3 most frequent past winners above. Lobbying is matched by the company's exact name or exact ticker; agencies are as named on the filings.
- 1 of these past winners lobbied Natl Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) since 2024 (11 filings)
- 0 of their lobbyists list a past Natl Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) job
- No corporate PAC money from them to the overseeing committees since 2024
- 0 foreign-agent (FARA) registrations
Policy around it
Bills the past winners named while lobbying this agency's issues, rules from the department, and executive orders that name the agency, last 12 months.
- 7 bills named on the past winners' lobbying filings
- 16 rules from the department in the last 12 months
- 0 executive orders naming the agency in the last 12 months
Market
For past winners matched exactly to a listed company. Insider trades are open-market buys and sells (Form 4) in the last 90 days, shown as facts; our own study found insiders do not reliably buy ahead of awards. A sale marked 10b5-1 was made under a trading plan set up in advance.
- 0 of the past winners are listed companies
- 0 insider buys and 0 insider sells at them in the last 90 days
Sources: SAM.gov notices and award notices; Senate LDA lobbying filings; FEC filings; FARA; Federal Register; congress.gov; SEC Form 4. Every row above links to its record.
Companies are matched to tickers by exact name only. A company we could not match shows no market rows; that is a miss, not a finding.