Special NoticePosted Sep 30, 2026·Responses due Oct 16, 2026

Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB) Call for Whitepapers for Mission Development Zone (MDZ) Outgrant

Air Force and Space Force · SPACE SYSTEMS COMMAND

Stage
Early notice (sources sought, presolicitation or special notice)
NAICS
Not stated
Value
Not stated
Solicitation
VSFBMDZCall
Set-aside
None stated
PSC
Not stated
Place
Not stated
Contact
Ainsley Allen (232909MissionDevelopmentZoneMDZFacilityConstruct@groups.af.mil)
CSV Email

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 VSFBMDZCall in this department, oldest first.

Early notice
  • Sep 2, 2026
    Special Notice
    Open
  • Sep 30, 2026 · this notice
    Special Notice
Solicitation
None posted
Award
Not yet. Typical award: Oct 28, 2026 to Feb 28, 2027, middle of the range Dec 9, 2026.
Measured from 253 past early notices at Dept of the Air Force that later posted an award (middle half of cases, counted from Sep 2, 2026).

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

** The response due date has been extended from 2 October 2026 to 16 October 2026** 1. DESCRIPTION 1.1. Growth of the U.S. Domestic Space industry has resulted in a greater demand for use of real property at U.S. Space Force (USSF) Space Launch Delta 30 (SLD 30), Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB) by private and commercial entities to conduct spaceport support, payload processing, hardware manufacturing, testing, logistics, and other space-related activities. Ensuring that United States operators can efficiently process space systems, conduct missions in space, launch, and reenter United State… (show all)

s airspace is critical to economic growth, national security, and accomplishing Federal space objectives. 1.2. SLD 30 requests white paper responses from United States Commercial Providers as defined by 51 U.S.C. � 50101(7) engaged in space transportation, spaceport support, spacecraft manufacturing, payload processing, assembly, test, space logistics, or other space-related operations on the buildout of the Mission Development Zone (MDZ). Respondents will offer insights, perspectives, and approaches to obtain real property-use agreements to finance, design, construct, operate, and maintain spaceport infrastructure. Industry insights from whitepaper submissions may be utilized to drive future RFI / RFP announcements issued by SLD 30. Specifically, the MDZ infrastructure is intended to provide critical support services to the Department of War (DoW), commercial spaceflight, and other spaceport users at an undeveloped area located in the southern region of VSFB�s North Base area. Development and utilization of the MDZ will be in support of maximizing spaceport capability and assured access to space to achieve national security objectives. 1.3. Description of Premises is at Exhibit B. Please note that the MDZ is not a space launch complex (launch pad), but rather a flexible development zone dedicated to supporting the broader spaceport ecosystem. This includes, but is not limited to, payload processing, hazardous processing, spaceport logistics, commodity storage, launch and mission control, research and development, spacecraft integration, and administrative/engineering spaces. 1.4. The USSF is gathering market intelligence to determine the feasibility of a future real property outgrant under 10 U.S.C. � 2667 to a commercial space services provider, spaceport support provider, launch service provider (LSP), space infrastructure provider, or other space-related entity to construct spaceport-related support infrastructure. MDZ support infrastructure may include, but is not limited to, the following activities: processing, manufacturing, logistics, and administrative support activities. Data gathered from white paper responses will directly inform the Government in determining optimal MDZ utilization and potential infrastructure requirements to meet Government and industry launch requirements. 1.5. To support its ongoing spaceport capacity expansion, Space Launch Delta 30 (SLD 30) continuously evaluates opportunities and fields requests for new missions. Accordingly, SLD 30 provides discretionary site access and information to prospective partners at any time. Spaceport users and providers responding to this call for whitepapers wishing to view the site may request a property viewing. Please note that scheduling a site visit does not constitute grounds for extending the submittal deadline. 2. CONDITIONS 2.1. This call for whitepapers is not governed by Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and is not a Request for Information (RFI), a Request for Proposal (RFP), a Request for Quote (RFQ), nor a solicitation announcement. Content of whitepapers will provide industry insight to assist the Government in scoping, planning, and defining requirements for the proposed MDZ. Content of the whitepapers may assist the Government in generating future contract requirements. Submitters agree and allow the USSF to use the information in the submissions for this purpose. 2.2. This call for whitepapers is issued solely for informational and planning purposes, and the Government is under no obligation to allocate property. The information contained herein is current as of the publication date but subject to change; it is not binding and may be amended in the future. While SLD 30 intends to review submissions, it is under no obligation to do so and reserves the right to cancel or amend the call for whitepapers at its sole discretion. 2.3. No funds are available to fund the whitepaper requested and the Government will not pay or reimburse any costs associated with responding to this request. 2.4. Any future facility where energetic propellants, hazardous materials, and/or ordnance will be used, processed, or stored will require the development of an explosives site plan. To assist the Government in layout and zoning analysis, respondents should outline any anticipated explosive safety arcs, quantity-distance (QD) requirements, or specialized hazard mitigation constraints. 3. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS To assist the U.S. Space Force in scoping and planning for the Mission Development Zone (MDZ), respondents are requested to provide a whitepaper that addresses the following areas. The goal is to gather information on industry needs, operational concepts, and technical requirements to shape the future development of the MDZ. 3.1. Spaceport, Support, and Related Infrastructure Capability. To meet future U.S. Government and commercial space requirements, the USSF seeks to establish robust spaceport support and related infrastructure at VSFB. The MDZ, positioned in the southern area of North VSFB, has been assessed as a potentially viable location for development of infrastructure required for the preparation, operation, and support of launch programs, spacecraft assembly, payload processing, space logistics, and other supporting commercial or industrial activities that enable the spaceport ecosystem. The Government is seeking insights from industry regarding the MDZ layout and planned utilization including types of facilities that would be most beneficial to launch providers in this location. Respondents should provide an assessment with respect to the compatibility of the property with proposed concept of operations. To assist the Government in understanding this capability, respondents should provide a list of all desired facility developments intended to be constructed at the MDZ. 3.2. Payload Processing and Hardware Requirements. A primary objective of the MDZ development is to address current installation capacity constraints regarding payload processing. If a respondent�s concept of operations involves payload or hardware processing, the Government requests specific information regarding requirements to process modern 5-meter-class payloads and next-generation fairings. Respondents should describe necessary facility specifications to include cleanroom class ratings (e.g., ISO 7, ISO 8), overhead crane hook heights, clear span ceiling heights, and projected annual processing throughput. (Note: If a respondent�s proposed operations do not involve payload processing, this section may be omitted). 3.3. Benefit to the Spaceport Ecosystem. Respondents should describe how their proposed operations, facilities, or infrastructure developments will benefit the broader VSFB spaceport ecosystem, the commercial space industry, and U.S. Space Force national security objectives. 3.4. Parcel Selection, Layout Preferences, & Utility Requirements. The MDZ contains roughly 2,100 acres divided into general parcel sizes. The MDZ is located within 5 miles of Vandenberg Airfield with some parcels in the aircraft arrival corridor which will limit building height. To inform the base's Area Development Plan (ADP), respondents are requested to outline their estimated land and utility requirements: Acreage and Parcel Selection: Respondents may address any number of parcels depending on the overall size needed for t

Who won similar work

1918 award notices on SAM.gov in the last 24 months. Match: Same agency (Air Force and Space Force), any industry: a loose match.

Loose match: same agency, any industry. Read the titles before treating these as competitors.

WinnerAwardsValueLast
NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION · $NOC17$2.5BOct 6, 2026
WAREHOUSE ONE, INC11$9.0MSep 23, 2026
RAYTHEON COMPANY · $RTX9$22.7BSep 29, 2026
THE BOEING COMPANY · $BA9$3.5BOct 2, 2026
LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION · $LMT9$281.4MAug 26, 2026
ARHAB LLC8$1.0MAug 10, 2026
THOMAS INSTRUMENT, INCORPORATED7$57.9MMay 29, 2026
L3HARRIS TECHNOLOGIES, INC. · $LHX7$22.1MSep 25, 2026
Aantilia LLC7$3.4MOct 5, 2026
AIRTRONICS, LLC7$1.6MJul 16, 2026

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.

Latest awards

Competitive landscape

For the 8 most frequent past winners above. Lobbying is matched by the company's exact name or exact ticker; agencies are as named on the filings.

  • 3 of these past winners lobbied Air Force, Dept of since 2024 (36 filings)
  • 0 of their lobbyists list a past Air Force, Dept of job
  • $1.7M from their corporate PACs since 2024 to members of House Committee on Appropriations, House Committee on Armed Services, Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senate Committee on Armed Services
  • 0 foreign-agent (FARA) registrations
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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.

  • 8 bills named on the past winners' lobbying filings
  • 32 rules from the department in the last 12 months
  • 0 executive orders naming the agency in the last 12 months
See who and the source records with Pro

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.

  • 5 of the past winners are listed companies
  • 0 insider buys and 6 insider sells at them in the last 90 days
See who and the source records with Pro

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.