Project Information

Bid Title

Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) Frequency Reference System (FRS) Flight

Issuing Agency

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

Location

Colorado

Published Date

Sep 15, 2026

Closing Date

Sep 19, 2026

Government Level

Federal

Status

Closed

Ref. #

NASA-GSFC-LISA-FRS-FLIGHT

Original Source

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Bid Documents

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Set Aside

No Set aside used

Project Description

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Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) Frequency Reference System (FRS) Flight

Active

Contract Opportunity

Notice ID

NASA-GSFC-LISA-FRS-FLIGHT

Related Notice

NASA-GSFC-LISA-FRS-FLIGHT

Department/Ind. Agency

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

Sub-tier

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

Office

NASA GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER

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General Information View Changes

• Contract Opportunity Type: Presolicitation (Updated)
• Updated Published Date: Sep 15, 2026 02:14 pm EDT
• Original Published Date: Sep 04, 2026 12:20 pm EDT
• Updated Response Date: Sep 19, 2026 04:30 pm EDT
• Original Response Date: Sep 19, 2026 04:30 pm EDT
• Inactive Policy: 15 days after response date
• Updated Inactive Date: Oct 04, 2026
• Original Inactive Date: Oct 04, 2026
• Initiative:
  • None

Classification

• Original Set Aside: No Set aside used
• Product Service Code: 1675 - SPACE VEHICLE COMPONENTS
• NAICS Code:
  • 336414 - Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing
• Place of Performance:
  Boulder , CO
  USA

Description

NASA/GSFC has a requirement for the design, fabrication, qualification, and delivery of flight Frequency Reference System (FRS) hardware for NASA's Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) mission, consisting of three Flight Models and one Flight Spare. Each FRS unit comprises two tightly coupled subsystems, the FRS optical reference cavity (FRS-O) and the FRS frequency-locking electronics (FRS-E), which together stabilize the laser frequency using a Pound-Drever-Hall lock to meet LISA's picometer-scale measurement needs, with deliveries required on an aggressive schedule between February 2029 and May 2030. Minimal post-delivery support is included.

NASA/GSFC intends to issue a sole source contract to BAE Systems Space & Mission Systems Inc. (BAE SMS) under the authority of FAR 6.103-1, to acquire the LISA FRS flight hardware. Based on a publicly issued Sources Sought Notice, only BAE SMS is capable of meeting the full FRS-O and FRS-E requirements within the fixed delivery schedule. BAE SMS possesses directly relevant flight heritage across both the FRS-O and FRS-E subsystems, including the GRACE Follow-On and GRACE-C optical cavities that are heritage to the LISA FRS-O, and it is already under contract with NASA GSFC developing mature, pre-flight LISA FRS hardware through a full Technology Readiness Level and Engineering Test Unit phase. This existing hardware baseline, combined with BAE's established relationships with the specialized suppliers of the custom, long-lead FRS components, positions BAE SMS to meet the aggressive delivery dates required for NASA system-level integration and subsequent delivery to ESA under the NASA-ESA Memorandum of Understanding. No other source possesses the hardware maturity, technical heritage, or supplier relationships to successfully meet NASA requirements. Accordingly, only one responsible source can satisfy the Government's requirements, and no other supplies or services will meet the agency's need.

The Government does not intend to acquire a commercial product or commercial service using FAR Part 12.

Interested organizations may submit their capabilities and qualifications to perform the effort electronically via email to stefan.d.flessa@nasa.gov not later than 4:30 PM Eastern Time on September 19, 2026. Such capabilities/qualifications will be evaluated solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct this acquisition on a competitive basis. A decision 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

Attachments/Links

Contact Information View Changes

Contracting Office Address

• GREENBELT MD 20771
• GREENBELT , MD 20771
• USA

Primary Point of Contact

• Stefan Flessa
• stefan.d.flessa@nasa.gov

Secondary Point of Contact

• Candis Edwards
• candis.j.edwards-duncan@nasa.gov

History

• Sep 15, 2026 02:14 pm EDTPresolicitation (Updated)
• Sep 04, 2026 12:20 pm EDT Presolicitation (Original)
• Aug 21, 2026 01:06 am EDT Sources Sought (Original)

Commodity Codes

• FSC 16Aircraft Components and Accessories

• NAICS 336414Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing

Related bids

Jul 16, 2026	[Sources Sought (Original)] Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) Frequency Reference System (FRS) Flight
Sep 4, 2026	[Presolicitation (Original)] Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) Frequency Reference System (FRS) Flight

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