ClosingNASA Headquarters · Grant

Habitable Worlds Observatory Precursor Science Investigation

NASA Headquarters posted this as a grant, responses due Oct 26, 2026.

Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO)$11B+ est. Largest space science procurement on the horizon. $150M in FY2026 appropriations with 7 industry technology maturation contracts awarded January 2026.

The docket5 open calls, Oct 26 to Mar 16, 2027

Today NovDecJan 2027FebMar

Oct 26 Habitable Worlds Observatory Precursor Science Investigation NASA Headquarters · Grant
Dec 2 Announcement for Partnership Proposals: Atmospheric Exploration Observatory NASA Headquarters · Special notice
Jan 31 NASA Deep Space Autonomous Robotics Challenge: Call for Host Facility Interest NASA Johnson · Capability survey
Feb 5 Heliophysics Spaceflight Science Foundations NASA Headquarters · Grant
Mar 16 The Heliophysics Low-Cost Access to Space NASA Headquarters · Grant

Almanac Launches and arrivals

2026

Hera arriving at Dimorphos 2026 DART & ESA Hera Follow-on Asteroid BeltNASA/ESA$722M combinedIn Transit
DeepSpace-2 launching 2026 AstroForge Asteroid Mining Asteroid BeltASTROFORGE$55M+ raisedIn Development
Launch fall 2026 Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Space TelescopesNASA~$4.3BPre-Launch

2028

Launch 2028 Dragonfly (Titan) Saturn & OuterNASA$3.35BIn Development

2029

Arriving 2029 Psyche Mission Asteroid BeltNASA~$1BIn Transit

2030

Arriving 2030 Europa Clipper Jupiter & MoonsNASA$5.2BIn Transit

2031

Arriving 2031 JUICE (Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer) Jupiter & MoonsESA~$1.6BIn Transit

Undated Awaiting money

$11B+ est.

Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO)

Pre-Phase A · $150M FY2026 | 7 industry contracts

$4.2B est.

Uranus Orbiter & Probe

Pre-Phase A · Decadal #1 Flagship

$100M pledged

Breakthrough Starshot

On Hold · Tech breakthroughs continuing

$1.5-2B est.

Interstellar Probe

Study Complete · Concept study complete

Deep Space RFP Tracker | Asteroid, Jupiter & Outer Planet Contracts

The Beyond page tracks every active and pending solicitation for deep space exploration, from asteroid missions and Jupiter system probes to Saturn-and-beyond flagships, interstellar concepts, and next-generation space telescopes. Browse active deep space solicitations, follow Jupiter system missions, or explore the space telescope pipeline. For the full ranked view across all destinations, visit the 2026 tracker. For real-time bid updates, watch the live ABOI feed.

Latest Analysis

EDITORIAL STEM

USSF / SSCopen

Next-Gen OPIR Block 2 | The Satellites That Watch for Missiles

~$2.4B+ live MEO bid

The next missile-warning layer from GEO and polar orbits, successor to SBIRS. A live companion bid, System Delta 84 MEO Missile Warning (Sources Sought, due Oct 31), opens the medium-orbit tier of the same mission.

EDITORIAL STEM

COMMERCE / CHIPSopen

The Quantum Race Is Already Won If We Wait

$2.013B LOIsCongress contests

Commerce signed $2B in quantum Letters of Intent with mandatory equity stakes, and Congress called it illegal. What the race actually looks like, who China has in the field, and why Quantum First by 2030 landed now.

EDITORIAL STEM

NASA / GSFCopen

The Explorers Pipeline | NASA's Fast Lane to Orbit

Frequent flightsAO-driven

NASA's Explorers Program is the lowest-friction way a heliophysics or astrophysics payload reaches orbit. How the Announcement of Opportunity cycle works, and who keeps winning the small and medium-class slots.

EDITORIAL STEM

NASA / JPLopen

Discovery's Venus Double-Header | DAVINCI and VERITAS

Cost-cappedDAVINCI 2029

NASA's Discovery Program is sending two cost-capped missions back to Venus, DAVINCI in 2029 and VERITAS no earlier than 2031, alongside Lucy and Psyche. The economics of the cap and what it actually buys.

EDITORIAL STEM

NASA AMESopen

Spacecraft That Fly Themselves

Special NoticeClosed Jul 2026

NASA Ames wants optical navigation and autonomy modules for spacecraft that operate where light-lag makes ground control impossible. The vendors building the brains for deep-space probes.

EDITORIAL STEM

NASAopen

Uranus Orbiter | The Decadal's $4.2B Top Pick Waits for Funding

$4.2B est.Decadal #1

The Planetary Science Decadal's top-priority flagship sits in pre-Phase A, waiting for a budget line. An ice-giant orbiter and probe is a generational mission, and the contracts have not started.

EDITORIAL STEM

NASA / APLopen

Dragonfly | A Nuclear Rotorcraft for Titan

$3.35BLaunch 2028

A nuclear-powered rotorcraft that will hop between dozens of sites on Titan, studying prebiotic chemistry. It passed its critical design review, and the build is underway.

EDITORIAL STEM

NASA / JPLopen

NEO Surveyor | The Telescope That Hunts City-Killers

$100M launchLaunch 2027

The infrared telescope built to find the city-killer asteroids we cannot see today. Planetary-defense hardware contracts are active now, with a 2027 launch on a Falcon 9.

EDITORIAL STEM

NASA / APLopen

The Interstellar Probe | APL's 1,000-AU Concept Awaits a Green Light

$1.5-2B est.Awaiting decision

APL's concept for a dedicated probe reaching 1,000 AU would be the fastest, farthest spacecraft ever flown. The study is done; the program decision is not.

Active RFPs

NNH25ZDA001N-HWOPSI

NASA Headquartersclosing

ROSES25: D.8 Habitable Worlds Observatory Precursor Science Investigation

GrantOct 26, 2026

NASA Headquarters posted this as a grant, responses due Oct 26, 2026.

NNH26ZDA015L

NASA Headquartersopen

Announcement for Partnership Proposals: Atmospheric Exploration Observatory

Special noticeDec 2, 2026

NASA Headquarters posted this as a special notice, responses due Dec 2, 2026.

80JSC024R0004

NASA Johnsonopen

NASA Deep Space Autonomous Robotics Challenge: Call for Host Facility Interest

Capability surveyJan 31, 2027

NASA Johnson posted this as a sources sought, NAICS 541990, responses due Jan 31, 2027.

NNH25ZDA001N-SSF

NASA Headquartersopen

ROSES 2025: B.8 Heliophysics Spaceflight Science Foundations

GrantFeb 5, 2027

NASA Headquarters posted this as a grant, responses due Feb 5, 2027.

NNH25ZDA001N-LCAS

NASA Headquartersopen

ROSES 2025: B.7 The Heliophysics Low-Cost Access to Space

GrantMar 16, 2027

NASA Headquarters posted this as a grant, responses due Mar 16, 2027.

Asteroid Belt

PROGRAM TRACKER

NASA/ESAIn Transit

DART & ESA Hera Follow-on

$722M combinedHera arriving at Dimorphos 2026

DART completed the first planetary defense impact test. ESA's Hera is in transit to survey the results at Dimorphos, arriving late 2026.

PROGRAM TRACKER

NASAIn Transit

Psyche Mission

~$1BArriving 2029

First mission to a metal-rich asteroid. In transit to 16 Psyche, an exposed planetary core that could reshape understanding of terrestrial planet formation.

COMMERCIAL

ASTROFORGEIn Development

AstroForge Asteroid Mining

$55M+ raisedDeepSpace-2 launching 2026

Establishing commercial asteroid mining regulatory precedent. DeepSpace-2 launching 2026 for prospecting mission to a near-Earth asteroid.

Jupiter & Moons

PROGRAM TRACKER

NASAIn Transit

Europa Clipper

$5.2BArriving 2030

NASA's largest active planetary mission. 49 flybys of Europa to characterize the subsurface ocean and assess habitability. Operations procurement through 2034.

PROGRAM TRACKER

ESAIn Transit

JUICE (Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer)

~$1.6BArriving 2031

ESA's flagship mission to characterize Ganymede, Callisto, and Europa. First spacecraft to orbit a moon of a giant planet (Ganymede, 2034).

Saturn & Outer

PROGRAM TRACKER

NASAIn Development

Dragonfly (Titan)

$3.35BLaunch 2028

Nuclear-powered rotorcraft lander for Titan. Passed CDR April 2025. Will fly to dozens of sites across Titan's surface studying prebiotic chemistry.

DECADAL PRIORITY

NASAPre-Phase A

Uranus Orbiter & Probe

$4.2B est.Decadal #1 Flagship

The Planetary Science Decadal Survey's top-priority flagship mission. First dedicated Uranus orbiter with atmospheric probe. Watch for Phase A funding in upcoming budgets.

Interstellar

PROGRAM TRACKER

PRIVATEOn Hold

Breakthrough Starshot

$100M pledgedTech breakthroughs continuing

Laser-propelled lightsail probes to Alpha Centauri at 20% lightspeed. Technology development continuing but full-scale mission remains decades away.

CONCEPT STUDY

NASA/APLStudy Complete

Interstellar Probe

$1.5-2B est.Concept study complete

APL concept for a dedicated interstellar medium probe reaching 1,000 AU. Would be humanity's fastest and farthest spacecraft. Awaiting programmatic decision.

Space Telescopes

PROGRAM TRACKER

NASAPre-Launch

Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope

~$4.3BLaunch fall 2026

Construction complete. Launch on Falcon Heavy fall 2026. Coronagraph serves as technology pathfinder for Habitable Worlds Observatory.

PROGRAM TRACKER

NASAPre-Phase A

Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO)

$11B+ est.$150M FY2026 | 7 industry contracts

Largest space science procurement on the horizon. $150M in FY2026 appropriations with 7 industry technology maturation contracts awarded January 2026.

Sector Profiles

Sector profiles cover 19 programs across asteroids, Jupiter system, outer planets, interstellar concepts, and space telescopes. Full profiles sourced from verified research across NASA, ESA, JAXA, and official agency announcements.

Articles

B1 · seeded
In development
Next-Gen OPIR Block 2 | The Satellites That Watch for Missiles
USSF's $2.4B solicitation for the next generation of overhead persistent infrared satellites. The missile warning architecture the U.S. is counting on through 2040.
B2 · seeded
In development
The Quantum Race Is Already Won If We Wait
The USCC warned in late 2025: quantum has crossed from long-range R&D to a near-term strategic race with irreversible consequences. Washington's $2B hedge is non-competitive and equity-bearing. China's field is broader. The race is already running.