ISS deorbitEarly 2031USDV
RFP Daily
Commercial LEO4 stationsfirst launch Q1 2027
Thursday, October 22, 2026Stations are the ports of the celestial economy.rfpdaily.com
Proposals due
dec
8
2026
Active RFPsNASA Johnson

Commercial Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Destination Contract (CLDC) Request for Proposal

NASA Johnson posted the final CLDC request for proposal, a firm-fixed-price, multiple-award IDIQ with at least two awardees for early development of commercial stations to follow the ISS. NAICS 336414. Proposals due Dec 8, 2026, 1:00 PM CT; NASA expects awards in spring 2027.

Notice80JSC027R0004
AgencyNASA Johnson
TypeMulti-award IDIQ
PostedOct 15, 2026
Station clock2025–2031
2025202620272028202920302031
80JSC027R0004 · DEC 8
ISS Transition
  1. ISS OperationsExtended through 2030
  2. USDVISS deorbit early 2031
Commercial LEO
  1. Orbital ReefSDR Jun 2025; partnership tensions
  2. StarlabCCDR Feb 2026
  3. Vast Haven-1Launch Q1 2027
  4. AxiomPPTM manufacturing; 2027 launch
Sovereign Stations
  1. ROSSPivoted to ISS-based assembly Dec 2025
  2. BASBAS-1 launch target 2028
Latest Analysis
  1. ~$3.5B+ eachPre-2030
    4 PROVIDERS

    The CLD RaceAxiom vs Starlab vs Orbital Reef vs Vast

    Four contenders are racing to have a commercial station ready before the ISS retires. Whoever slips leaves a gap in continuous US presence in orbit, and the others take the market.

  2. $843MReentry 2031
    NASA / SPACEX

    The Deorbit VehicleSpaceX's $843M Job to Sink the ISS

    SpaceX holds the contract to build the vehicle that will deliberately sink the ISS into the South Pacific around 2031. The most consequential end-of-life job in the history of human spaceflight.

  3. $5-7B elementsPaused Mar 2026
    NASA

    Gateway PausedNASA Redirects to the Surface

    NASA paused the entire Gateway program in March 2026 and redirected resources to the lunar surface, with PPE and HALO already in advanced build. ESA's call on what to do with the hardware is due.

  4. 77 to 180 tonnes6 modules
    CNSA

    Tiangong ExpandsChina Goes from 3 Modules to 6

    China's Tiangong is the only operational sovereign station, and it is doubling from three modules to six. Continuous crewed presence since 2022, with a Xuntian telescope co-orbiting, while the West negotiates its successor.

Space Station Tracker | ISS, Commercial LEO & Gateway Contracts

The Stations page tracks every active and pending solicitation for orbital platforms, from ISS transition contracts and Commercial LEO Destinations to the Lunar Gateway and sovereign national stations. Browse active station solicitations, follow the commercial LEO race, or explore sovereign station programs. 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
NASAopen
CLD Phase 2 | NASA Returns to Firm-Fixed-Price for Commercial Stations
Multi-award IDIQProposals due Dec 8, 2026
NASA's final RFP 80JSC027R0004 is a firm-fixed-price, multiple-award IDIQ with at least two awards for early development. An August 2025 directive had swapped the contract for funded Space Act Agreements and put the acquisition on hold; NASA lifted the hold in June 2026 after industry pushback. Awards are expected in spring 2027. Axiom, Starlab, Orbital Reef, and Vast are in contention.
EDITORIAL STEM
ESA / THALESopen
Gateway I-HAB | Outfitting the Moon's Outpost, If It Survives
$215M moduleUnder question
The I-HAB habitation module is procurement under a question mark, as NASA's Gateway pause redirects toward a surface base. What gets built, and what Canadarm3 and the UAE airlock become, if the outpost is deferred.
EDITORIAL STEM
ISROopen
India Builds Its Own Station | SpaDeX to Bharatiya Antariksh
~$210M BAS-1Launch 2028
India approved the first module of its Bharatiya Antariksh Station at roughly $210M, building on the SpaDeX docking demo and Gaganyaan. A sovereign-station path distinct from the US and Chinese tracks.
EDITORIAL STEM
NASA / SPACEXopen
The Deorbit Vehicle | SpaceX's $843M Job to Sink the ISS
$843MReentry 2031
SpaceX holds the contract to build the vehicle that will deliberately sink the ISS into the South Pacific around 2031. The most consequential end-of-life job in the history of human spaceflight.
EDITORIAL STEM
4 PROVIDERSopen
The CLD Race | Axiom vs Starlab vs Orbital Reef vs Vast
~$3.5B+ eachPre-2030
Four contenders are racing to have a commercial station ready before the ISS retires. Whoever slips leaves a gap in continuous US presence in orbit, and the others take the market.
EDITORIAL STEM
CNSAopen
Tiangong Expands | China Goes from 3 Modules to 6
77 to 180 tonnes6 modules
China's Tiangong is the only operational sovereign station, and it is doubling from three modules to six. Continuous crewed presence since 2022, with a Xuntian telescope co-orbiting, while the West negotiates its successor.
EDITORIAL STEM
NASAopen
Gateway Paused | NASA Redirects to the Surface
$5-7B elementsPaused Mar 2026
NASA paused the entire Gateway program in March 2026 and redirected resources to the lunar surface, with PPE and HALO already in advanced build. ESA's call on what to do with the hardware is due.
EDITORIAL STEM
ROSCOSMOSopen
ROSS | Russia Recycles the ISS Into Its Next Station
ISS-based assemblyPost-2030
Russia pivoted its next station to an ISS-based assembly approach, planning to detach modules and reuse them as the core of a national outpost. Recycling the old station into the new one under budget pressure.
EDITORIAL STEM
VASTopen
Spin Test | Vast's Bet on Artificial Gravity
Haven-1 experiment2027
Vast plans the first artificial-gravity spin experiment on Haven-1, a foundational test for rotating habitats and long-duration crew health. The data that decides whether future stations spin or float.