NASA Just Asked Companies to Build the ISS's Replacement. Bids Are Due Dec. 8.

So basically: The International Space Station is retiring, and NASA just officially asked companies to build what comes next. On Friday, Oct. 9, it released the final request for proposals for private space stations. Bids are due Dec. 8. The contract guarantees at least $100 million and has a ceiling of $34.063 billion.

What NASA asked for

NASA wants companies to design, build, test, certify, and run their own stations in low Earth orbit. NASA would then buy service from them instead of owning a station itself.

The key dates:

• Oct. 9: Final request released, about 360 pages per Ars Technica
• Oct. 15: Virtual pre-proposal conference
• Oct. 21: Questions due
• Nov. 24: Past performance section requested early
• Dec. 8: Full proposals due, 1 p.m. Central
• Spring 2027: Awards expected, with April 15 listed as the target

NASA plans to pick two or more companies for early development. After that, it will run a competition for final design, testing, certification, and service, with one or more winners.

The money

The contract has a guaranteed minimum of $100 million. Ars Technica reports Phase 1 winners are guaranteed at least that much.

The ceiling is much bigger: $34.063 billion. The base period runs 8 years, with options that could stretch it to 15 years.

The pricing tables cover missions from 2028 through 2042, with crews of two to four people.

Phase 2, starting next year, funds development and certification. Phase 3 buys at least four missions for NASA astronauts.

The ride problem

This is the part I find wild.

A station is useless if nobody can get there. SpaceX’s Crew Dragon is the only working U.S. crew ride right now. Ars reports SpaceX has said it plans to retire Dragon as soon as possible, likely when the ISS comes down in 2030 or 2032. SpaceX also has not offered to sell seats to private station companies.

So NASA is stepping in. Bidders do not need a signed ride contract or even a letter of intent. NASA offers to furnish transportation for the first four NASA missions.

NASA even put prices on it. For 2030, it estimates:

• A four seat crew flight: $325 million
• A cargo flight: $300 million

About two weeks earlier, NASA gave Boeing another $359 million to keep working on certifying Starliner, per Ars.

Who is bidding

Ars says the bidders will certainly include:

• Axiom Space
• Voyager Space, with its Starlab station
• Vast, which says it is in final integration with its Haven-1 station

All three told Ars they plan to compete. Blue Origin won an earlier round, but Ars says questions remain about its commitment. SpaceX appears unlikely to bid, at least for now.

What NASA said

”We’ve made it clear that NASA will never give up its presence in low Earth orbit,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said.

He also said “the economics ultimately have to work.” NASA wants companies that will find other customers too, not just live off NASA.

The timeline has been building all year. NASA published two requests for information in March, a draft in July, then held an industry day and one on one meetings before Friday’s final version.

My take

This is the moment the ISS handoff gets real. For more than 25 years, space stations were something governments owned. Now NASA wants to be a customer. The $325 million price tag on one crew flight tells you how expensive this still is, and why NASA had to step in on rides. My bet is Vast and Axiom are the ones to watch, since both already have hardware moving. Dec. 8 is the deadline. Spring is when we find out who gets to build the next home in orbit.