NASA outlines commercial procurement strategy for geostationary ocean imaging mission

WASHINGTON - The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is advancing a commercial procurement strategy for its Geostationary Littoral Imaging and Monitoring Radiometer (GLIMR) mission, a hyperspectral ocean color imaging system designed to observe coastal waters from geostationary orbit. NASA said it is encouraging industry feedback on the draft requirements as it refines the solicitation ahead of release.

In a synopsis released for the GLIMR Access to Space (ATS) solicitation, NASA said it plans a full and open competition under North American Industry Classification System code 541715 for research and development services. The agency will use Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 12 commercial procedures with Part 15 evaluation methods. Selection will be based on best value, considering price, technical approach, and past performance, with oral presentations included in the evaluation process.

NASA did not provide an estimated contract value in the synopsis.

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All that GLIMRs

The GLIMR mission was selected in August 2019 under the Earth Venture Instrument-5 program and is classified as a Category 3 mission under NASA Procedural Requirements 7120.5 with a Class D payload under NPR 8705.4. The system is designed to operate from geostationary orbit, using a hyperspectral ocean-color radiometer to study coastal ecosystems and ocean processes that provide critical economic and environmental services.

Under the ATS procurement, NASA intends to acquire a full mission service package, including spacecraft and launch vehicle services, integration planning, ground system integration and testing, payload integration, spectrum licensing and orbital slot authorization, launch services, in-orbit checkout, and on-orbit spacecraft and instrument operations. Instrument operations, which were not previously included in earlier market research, are now explicitly part of the procurement scope.

NASA is not requiring a dedicated spacecraft configuration and will accept contractor solutions that include hosted payload or rideshare approaches, provided mission requirements are met.

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The agency said the expected period of performance is five years, consisting of a three-year base period and two one-year options for extended operations. The base period includes approximately seven months of integration planning, 11 months of integration and test activities, six months of in-orbit checkout, and a 12-month baseline science operations phase. Instrument delivery readiness is expected no later than January 2027.

Eye on the coasts

GLIMR is designed to observe coastal and ocean processes at diurnal and sub-daily timescales, enabling monitoring of rapidly evolving phenomena such as phytoplankton blooms, sediment transport, coastal fronts, eddies, and biogeochemical fluxes. The mission is intended to improve understanding of ecosystem productivity, carbon cycling, and land-ocean exchanges, supporting ecological forecasting and climate model development.

The instrument will operate from a geostationary position at 98° ±10° west longitude. It has a total mass of 141 kilograms, an average operational power of 251 watts, and a peak data rate of up to 72 megabits per second using SpaceWire interfaces.

NASA provided estimated procurement milestones with a final solicitation issuance planned in July 2026, proposals due in September 2026, and an award planned for January 2027.

NASA named Ashley Korahaes as the primary point of contact for this project. They can be reached via email at [email protected]. More information is available at https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/a7cc7cb2c4cd4ed08d8d1f664bdfcafd/view.