CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA’s John F. Kennedy Space Center is seeking information from industry on uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) detection and analysis services to support the protection of launch vehicles, flight hardware, personnel, and other critical assets at the spaceport.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) said the UAS detection and analysis capability must provide real-time detection, identification, and threat analysis of unauthorized drones operating over and around Kennedy Space Center, which encompasses more than 144,000 acres of land. The system must be fully mission capable at the start of performance, which NASA anticipates will begin no earlier than 1 April 2026.
NASA said the data generated by the system will be used to support rapid operational decisions to protect personnel, the public, launch infrastructure, and national security interests. All UAS flights over Kennedy Space Center and the adjacent Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge are restricted and require approval from NASA flight operations.
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At a distance
Under the draft performance work statement, the agency is seeking a detection system capable of identifying unknown UAS at ranges of at least 40 nautical miles, with a goal of extending detection to 100 nautical miles. The system must provide continuous, 24-hour monitoring and be compatible with counter-UAS systems, procedures, and protocols used by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Air Force, and U.S. Space Force.
NASA said the system must integrate multiple independent sensors, including fixed and mobile components, and provide real-time alerts, identification data, and threat analysis to multiple users across Kennedy Space Center and partner facilities. Required outputs include drone type, serial number, speed, flight path, operator location, and automated alerts for unknown or unauthorized aircraft.
The agency is also seeking systems with map-based dashboards, independent data paths, and notification capabilities that do not rely on existing Kennedy Space Center communications infrastructure. The contractor would be responsible for system maintenance, updates, and on-site support, with the ability to respond within 24 hours if required.
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The applicable North American Industry Classification System code is 561621, Security Systems Services, with a small business size standard of $25 million.
Responses are due by 12 p.m. Eastern on 9 February 2026. NASA noted that Justin Ko is the main point of contact for this RFI and can be emailed at [email protected]. More information, including technical data, is available at https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/732c6a1cfa20478aa02618c641dc3fdc/view.
