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NextSTEP P: Human Landing System Sustaining Lunar Development

Solicitation Number: NNH19ZCQ001K_Appendix-P-HLS-SLD

Abbreviated Timeline

March 23, 2022 – Updated Sustaining HLS Plans: Announcement
March 31, 2022 – Draft Solicitation issued | Announcement
April 4, 2022 – Virtual Industry Forum (summary below)
April 13, 2022 – Draft Solicitation Amendment 1 Issued
April 18, 2022 – Draft Solicitation Amendment 2 Issued | Industry Q&A Log 1 posted
May 2, 2022 – Industry Feedback to Draft Solicitation was due at 5 p.m. Central Time (CT)
May 10, 2022 – Draft Solicitation Amendment 3 Issued | Industry Q&A Log 2 posted
July 19, 2022 – Draft Solicitation Amendment 4 Issued
July 26, 2022 – Industry Q&A Log 3 posted
Sept. 16, 2022 – Solicitation | Press Release
Sept. 22, 2022 – Industry Q&A Log 4 posted   
Oct. 6, 2022 – Appendix P BAA Amendment 1 Issued
Oct. 18, 2022 – Appendix P BAA Amendment 2 Issued | Industry Q&A Log 5 posted
Oct. 21, 2022 – Appendix P BAA Amendment 3 Issued
Nov. 3, 2022 – Appendix P BAA Amendment 4 Issued
Nov. 28, 2022 – Industry Q&A Log 6 posted
May 19, 2023 – Appendix P Selection: Press Release | Source Selection Statement

Artist’s concept of the Blue Moon lander.
Artist’s concept of the Blue Moon lander.
Blue Origin

Detailed Timeline

May 19, 2023 – NASA announced the selection of Blue Origin to develop its Blue Moon lander for the Artemis V mission. Under the Appendix P contract award, Blue Origin will develop its human landing system to meet NASA’s requirements for sustainable lunar exploration.

Nov. 28, 2022 – NASA posted Industry Q&A Log 6.

Nov. 3, 2022 – NASA posted Appendix P BAA Amendment 4 to sam.gov to modify the Lunar Orbit Checkout Review goal date from January 2028 to April 2028, provide labor category descriptions, and incorporate clarifications to several solicitation documents.

Oct. 21, 2022 – NASA posted Appendix P BAA Amendment 3 to sam.gov to extend the proposal due date from November 15, 2022 to December 6, 2022, adjust the dates for NASA’s disposition of GFP and GTA requests, and incorporate updates to the solicitation in response to industry questions and comments.

Oct. 18, 2022 – NASA posted Appendix P BAA Amendment 2 to sam.gov to update various solicitation documents with clarifications that were incorporated in response to industry questions and comments about the final solicitation issued on 9/16/22. NASA also posted Industry Q&A log 5.

Oct. 6, 2022 – NASA posted Appendix P BAA Amendment 1 to sam.gov to adjust the dates for NASA’s disposition of Government Furnished Property (GFP) and Government Task Agreement (GTA) requests.

Sept. 23, 2022 – Administrative change: Modified the Notice ID in sam.gov, consistent with the solicitation documentation issued on Sept. 16. No changes were made to solicitation documents. The link above to the 9/16/22 solicitation on sam.gov was updated.

Sept. 22, 2022 – NASA posted Industry Q&A log 4

Sept. 16, 2022 – NASA issued a Human Landing System (HLS) Sustaining Lunar Development solicitation under the NextSTEP-2 Appendix P Broad Agency Announcement (BAA). Through this solicitation, NASA is seeking proposals for the development and demonstration of a lunar lander that meets NASA’s HLS sustaining requirements for missions beyond Artemis III. Proposals from industry are due November 15, 2022, at 3 p.m. CT.

July 26, 2022 – NASA posted Industry Q&A log 3

July 19, 2022 – NASA posted Amendment 4 to the draft solicitation to sam.gov to update NASA’s goal for timing of the crewed demonstration mission.

May 10, 2022 – NASA posted Amendment 3 to the draft solicitation to sam.gov to add two reference documents and to update two solicitation attachments (Attachment B/NASA Points of Contact; and Attachment Q/Government Task Agreement Template). NASA also posted Industry Q&A log 2. 

April 18, 2022 – NASA posted Amendment 2 to the draft solicitation to sam.gov to add a reference document regarding one of the solicitation’s optional Government Furnished Property (GFP) items. NASA also posted Industry Q&A log 1, which addresses questions from industry regarding the draft HLS Sustaining Lunar Development (Appendix P) solicitation. 

April 13, 2022  Amendment 1 to the draft solicitation was posted to sam.gov to provide an “HLS Req & Verification Comment Sheet” that was inadvertently left out of the draft solicitation.

April 4, 2022  NASA hosted an HLS Virtual Industry Forum on Monday, April 4, 2022, to provide an overview of the Appendix P solicitation, timeline, and goals. The industry forum briefing slides are available here:
NextSTEP App P Virtual Industry Forum Briefing

A list of non-NASA industry forum participants is posted here to facilitate partnering among potential proposers: 

NextSTEP App P Virtual Industry Forum Participant List

March 31, 2022 – NASA released a draft of the second Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships (NextSTEP-2) Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) Appendix P solicitation for Human Landing System (HLS) Sustaining Lunar Development. This solicitation will seek proposals from U.S. industry for the development and demonstration of a landing system that meets NASA sustaining HLS requirements for missions beyond Artemis III, such as the ability to dock with the lunar orbiting Gateway, support four crew members, and transport more science and technology equipment to the lunar surface. Industry feedback to this draft solicitation was due May 2, 2022, at 5 p.m. Central Time (CT) per instructions posted with the solicitation at sam.gov.

March 23, 2022 – NASA announced plans to initiate a new Human Landing System (HLS) Sustaining Lunar Development procurement to develop and demonstrate a lunar lander that meets NASA’s sustaining requirements for missions beyond Artemis III. In the coming weeks, NASA will issue a draft NextSTEP Appendix P solicitation for this procurement, and will engage industry about this solicitation by conducting a virtual industry forum and one-on-one meetings with interested companies. Following NASA’s review of industry feedback in response to the draft solicitation, NASA plans to issue a final solicitation this summer.  

Monitor this page for additional details and updates about this solicitation.

HLS Procurement Path
NASA