Bidding Will Soon Open For NextGen Lunar Lander

NASA has released a draft request for proposals, or RFP, to seek industry support for the design of its Altair lunar lander vehicle, part of NASA's Constellation Program. Altair is proposed to deliver four astronauts to the moon's surface late in the next decade.

The Altair Conceptual Design Contract will define operational concepts, support requirements reviews, and refine design concepts for the Altair vehicle. This document is a draft of the final version of the RFP, expected in late January 2009.

"By responding to this draft RFP, potential offerors can provide input about possible requirements, small business goals and contract structure," NASA states. "The industry input received will be combined with NASA's expertise for potential inclusion in the final RFP."

A pre-solicitation conference is scheduled for December 18 at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. The conference is designed for information sharing about the Altair conceptual design contract with potential offerors.

FMI: http://procurement.jsc.nasa.gov/altair, www.nasa.gov/constellation