Author Topic: NASA Awards Spacecraft Processing Operations Contract to SpaceX & Astrotech  (Read 5272 times)

Offline su27k

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https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-awards-spacecraft-processing-operations-contract

NASA has selected Astrotech Space Operations, LLC of Titusville, Florida, and Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) of Hawthorne, California, to provide commercial payload processing services for agency missions launching from multiple locations.

Under the Spacecraft Processing Operations Contract, NASA will issue a fixed-price, indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract that has a potential 10-year ordering period. The maximum total contract value is $100 million across all contracts supporting operations from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, as well as Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

The contract also includes a special on-ramp provision to enable additional providers and incumbents to submit proposals introducing new commercial processing facilities and support services not available at the time of the initial award. The ordering period runs from approximately February 2023 to February 2033.

NASA will issue task orders for the facilities and services necessary to perform prelaunch processing of spacecraft and associated rocket flight hardware of the completed payload stack before being delivery to the launch pad.

NASA's Launch Services Program at Kennedy will manage the contract. The program is responsible for launching uncrewed rockets delivering spacecraft that observe the Earth, visit other planets, and explore the universe – from weather satellites to telescopes to Mars rovers and more.

Offline steveleach

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What does this actually mean? What does " prelaunch processing" cover?

Will NASA just be handing over responsibility for the payloads earlier in the process of SpaceX launching them going forward?

Online DanClemmensen

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What does "fixed price" mean in this context? has anyone here read the contract yet? Does the contract specify a list of well-defined services, each with a fixed price?

Offline Jim

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What does this actually mean? What does " prelaunch processing" cover?

Will NASA just be handing over responsibility for the payloads earlier in the process of SpaceX launching them going forward?

It is nothing new.  Just replaces some expiring/expired contracts and puts all providers under the same contract for competition.

Prelaunch processing is the timeframe from spacecraft delivery to the launch site until move to the launch complex.  It encompasses spacecraft removal from the shipping container, assembly, testing, propellant loading and fairing encapsulation.   The contract provides facilities and services for the spacecraft contractor to do that work. 

Offline Jim

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What does "fixed price" mean in this context? has anyone here read the contract yet? Does the contract specify a list of well-defined services, each with a fixed price?

Specific services and durations for fixed prices.

Offline mlindner

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I just saw this referenced from elsewhere, so sorry to necropost this, but to me this doesn't make much sense. If it's a SpaceX launch why does Astrotech even get the right to insert themselves between NASA/DoD and SpaceX? This kind of smells and doesn't make much sense. Does the new contract that Astrotech got only cover launches on non-SpaceX vehicles? Why were all these Falcon-variant missions (see link) processed by Astrotech rather than SpaceX? This looks like extra cost to the tax payer for no benefit. https://www.astrotech.com/mission-history
« Last Edit: 06/30/2023 02:30 pm by mlindner »
LEO is the ocean, not an island (let alone a continent). We create cruise liners to ride the oceans, not artificial islands in the middle of them. We need a physical place, which has physical resources, to make our future out there.

Offline Jim

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I just saw this referenced from elsewhere, so sorry to necropost this, but to me this doesn't make much sense. If it's a SpaceX launch why does Astrotech even get the right to insert themselves between NASA/DoD and SpaceX? This kind of smells and doesn't make much sense. Does the new contract that Astrotech got only cover launches on non-SpaceX vehicles? Why were all these Falcon-variant missions (see link) processed by Astrotech rather than SpaceX? This looks like extra cost to the tax payer for no benefit. https://www.astrotech.com/mission-history

It is the spacecraft owner that determines where the spacecraft is processed for launch, not the launch vehicle.
Astrotech doesn't have a "right" nor are they "inserted", they are chosen to used by NASA (this is not a DOD contract). 
The contract is launch vehicle agnostic.  There are many reasons to use Astrotech over SpaceX facilities but the major driver is that SpaceX doesn't want to host spacecraft that need more than 4 weeks from launch site arrival to launch.
Also, SpaceX facilities were also not available or couldn't meet the requirement for certain missions.  SpaceX facilities catered more towards commercial comsats.  Also, there is not a big cost difference.   It also would be cheaper if the government used its own facilities.

there were different contracting mechanisms in place before which didn't allow for direct competition.  Now the playing surface has been leveled.

« Last Edit: 07/01/2023 06:17 pm by Jim »

Offline mlindner

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Astrotech doesn't have a "right" nor are they "inserted", they are chosen to used by NASA (this is not a DOD contract). 
My statement was based on the fact that DOD missions are included on the Astroscale mission list.

The contract is launch vehicle agnostic.  There are many reasons to use Astrotech over SpaceX facilities but the major driver is that SpaceX doesn't want to host spacecraft that need more than 4 weeks from launch site arrival to launch.
Are you claiming that SpaceX would need to also process spacecraft not launching on SpaceX vehicles?

Also, SpaceX facilities were also not available or couldn't meet the requirement for certain missions.  SpaceX facilities catered more towards commercial comsats.
What capabilities are offered by Astroscale that NASA requires but that are not offered by SpaceX?

Also, there is not a big cost difference.   It also would be cheaper if the government used its own facilities.

Disagree on the second point there, but how do you know it's not a big cost difference? The contract doesn't specify the mission quantity. Only the maximum contract value.
LEO is the ocean, not an island (let alone a continent). We create cruise liners to ride the oceans, not artificial islands in the middle of them. We need a physical place, which has physical resources, to make our future out there.

Offline Jim

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1.  My statement was based on the fact that DOD missions are included on the Astroscale mission list.

2.  Are you claiming that SpaceX would need to also process spacecraft not launching on SpaceX vehicles?

3.What capabilities are offered by Astroscale that NASA requires but that are not offered by SpaceX?

4. Disagree on the second point there, but how do you know it's not a big cost difference? The contract doesn't specify the mission quantity. Only the maximum contract value.


1.  Still no bearing on matter
2.  A.  SpaceX doesn't "process" any other spacecraft than its own.  It hosts other spacecraft for them to do their own processing.
2.B SpaceX can bid on any mission, including those that it doesn't launch if it wants to or it can refuse to bid on any

3.  Astrotech can host missions that require cleaner than ISO 8 such as ISO 7 & 6.  Astrotech can host missions that require more than 30 days of processing, even for more than a year. 

4. a.Nothing to disagree on, I was stating a fact.
4.b.  I just know.
4c.  The mission quantity is only constraint by the max contract value.

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