NASA has selected three additional companies to provide launch services for its upcoming missions under the Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) contract. The newly awarded companies are Arrow Science and Technology LLC from Webster, Texas; Impulse Space Inc. based in Redondo Beach, California; and Momentus Space LLC of San Jose, California.
The VADR contract is a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity agreement, with an ordering period extending through February 3, 2027, and a total maximum value of $300m across all VADR contracts. The addition of these new providers aligns with VADR’s on-ramp provision, enabling NASA to incorporate new capabilities that were not available or identified when the initial contract was awarded. NASA will issue fixed-price task orders for launch services as required for future agency missions.
Building on NASA’s previous procurement initiatives, such as Venture Class Launch Services (VCLS) and VCLS Demo 2, the VADR contract offers a range of Federal Aviation Administration-licensed commercial launch services. These services are designed to deliver Class D, CubeSats and other high-risk payloads to various orbits. By employing a lower level of mission assurance and leveraging commercial best practices, VADR contracts aim to reduce launch costs and enhance access to space, supporting NASA’s science research and technology development.
NASA’s Launch Services Programme, headquartered at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, oversees the VADR contracts. The program collaborates with private industry, spacecraft projects, and international partners to launch a variety of science payloads, from small satellites developed by colleges and universities to NASA’s most critical missions.
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