NASA · Sunday, October 11, 2026
NASA asks companies for final plans to build the space stations that follow the International Space Station
The File desk · Oct 11, 2026, 11:08 AM UTC
Status
Confirmed. NASA release 26-086, Oct. 9, 2026.
NASA, the U.S. space agency, on Friday released its final request for proposals for commercial space stations in low Earth orbit, the next step toward replacing the International Space Station with privately run outposts. Proposals are due Dec. 8. NASA expects to award contracts in spring 2027. It plans to pick two or more companies for early work, then hold a competition among them for final design, testing, and certification.
Release 26-086 says the contracts would be fixed-price, multi-award deals, written as open-ended contracts that let NASA order work as needed. Companies would design, build, test, certify, and run stations, and provide transportation for astronauts. Earlier steps, as the release lists them, were an Ignition event earlier this year, two requests for information in March, a draft request in July, and an industry day.
Administrator Jared Isaacman said, "We've made it clear that NASA will never give up its presence in low Earth orbit." He also said, "The opportunity is significant, but the economics ultimately have to work." The release does not give contract dollar amounts, name the bidders, or give a date for retiring the station. Those figures are not added here.
What is still unknown or disputed
- Contract dollar values. They are not in the release.
- Which companies will bid.
- When the International Space Station will be retired. The release does not say.
Primary sources
Every claim in this story is drawn from the documents below. If a fetch failed, that is recorded on the card.
Source 1
NASA Seeks US Industry Plans for Commercial Space Stations
NASA · October 9, 2026
On Friday, the agency released its final Request for Proposals inviting industry to submit plans for the next generation of commercial space stations.
https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-seeks-us-industry-plans-for-commercial-space-stations/