NASA Expands SPOC Contract With Four New Vendors

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has expanded its commercial payload processing infrastructure by adding All Points Logistics LLC, Blue Origin LLC, Firefly Aerospace, and L3Harris Technologies Inc. to a $100 million indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract.

Announced on August 17, 2026, the selection utilizes an on-ramp provision within the Spacecraft Processing Operations Contract (SPOC). The agency originally awarded the contract in February 2023 to Astrotech Space Operations LLC, a Lockheed Martin subsidiary, and Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX).

Expanding commercial infrastructure for launch processing

The SPOC vehicle is managed by the NASA Launch Services Program (LSP) at Kennedy Space Center. The program coordinates launches for science payloads ranging from university small satellites to high-priority agency missions. Under the contract, vendors provide commercial facilities and services for prelaunch processing. This includes the assembly, testing, fueling, and encapsulation of spacecraft and rocket hardware before integration with the launch vehicle.

The $100 million valuation represents the aggregate ceiling price for the entire multiple-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract across all vendors. The newly onboarded companies do not receive guaranteed revenue. Instead, they will compete for individual task orders issued by NASA. The ordering period for the contract extends through February 1, 2033.

Facility capabilities and strategic locations

The expanded vendor pool supports missions launching from multiple primary spaceports. These include Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, along with Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

Firefly Aerospace detailed its specific capabilities in a concurrent press release. The company operates an ISO 8 cleanroom Payload Processing Facility (PPF) capable of handling hypergolic spacecraft. The facility is located 0.5 miles from Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Space Force Base, positioning the company to compete for West Coast task orders.

Adam Oakes, Vice President of Launch at Firefly Aerospace, stated:

“Firefly is operating one of the few commercial payload processing facilities supporting West Coast missions, and we’re excited to offer this as a commercial service to our partners at NASA. This capability helps alleviate critical bottlenecks in the industry and accelerates the timeline between payload arrival and liftoff for government and commercial customers.”

Oakes added that reliable access to space depends heavily on the ground infrastructure required to prepare payloads for flight.

AirPro News analysis

We view the activation of the SPOC on-ramp provision as a necessary step to prevent ground infrastructure from becoming a choke point in the national launch cadence. As launch frequencies increase across both government and commercial sectors, the availability of specialized facilities capable of handling hazardous operations is critical. By diversifying the pool of approved vendors, NASA ensures greater scheduling flexibility and reduces reliance on a narrow set of legacy providers. The inclusion of companies like Firefly Aerospace and Blue Origin also reflects the growing maturity of newer commercial space entrants in providing end-to-end ground services.

Sources: NASA