The NITE-STAR indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract is a multiple-award contract vehicle with a $981,000,000 shared ceiling to enhance test, evaluation, and training operations. Space Systems Command awarded seats on the vehicle to 15 companies on 30 July 2026.
Securing a place on the contract gives each vendor the right to compete for future engineering task orders. The award obligated no funds at award. The ceiling is a maximum. It is not a promised spend.
NITE-STAR at a Glance
The NITE-STAR IDIQ is a multiple-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract with a $981,000,000 ceiling for engineering work that improves space and ground-based test, evaluation, and training operations. The contracting activity, Space Systems Command’s Operational Test and Training Infrastructure (SSC/OTTI) office in Colorado Springs, Colorado, awarded the contract on 30 July 2026 to 15 companies.
No funds were obligated to any company at the time of award. The formal title of the acquisition is the National Space Test and Training Complex Innovative Technology & Engineering, Space Test and Range (NITE-STAR) Capability Development. The National Space Test and Training Complex is known as the NSTTC. The award listing identifies the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center as the notice office, while Space Systems Command acts as the contracting activity.
| Specification | Contract detail |
|---|---|
| Contract vehicle | Multiple-award indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) |
| Program title | NSTTC Innovative Technology & Engineering, Space Test and Range (NITE-STAR) Capability Development |
| Contracting activity | Space Systems Command, Operational Test and Training Infrastructure (SSC/OTTI), Colorado Springs, Colorado |
| Notice office | Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center |
| Award date | 30 July 2026 |
| Total contract ceiling | $981,000,000 |
| Funds obligated at award | $0 |
| Total awardees | 15 companies |
| Primary scope | Engineering services for space and ground-based test, evaluation, and training operations |
| Period of performance | Not stated in the award notice |
The 15 Awardees
Space Systems Command selected 15 companies as awardees under the NITE-STAR IDIQ. Each company received an individual contract number (FA255326DB001 through FA255326DB015).
| Awardee company | City and state | Contract number |
|---|---|---|
| Amentum Technology Inc. | Tullahoma, Tennessee | FA255326DB001 |
| BAE Systems Inc. | Broomfield, Colorado | FA255326DB002 |
| CACI, Inc. | Chantilly, Virginia | FA255326DB003 |
| Firefly Aerospace | Leander, Texas | FA255326DB004 |
| L3Harris Technologies, Inc. | Palm Bay, Florida | FA255326DB005 |
| Lockheed Martin Space | Littleton, Colorado | FA255326DB006 |
| Northrop Grumman System Corporation | Dulles, Virginia | FA255326DB007 |
| Pacific Crest Alliance | Colorado Springs, Colorado | FA255326DB008 |
| Parsons Government Services, Inc. | Centreville, Virginia | FA255326DB009 |
| Redwire Space Missions LLC | Littleton, Colorado | FA255326DB010 |
| Rocket Lab USA, Inc. | Long Beach, California | FA255326DB011 |
| Sierra Space Corporation | Louisville, Colorado | FA255326DB012 |
| The Boeing Company | Colorado Springs, Colorado | FA255326DB013 |
| Viasat, Inc. | Carlsbad, California | FA255326DB014 |
| York Space Systems | Denver, Colorado | FA255326DB015 |
The award notice on the federal contracting portal contains a minor typo: Northrop Grumman System Corporation is spelled as “Northrup” in the source text.
A discrepancy also appears within the metadata of the federal listing. The summary bullets of the public opportunity listing name only 12 companies, omitting BAE Systems Inc., CACI, Inc., and Viasat, Inc. The full narrative text of the award notice names all 15 awardees and supplies contract numbers FA255326DB001 through FA255326DB015. The 15-name body text represents the authoritative record.
How an IDIQ Works and What the Ceiling Means
The $981,000,000 figure is a shared ceiling across all 15 awardees combined. The ceiling is a maximum. It is not a promised spend.
A multiple-award IDIQ functions as a competitive umbrella:
- Task orders are issued to awardees over time.
- Awardees compete for them.
Several standard acquisition details remain unpublished:
- The notice states no period of performance.
- The pages read do not publish any per-company or per-year amount, task orders issued so far, vendor fees, or how the 15 were chosen.
- The pages read do not publish task orders issued so far.
What the Work Covers
The NITE-STAR contract procures engineering services and capability development to support the National Space Test and Training Complex. The notice states that the scope involves “support to space and ground-based engineering activities to enhance test, evaluation, and training operations.”
The award notice contains no list of specific hardware products, part numbers, or system quantities.
The work will be performed at various locations. For broader context, see our overview answering what does the Space Force do.
How Companies Described the Award
On 18 August 2026, Rocket Lab USA, Inc. published an update on its official website. The headline on the Rocket Lab updates page states:
“Rocket Lab Onboarded to U.S. Space Force’s $981M NITE-STAR Program to Advance Space Test and Training Infrastructure”
A news-feed headline reads:
“Redwire Selected for Space Systems Command’s $980 million NITE-STAR IDIQ Contract”
A Rocket Lab headline says $981M and a news-feed headline says $980 million; the notice says $981,000,000.
What It Means for Readers and Investors
A ceiling is not revenue.
If you evaluate public contractors holding a seat on NITE-STAR, consider these baseline facts:
The ceiling is shared across all 15 awardees, no funds were obligated at award, and awardees compete for task orders. See the Space Force budget.
Several companies hold awards on NITE-STAR:
- Rocket Lab USA, Inc.: Holds contract FA255326DB011. Rocket Lab stock.
- Redwire Space Missions LLC: Holds contract FA255326DB010. Redwire stock.
- Firefly Aerospace: Holds contract FA255326DB004. Firefly Aerospace stock.
- Viasat, Inc.: Holds contract FA255326DB014. Viasat stock.
Where to Verify the Public Record
The primary source for the NITE-STAR contract award is the Department of the Air Force’s contracting announcement on the federal System for Award Management (SAM.gov). The complete text of the award notice is mirrored and viewable on the SAM.gov award notice text as mirrored on Govly.
The official notice provides the complete list of 15 awardees, their contract identifiers, the $981,000,000 ceiling, and the contracting office details.
“Thank you for your continued interest in this acquisition and please continue to follow SAM.gov for future onboarding opportunities.”
Rocket Lab’s headline is on its updates page.