NASA issues solicitation for drone detection and identification services

Counter UAS systems tenders, Counter-UAS systems and policies, UAS traffic management tenders

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC) is hereby soliciting information from potential sources for Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) detection and analysis services. 

KSC comprises over 144,000 acres of land.  All UAS flights over KSC property, whether inside or outside the security perimeter, are restricted and only occur with the approval of KSC Flight Operations. Additionally, KSC is coincident with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (MINWR), over which unauthorised UAS flights are also prohibited. 

In its solicitation, NASA lists a number of performance requirements:

  1. Provide UAS detection and analysis services that can accurately detect and identify unknown UAS out to a distance of at least 40NMI (with a goal of 100NMI),
  2. Provide a rapid and timely information to multiple users for response and mitigations at all times and be fully compatible with the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), US Air Force, and US Space Force counter UAS systems, procedures, and protocols.
  3. The UAS detection system shall be capable of providing technical and threat analyses for KSC and will provide real-time detection and alerting capabilities to NASA KSC personnel.
  4. The UAS detection system must also integrate Federal Bureau of Investigation, US Air Force, and US Space Force analysis techniques and tools into hardware, response tactics, procedures, and law enforcement options. 
  5. All detection, tracking, and informational systems shall be capable of providing and supplying:
    • Identification and operational information (to include but not limited to: type, serial number, location, speed, direction of travel, operator location),
    • Alert(s) to indicate when a drone has been detected and is unknown, and
    • Notification(s) of drone(s) that have been detected, are known, and whitelisted by the system.  The notification(s) must be generated independent of any existing KSC based communications infrastructure and systems and produce performance data,
    • Shall be capable of providing independent data paths to users at KSC.
  6. The UAS detection system shall provide a “user accessible dashboard” complete with:
    • Threat tracking,
    • Automated alerts,
    • Detected drone positional and movement data,
    • Must be map based and easily readable. 
  7.  The UAS detection system must be able to provide continuous coverage 24 hours a day, 7 days per week, and the contractor shall provide rapid (within 24 hours) on-site support as needed to ensure the system is fully operational at all times. 
  8. System shall provide at least 2 primary detectors at separate two separate remote locations on KSC, along with 2 secondary sensors co-located with primary sensors

The solicitation states that UAS detection and analysis data generated in performance of this requirement will be used to make rapid and critical decisions to protect NASA personnel, the public, launch vehicles, flight hardware, critical high value assets and security interests, and is required to be fully mission capable at the start of performance. 

Performance for the UAS Detection and Analysis Services Contract is anticipated to commence no earlier than April 1, 2026.

The UAS detection and analysis acquisition team is planning to hold various industry engagement opportunities throughout the acquisition process. The team currently contemplates one-on-one meetings with industry following receipt of capability statements. Meetings will take place from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Eastern Time, the week of March 2, 2026, via conference call or Microsoft Teams.

Submissions are invited by February 9.

For more information

NASA solicitation at SAM.gov

Image: NASA

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