Naval Research Lab opens proposal window for satellite software operation contract

The Naval Research Laboratory is now ready for industry to start working on and submitting their proposals for a new five-year contract to help develop and sustain software for operating military satellites.

NRL is seeking a contractor that can also provide support for the IT and cybersecurity aspects of the software, which will largely be custom in nature. The scope also includes DevSecOps software practices to incorporate security at the beginning of the development cycle in order to enable continuous operations.

Bids for the Research and Development for Satellite Software and Operations Support contract are due to NRL by 2 p.m. Eastern time on Nov. 19, according to an Oct. 6 notice releasing the final solicitation. A ceiling value was not disclosed.

The laboratory set up this contract as a way to help facilitate its work across the entire lifecycle of research, development, testing and evaluation of satellite operations.

The contractor will also be responsible for helping NRL upgrade the government-owned Neptune and VMOC lines of software, both of which are managed by the lab.

Neptune is designed to provide users a set of reusable components for command, control and monitoring applications used in spacecraft and ground equipment. VMOC is set up as a general purpose capability for satellite mission management and integrating with ground architectures, among other functions.

NRL’s Washington, D.C. headquarters is the primary location of performance and Blossom Point Tracking facility is the secondary place.