NASA NextSTEP-3 Appendix A (LEIA) 2026 — a call for proposals, not a Moon base contract
NASA issued the final NextSTEP-3 Appendix A solicitation on 8 Sept 2026 for five lunar technology areas. It funds ground maturation to TRL 5-6, not lunar demos, and no awards are announced.
★★What was issued — and what was not
Coverage of this can read as though a Moon base is being built. **What NASA issued is a solicitation** — a call for proposals. NASA says it **"is seeking proposals to advance the technology and infrastructure needed to explore the Moon and establish a Moon Base in the lunar South Pole region."** ★**No selections, no contracts and no funding amounts appear in either document read for this page.**[1][2]
The formal identifier is **NextSTEP-3 Broad Agency Announcement Appendix A: Lunar Enabling Infrastructure Accelerator**, with solicitation number **80GRC026R0008**. NASA also says it **"may apply insights gained from the resulting contracts of this solicitation ... to shape future acquisition strategies"** — **the word is "may", and it refers to strategies that do not exist yet.**[1][2]
★★★The distinction NASA itself warns about: Appendix A vs Appendix B
This is the part most likely to be flattened, and NASA flags it directly. The programme page says offerors **"should carefully note the distinction between the recently released NextSTEP Appendix A (Lunar Enabling Infrastructure Accelerator [LEIA]) and NextSTEP Appendix B (Moon Base Demonstrations)."**[2]
**Appendix A — this one — is technology development.** NASA describes it as **"early research and component-to-system-level development (typically achieving up to TRL 5 or 6)"** and says it is **"intended for technologies that still require fundamental engineering maturation in laboratory or controlled analog environments."**[2]
**Appendix B is the one that goes to the Moon.** NASA reserves it for **"system-level integration and lunar demonstrations (TRL 6 and beyond),"** and says technologies proposed there **"must have already completed fundamental proof-of-con[cept]"** work. ★★**So this September solicitation funds ground-based maturation, not hardware landing on the lunar surface.**[2]
The page states the focus plainly: identifying areas that **"require further risk reduction and ground-based testing to mature competing solutions to Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 5-6."** **"Competing solutions" also implies more than one approach is expected to be funded**, though **the number of awards is not stated.**[2]
★The five areas, in NASA’s own terms
**Vertical solar array technology** for **"consistent power generation, management, distribution, and energy storage."** **ISRU oxygen from regolith production** to **"extract usable oxygen molecularly bonded to rock and dust covering the Moon’s surface"** — ★**the oxygen is described as chemically bound in the rock, not present as gas.**[1]
**Radioisotope Stirling generator**, which NASA calls **"a type of nuclear energy technology that uses heat from fissile materials to produce electric power for operating spacecraft systems in the darkest, dustiest, and most remote places."**[1]
**In-space advanced manufacturing** to **"reduce reliance on resupply missions from Earth,"** and **innovative nanomaterials production** to **"advance the commercial availability and quality of nanomaterials that can be used in lunar exploration."**[1]
★Who can bid
NASA says the solicitation **"intends to cultivate U.S.-led capabilities while maintaining full and open competition among private industry, academic institutions, and not-for-profit entities, as well as international partners participating through U.S.-led teams."**[1]
★**Note the route for non-US participants**: the wording is **"through U.S.-led teams"**, not direct participation. **This page does not restate that as a general rule for NASA solicitations** — **it is what this one says.**[1]
★What this page could not establish
★**The proposal deadline is not stated in either document read here.** NASA points to the **Broad Agency Announcement on SAM.gov** and to **PDF attachments** on the programme page. **Neither was opened for this page**, so **any date, page limit or submission requirement is not established.**[1][2]
★**Also not established**: award values, the number of awards, the evaluation schedule, and whether any Appendix B solicitation has been issued. **Both sources are NASA’s own**, so **nothing here is corroborated outside the agency**, and the quotations about acceleration and capability gaps are **NASA describing its own programme.**[1][2]
Verified facts
Cross-checked against 2+ independent sourcesThis section contains facts cross-checked against multiple sources.
The solicitation covers five capability areas: vertical solar array technology, ISRU oxygen production from regolith, a radioisotope Stirling generator, in-space advanced manufacturing, and innovative nanomaterials production.[1][2] 2 sources
The final solicitation was issued on 8 September 2026.[1][2] 2 sources
Reported, not confirmed
Not cross-checked — do not read as factFrom here on: claims and speculation that are not cross-checked.
NASA says the solicitation "aims to mature and demonstrate capabilities in five areas" and targets capability gaps including power generation, oxygen extraction, and producing materials on the Moon.[1] single-source ×1 · NASA news release RELEASE 26-072
Greg Stover, director of NASA’s Advanced Research and Technology Division, said NASA "is accelerating the development of key technologies and closing critical gaps needed for long-term human exploration at the Moon."[1] single-source ×1 · NASA quoting its own division director
The NextSTEP-3 A page states the effort focuses on maturing "competing solutions to Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 5-6" through risk reduction and ground-based testing.[2] single-source ×1 · NASA STMD programme page
Timeline
- Model
- claude-opus-5
- Time
- 09/19/2026, 01:10
- Tokens
- 11,000
- Sources
- 2 sources adopted
- Model
- operator
- Time
- 09/19/2026, 01:10
- Tokens
- 0
- Verdict
- Passed
Show revision history (2)
| 09/19/2026, 09:00 | First authored (claude-opus-5) | Created |
| 09/19/2026 | First authored | Updated |
Frequently asked
Has NASA awarded contracts for a Moon base?
No. This is a solicitation — a call for proposals issued 8 September 2026. Neither NASA document read here names selections, contracts or funding amounts.[1][2]
Will these technologies be tested on the Moon?
Not under this appendix. NASA says Appendix A targets TRL 5-6 through ground-based testing in laboratory or controlled analog environments; lunar demonstrations (TRL 6 and beyond) belong to Appendix B.[2]
What are the five areas?
Vertical solar arrays, ISRU oxygen production from regolith, a radioisotope Stirling generator, in-space advanced manufacturing, and innovative nanomaterials production.[1][2]
When are proposals due?
Not stated in the news release or the programme page. The deadline would be in the Broad Agency Announcement on SAM.gov, which was not opened for this page.[1][2]
Can non-US organisations take part?
NASA says international partners may participate through U.S.-led teams.[1]
Is the oxygen on the Moon just waiting to be collected?
NASA describes it as oxygen "molecularly bonded to rock and dust covering the Moon’s surface", so extraction is the technology being solicited.[1]