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 seeks ground-based maturation toward TRL 5-6; the NASA pages read name no awards.
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." The two NASA pages read for this page do not name selections or contract amounts.[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, such as technical data, and demonstration results, to shape future acquisition strategies" — the word is "may".[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-concept and component development." So this September solicitation seeks proposals for ground-based maturation toward TRL 5-6; lunar demonstrations fall under Appendix B.[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." It adds that "Funded efforts will advance the technology objectives of NASA’s Moon Base" — future tense. The number of efforts to be selected and funded is not stated in either NASA page.[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 the news release calls "a type of nuclear energy technology that uses heat from fissile materials to produce electric power". NASA's technical description of radioisotope power systems says the heat is "produced by the natural radioactive decay of plutonium-238" — radioactive decay, not fission. The release's wording and NASA's technical description therefore differ.[1][3]
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]
The participation route NASA names for international partners in this solicitation is through U.S.-led teams. This page does not restate that as a general rule for NASA solicitations.[1]
What this page could not establish
The proposal deadline is not stated in either NASA page read here. The news release carries an editor's note: "This release was updated on Sept. 28, 2026, to reflect the extended Broad Agency Announcement due date for responses." The programme page points to the Broad Agency Announcement on SAM.gov, which was not read for this page, so the current due date is not established here.[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
Each fact is labelled with its evidence typeEach fact in this section carries its evidence type — either cross-checked against independent sources, or confirmed from a single authoritative record.
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] 1 source · authoritative record
The final solicitation was issued on 8 September 2026.[1][2] 1 source · authoritative record
Statements and readings
Not counted as facts — each item shows what kind of statement it isFrom here on: statements not counted as facts — single-source reports, the issuing body’s own statements, and this page’s own readings, each labeled.
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] Stated by the issuing body itself (primary source) · not independently verified · 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] Stated by the issuing body itself (primary source) · not independently verified · 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] Stated by the issuing body itself (primary source) · not independently verified · NASA STMD programme page
Timeline
- Model
- claude-opus-5
- Time
- 09/19/2026, 01:10
- Body characters
- 4,224
- Sources
- 3 sources adopted
- Model
- ChatGPT (checked sources on the web)
- Time
- 10/07/2026, 04:40
- Verdict
- Revision required
Show revision history (3)
| 09/19/2026, 09:00 | First authored (claude-opus-5) | Created |
| 09/19/2026 | First authored | Updated |
| 10/07/2026 | Revised after independent review: narrowed funding and award statements, restored a full quotation, and added NASA's radioisotope power systems page. | Updated |
Corrections
| 10/07/2026 | The summary said the solicitation "funds" ground maturation; NASA's page uses the future tense, so it now says the solicitation seeks proposals toward TRL 5-6. The inference that "competing solutions" implies several awards was removed. The Appendix B quotation was cut mid-word and is now quoted in full ("proof-of-concept and component development"). "Strategies that do not exist yet" was removed, and the international-partner sentence is limited to this solicitation. Statements that no awards exist and that the deadline is on SAM.gov are now limited to the two NASA pages read, and the release's 28 September editor's note on the extended due date is cited. The release describes the radioisotope Stirling generator as using heat from fissile materials; NASA's technical page says the heat comes from the natural radioactive decay of plutonium-238, and the page now notes the difference. | Applied |
Frequently asked
Has NASA awarded contracts for a Moon base?
This is a solicitation — a call for proposals issued 8 September 2026. The two NASA pages read here do not name selections or contract 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?
Neither NASA page read here states the date. The news release says it was updated on Sept. 28, 2026, to reflect the extended Broad Agency Announcement due date for responses; the current date was not confirmed for this page.[1][2]
Can non-US organisations take part?
For this solicitation, NASA names participation through U.S.-led teams as the route for international partners.[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]
Official links
Sources
- [1] NASA Calls for Proposals to Accelerate Lunar Surface Technologies primary
- [2] NextSTEP-3 A: Lunar Enabling Technology primary
- [3] About Radioisotope Power Systems primary