The Space Development Agency has posted a solicitation for an acquisition program that seeks to establish a pool of nontraditional defense contractors that will compete for prototype orders to perform future flight demonstrations in low Earth orbit.
SDA said Friday the Hybrid Acquisition for Proliferated LEO, or HALO, program intends to implement a fast contracting process to compete and award Tranche 2 Demonstration and Experimentation System projects through other transaction authority agreements and may increase the pool of vendors that can bid on future programs, including participation in future tranche layers.
According to the solicitation notice published Friday on SAM.gov, the HALO OTA agreements will have a performance period of three years.
“Prototype orders solicited under HALO will focus on rapid, end-to-end mission demonstrations designed to launch two (2) identical satellites 12-18 months after award,” the solicitation reads.
The prime contractor must at least supply the space vehicle bus.
SDA will host an unclassified industry day on June 17. Registration for the event will close on June 12.
Proposals for the HALO procurement effort are due July 11.