NASA Awards RAPID IV On-Ramp Contracts to Thales Alenia Space

NASA has awarded on-ramp Rapid Spacecraft Acquisition IV contracts to Thales Alenia Space’s divisions in France and Italy.

The $6 billion RAPID IV contract vehicle is aimed at providing the government with a flexible means to acquire spacecraft and related components and equipment, NASA said.

Thales Alenia Space is a French-Italian aerospace manufacturer that specializes in manufacturing space-related products, including spacecraft and satellites. The company is a joint venture between Thales and Leonardo.

According to its webpage, Thales Alenia Space offers a range of services and solutions in telecommunications, navigation, Earth observation, environmental management, exploration, science and orbital infrastructure.

NASA said Thales Alenia Space will perform RAPID IV work at its facilities in Cannes, France, and Rome, Italy.

RAPID IV is a multiple-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract that allows agencies to place firm-fixed-price delivery orders. Multi-agency contract vehicles may support NASA centers and other federal agencies.

The on-ramp feature allows NASA to add new industry partners to RAPID IV’s competitive pools. According to NASA, existing vendors may also use on-ramps to introduce new spacecraft designs or update their current catalog designs.

RAPID IV was launched in September 2020 and will last through the end of August 2025, according to market researcher GovTribe.

NASA has also awarded RAPID IV contracts to Ball & Aerospace Technologies, Southwest Research Institute, Northrop Grumman, Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems and Space Systems/Loral.

The predecessor RAPID III, which expired in March 2020, was focused on modifying satellite bus core systems to meet specific mission needs, according to GovTribe.