NASA to Host Science Town Hall on Competition Model 2.0

NASA will host a virtual NASA Science Town Hall from NASA Headquarters on Monday, October 26. The event will explain CM 2.0 and provide an opportunity for the science community to ask questions about the updated mission selection process.

NASA Science leaders said the changes respond to concerns about the time, cost, and uncertainty associated with the current two-step process. Mission concepts can take years to advance, while teams often face contract management challenges, unpredictable timelines, and insufficient funding.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman has authorized the Science Mission Directorate to make the mission selection process smoother, more efficient, and more effective. The agency will focus on accelerating science delivery, reducing the resources required for lengthy competitions, and directing funding toward high-priority missions across NASA’s science departments.

What Is NASA Competition Model 2.0?

Competition Model 2.0 begins with a science-focused competition. Teams will not need to complete detailed engineering plans, cost estimates, or implementation work until those details are necessary for a selection decision.

This approach is intended to reduce the time spent preparing proposals and allow scientists to focus more directly on the scientific questions their missions would address. NASA plans to introduce the changes in stages and refine them based on input from the scientific community.

How CM 2.0 Will Change NASA Mission Selection

Flagship missions will continue under the existing approach

NASA’s largest missions have already undergone a management overhaul and will not change under CM 2.0. Following the James Webb Space Telescope, NASA developed a documented approach that incorporates lessons from Webb and best practices from successful flagship missions.

Flagship missions will continue to be assigned to a lead NASA center. Science teams and instruments will compete through targeted solicitations, while NASA directs the overall mission.

Accelerated two-step competition

Other missions will move into an accelerated two-step competition:

• Step 1: Teams will submit a compelling science case, a science implementation plan, and a proof-of-concept mission design. This removes approximately half of the materials currently required for responses to an Announcement of Opportunity (AO), allowing proposals to focus on scientific merit.
• Step 2: Mission implementation research will be conducted at one of NASA’s two Science Centers of Excellence: Goddard Space Flight Center or the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Depending on the selected science, NASA’s Science Mission Directorate may award New Frontiers or Discovery implementation research managed by Goddard to Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory.

These implementation studies will bridge pre-Phase A and Phase A by evaluating scientific merit, the benefits of the scientific implementation, and the benefits of the mission implementation. The process is intended to identify risks earlier rather than allowing them to remain hidden.

A single mission will be selected midway through Phase A. The selected mission will complete Phase A and reach Key Decision Point B (KDP-B) with a mature implementation design. Teams that are not selected will not be required to independently execute the concept for the remainder of Phase A.

NASA estimates that these changes could reduce the time from an Announcement of Opportunity to Step 2 selection by up to 45%. The current 35-month schedule could be reduced to approximately 19.5 months, while the selected mission would be more mature at the time of selection.

More flexibility for implementation organizations

Some missions will use a two-tiered approach involving implementation organizations such as universities and industry partners. Organizations and partners will be evaluated according to their past performance on projects with similar complexity and cost before a mission is selected.

Principal investigator-led teams may request to be paired with a Goddard or JPL implementation team during Step 1. NASA may also provide center support to help resolve procurement, contract management, and technical challenges more quickly. NASA estimates that this approach could reduce selection timelines by up to 45%.

Single-step competitions for smaller missions

Other missions will transition to single-step competitions with smaller review teams and virtual site visits. Teams will also be able to work with a broader range of implementation organizations.

NASA expects the time to final selection to decrease from approximately 32 months to approximately 19 months, a reduction of up to 40%. The agency’s smallest missions are expected to move even faster by taking advantage of the growing commercial space economy.

Greater Use of Commercial Space Capabilities

NASA says the commercial space industry is stronger than ever and will continue to play an important role in mission development. Mission and implementation teams are expected to adopt commercial capabilities and industry best practices when they provide a technical or cost advantage.

Potential capabilities include commercial spacecraft buses, subsystems, and multi-mission operations. NASA will continue to assess the commercial landscape, including through recent Science as a Service requests for information.

Science-First Competition and Stronger Cost Controls

By competing science first, CM 2.0 is intended to place established and first-time teams on more equal footing. NASA says the strongest scientific idea should win rather than the proposal backed by the largest team or institution.

Cost and schedule controls will remain mandatory across all mission classes. Phase A estimates will help determine the complexity and scope of each mission. Violations of control thresholds may have serious consequences, including mission termination.

NASA also plans to direct work at Goddard Space Flight Center and JPL strategically. The agency says this will help save taxpayer money, reduce unnecessary competition between NASA centers, encourage cooperation, and preserve critical skills across NASA.

NASA Says CM 2.0 Could Deliver More Science Faster

NASA describes CM 2.0 as an opportunity to combine strong agency leadership, commercial space capabilities, experienced NASA centers, and new scientific ideas. The goal is to turn more promising concepts into missions while delivering more science faster and at lower cost.

NASA Science leaders emphasized that the agency’s achievements depend on the scientific community’s ideas, dedication, and collaboration. The Competition Model 2.0 rollout will take place in stages, with NASA continuing to gather input and refine the process.

With gratitude and appreciation,

Nicola Fox
Deputy Administrator, Science Mission Directorate
NASA Headquarters