Space Force Range Contract (SFRC) Solicitation Released
Justin Siken06/21/2023
Solicitation Defense
HigherGov
Space Force Releases Final Solicitation for $4 Billion Range Contract
Space Force has released the final solicitation for the 10-year $4 billion Space Force Range Contract (SFRC) that will support engineering, operations, and maintenance services at two main launch ranges. The contract is a recompete of the $1.7+ billion Launch and Test Range System (LTRS) awarded in 2014 to Range Generation Next, a joint venture of Raytheon and Lockheed Martin. Solicitations are due July 28, 2023.
Goals and Purpose of the SFRC
The Space Force Range Contract looks to advance the national capability for Assured Access To Space (AATS) from the Eastern and Western Ranges through responsive and flexible operations, maintenance, sustainment, systems engineering, and integration services. Space Force has indicated that the goals of the program include the normalization of agile business processes, introduction of new technology, and digital transformation to support the Space Force's vision of two Spaceports serving a growing array of national security, space exploration, and commercial users.
Addressing Obsolete Systems with New Model Services
Historically, the Eastern and Western Ranges launch ranges have maintained large inventories of aging systems that required increasing investments to operate, maintain, and sustain. Range architectures evolved incrementally with lengthy development cycles and little regard for extensibility or supportability resulting in many systems being obsolete upon delivery.
The SFRC reflects a new model for range technical services adapted to the ongoing modernization of the Eastern and Western Ranges and eventual transformation into efficient, high-capacity multi-user Spaceports.
According to the Space Force, range operations processes that were adequate during times of infrequent national security missions are now unsustainable in the face of rapidly increasing demands for launch and Test and Evaluation (T&E) support.
Services under SFRC are expected to include:
- Agile Business Execution
- Consolidated Launch and Test Range System (LTRS) Strategy
- Chief of Space Operations Vision
- Spaceport of the Future Transformation
- Digital Transformation
- Spaceport Concept of Operations (CONOPS)
- Resilience to Adverse Conditions and Degraded Capabilities
Subcontractors and Potential Bidders
The prevailing contractor on the Space Force Range Contract (SFRC) will have to subcontract at least 30% of the work to small businesses. The existing LTRS contract has had more than $335 million awarded to more than 61 subcontractors with Craig Technologies and Ares Corporation being two of the largest beneficiaries. A list of vendors that attended the SFRC industry day is available here.
LTRS Award History
HigherGov Analysis
