NASA Industry Day Announcement for TDRS Backwards Compatible Satellite Relay Services

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1/21/2026 Update - The Industry Day has been rescheduled to January 28–29 due to unforeseen weather conditions. If you have already RSVP’d, please confirm your availability with the Registration Contacts no later than 3PM, Friday, January 23, 2026, EST. The event time and location will remain unchanged.

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NASA is transitioning from government-owned satellite relay infrastructure to a commercially driven architecture for space communications services supporting missions in the Earth Proximity region. To support this transition, NASA’s SCaN (Space Communications and Navigation) Program is partnering with commercial industry to acquire satellite relay services as the legacy Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) system approaches end of life.

NASA will host a two-day event with industry to gain insight into their ability to provide backwards compatible services for missions that are currently reliant on TDRS and do not have the capability to transition to commercial services. The event will include an unclassified group briefing from NASA, as well as 45-minute one-on-one meetings, classified as needed, between

NASA and interested parties for private discussions on specific approaches to provide services. Availability of one-on-one meetings may be limited due to space and security constraints.

Please note that the Industry Day will be held in-person only. There will not be a virtual component to this event.

Location:

NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC)

Space Commerce Way

Merritt Island, FL 32953

Dates:

January 28: 8:00 AM-6:00 PM EST (See 1/21/2026 Update above)

January 29: 8:00 AM-6:00 PM EST (See 1/21/2026 Update above)

Registration, Attendance, and Security:

Due to space constraints, attendance will be limited to a maximum of two (2) participants per company. NASA reserves the right to further limit attendance if necessary.

To register for the Industry Day and/or schedule a one-on-one session, please email the POCs listed below by 5:00 PM EST on January 16, 2026. Unregistered parties MAY NOT attend any of the Industry Day activities.

NOTE: Due to the potential volume of email requests, as well as to distinguish the requests from all other email, please annotate in the subject line indicating: “TDRS Backwards Compatible Services Industry Day Request.”

Registration Contacts

Name: Randi Richardson

Email: Randi.Richardson@nasa.gov

Name: Kate Hester

Email: Katie.L.Hester@nasa.gov

All personnel attending the Industry Day must meet applicable citizenship and security requirements. RSVPs shall provide the following information for every participant interested in attending the event:

• Company name


• Company address


• Full legal name


• E-mail


• U.S. citizenship confirmation

If requesting a one-on-one meeting, industry should also specify required classification levels for said meeting in their RSVP submission.

One-on-One Meetings:

Companies interested in participating in one-on-one meetings with NASA shall submit a brief abstract, not to exceed two (2) pages, describing their specific approach to provide TDRS backwards compatible services. NASA is not seeking generic capability statements. Participants are encouraged to include recommendations related to acquisition approaches, service models, and transition strategies that address one or more of the following:

• S-band and/or Ka-band service approaches that maintain compatibility with legacy mission architectures and operations.


• Demonstration flight concepts that could validate backward-compatible relay capabilities and inform transition to sustained services.


• Service-oriented architectures that enable scalable, commercially provided relay services.


• Transition strategies that support continuity of legacy services while moving toward commercial operations.

Abstract submission instructions will be provided by NASA in each RSVP confirmation.

After receiving each RSVP submission, NASA will provide details on access requirements and a timeline for submitting all required documentation.

This Industry Day does not constitute a solicitation, a promise to issue a solicitation, or a commitment by the government to award a contract or other agreement. The government will not reimburse any costs associated with participation. Participation in this Industry Day is voluntary and for planning and information-gathering purposes only. Interested parties or potential participants are responsible for monitoring https://sam.gov for any updates or changes.