All NASA Contracts — January 27, 2026

Contracts average 7+ years duration through 2029 with 75% avg. outlay ($916M total), underscoring stable NASA commitment to SLS, Mars, and earth observation programs.

Top two awards ($865M combined) fund RL10 engines and space vehicle components for EM-2/3 missions, with $341M already outlayed signaling execution ahead of 2028 milestones.

Unexercised options average 25% of ceiling values across all awards, tied to performance through 2026-2029.

Long tenors (avg. 7 years to 2029) with partial outlays expose to delays in SLS/Mars milestones and funding cliffs.

$3.5B+ subawards to 6,000+ recipients create supply chain fragility amid inflation/labor shortages.

Award fee/cost-plus structures (6/7 contracts) tie payouts to SOW compliance; foreign-owned CGI adds scrutiny risk.

Follow-on/extensions at 2026-2029 ends for critical NASA centers (Goddard, Marshall, JPL).

8(a)/small biz set-asides like Mitchell Vantage signal M&A targets in software/facilities niches.

$700M options + $41M Northrop upside offer low-risk accretion if exercised.

80%+ value ties to enduring missions (SLS, Mars, JPSS) at key centers, with high execution via outlays.

Massive subawards (2x primes in Northrop) to thousands of vendors highlight tier-2/3 growth.

{"entity"=>"Northrop Grumman (NOC)", "reason"=>"Largest award ($584M, 36% of total) with $3B subawards signals program scale.", "trigger"=>"Option exercise or JPSS delays"}

{"entity"=>"L3Harris (LHX)", "reason"=>"SLS RL10 engines ($281M) critical to 2028 EM-2/3; $172M outlay shows momentum.", "trigger"=>"SLS budget uplift/Artemis acceleration"}

{"entity"=>"NASA FY2027 Budget (SLS/Mars lines)", "reason"=>"Funds 90% of contracts; cuts could cascade.", "trigger"=>"Congressional appropriations >$25B space total"}