Faster To Science: A Letter To The Science Community

TL;DR

Age 18–24?Offer from Amazon

Prime made for students and young adults

• Fast, free delivery for dorm and study essentials
• Prime Video and Amazon Music included
• Member-only deals

Try Prime for Young Adults →Free trial for eligible 18–24 year olds

As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.Hide

NASA Science announced Competition Model 2.0, a revised process intended to shorten mission competitions and put scientific merit earlier in selection. NASA estimates reductions of up to 45% for some mission classes and up to 40% for another, but says implementation will be phased and details remain to be explained at a town hall.

NASA’s Science Mission Directorate has announced Competition Model 2.0, a revised process for selecting science missions that it says will reduce competition timelines and focus early reviews on scientific merit. The agency plans to explain the changes at a virtual NASA Science Town Hall on Monday, October 26; the source letter does not specify the year.

Under the proposed model, initial proposals would emphasize the science case, science implementation plan and proof-of-concept mission design, rather than requiring detailed engineering, cost and implementation plans before those materials are needed for a decision. NASA says this is intended to reduce the time and resources spent preparing proposals and let reviewers focus on the research goals first.

For the affected mission competitions, NASA projects that the interval from an Announcement of Opportunity to selection for a second step could fall from about 35 months to about 19.5 months, a reduction of up to 45%. The second step would involve a mission implementation study that evaluates scientific merit, science implementation and mission implementation. NASA says one mission would be selected partway through Phase A, with the chosen team continuing toward a more mature design.

NASA also describes separate changes for other mission classes. It estimates a reduction of up to 45% in selection timelines for another group using a two-step process, and says a single-step competition for smaller missions could bring final selection from about 32 months to about 19 months, or up to 40% faster. The letter says the largest “flagship” missions will keep their existing approach, shaped by lessons from the James Webb Space Telescope and the Large Mission Study.

How the New Process Could Change Proposals

The proposed change affects how research teams compete for NASA mission opportunities, not just how long an agency review takes. Requiring less detailed engineering and cost work at the outset could reduce the workload for teams whose ideas are not selected. NASA also says the streamlined first stage is meant to make it easier for strong science proposals to compete on their merits, rather than favoring teams able to assemble extensive proposal resources.

NASA’s projected timeline reductions are agency estimates, not independently verified outcomes. If achieved, shorter competitions could allow NASA to make selections sooner and move funded concepts toward implementation with less time spent on unsuccessful proposals. The approach also brings implementation partners into a structured study before a final selection, which NASA says should surface risks earlier.

The practical effects will depend on the details of solicitations, review criteria and support available to teams. A shorter competition alone does not establish that missions will launch sooner, cost less, or deliver science faster after selection. Those outcomes depend on later design, funding and development decisions.

From Long Reviews to Staged Selection

NASA’s letter says the previous process could take years and impose substantial proposal and contract-management burdens. The new model is presented as a response to a direction from NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman to accelerate science delivery, reduce the time and resources spent on long competitions, and direct funding toward high-priority missions across the agency’s science divisions.

The plan does not apply identically to every mission. NASA says its largest flagship missions will retain the approach developed after the James Webb Space Telescope, with NASA directing a mission through a lead center and using targeted solicitations for science teams and instruments. Other mission classes would use the revised competition steps, while the smallest missions are described as benefiting from the growth of commercial space capabilities.

NASA says the process will be introduced in stages and refined with community input. The letter identifies the town hall as the opportunity to explain Competition Model 2.0 and answer questions, rather than presenting every operational detail in the announcement itself.

Details Still Await Town Hall

The letter does not specify the year of the October 26 town hall, and it does not include a full implementation schedule or a list of the first solicitations that will use the revised model. It also does not provide mission-by-mission timelines or explain how the agency will measure whether the projected reductions are achieved.

Some details are described in broad terms. For example, the letter refers to “missions” across different classes, but the supplied text does not fully identify every category or spell out all review rules. NASA says some changes will take time and will be rolled out in stages. Its estimates of up to 45% and up to 40% shorter timelines are projections; the letter does not establish that every competition will meet them.

The source text ends mid-sentence while discussing commercial practices for the smallest missions. As a result, it does not provide the full set of expectations for those teams, including the complete description of the practices NASA plans to require.

NASA to Explain the Rollout

NASA Science says it will use the virtual town hall on Monday, October 26, to describe Competition Model 2.0 and take questions from the science community. The year is not given in the letter, so readers will need to check NASA’s event information for the date and participation details.

After the town hall, the next concrete indicators will be NASA’s formal solicitations and guidance for each mission class. Those documents will show which competitions use the new steps, what teams must submit, how implementation partners are assessed and when NASA expects to make selections. The agency says it will refine the approach over time with input from researchers and mission teams.

Key Questions

What is NASA Competition Model 2.0?

Competition Model 2.0 is NASA Science’s proposed revised process for soliciting, reviewing and selecting missions. Its stated aim is to focus early competition on the science and reduce time spent preparing detailed implementation plans before they are needed.

How much faster does NASA expect mission selection to be?

NASA estimates reductions of up to 45% for certain competitions, including one timeline it says could shrink from about 35 months to 19.5 months. For a single-step process for smaller missions, NASA cites a change from about 32 months to 19 months, or up to 40%. These are projections, not confirmed results.

Will the model apply to NASA’s largest missions?

Not in the same way. The letter says the largest flagship missions will retain their existing approach, which NASA says was shaped by lessons from the James Webb Space Telescope and the Large Mission Study.

What remains unknown about the announcement?

The letter does not give the year of the October 26 town hall, a complete rollout schedule, or the first solicitations affected. More detailed rules and expectations are expected through the town hall and later NASA competition documents.

Source: primary