Top NASA research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences contractors
In the 12 months ending Oct 5, 2026, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration obligated $436.5M in net prime contract dollars under NAICS 541710, down 32.0% from $641.7M in the preceding 12 months. 12 prime contractors received positive obligations, and 2 of them accounted for 80% of that spend.
Prime contracts funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Latest 12 months: Oct 6, 2025 to Oct 5, 2026. Source: USAspending.gov.
Obligations by fiscal year
Net prime contract obligations by federal fiscal year (October to September).
Top NASA contractors for NAICS 541710
Ranked by positive obligations in the latest 12 months. Share is of all positive obligations in this market.
| # | Contractor | Latest 12 mo | Prior 12 mo | Share | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lockheed Martin Corp | $196.3M | $341.2M | 45.0% | — |
| 2 | Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. | $161.7M | $153.2M | 37.0% | — |
| 3 | Smithsonian Institution | $59.8M | $65.5M | 13.7% | — |
| 4 | Lockheed Martin Corporation | $5.4M | $5.5M | 1.2% | ▲ 4 |
| 5 | The Leland Stanford Junior University | $5.3M | $7.1M | 1.2% | ▲ 2 |
| 6 | The Pennsylvania State University | $2.4M | $2.9M | 0.5% | ▲ 3 |
| 7 | Southwest Research Institute | $2.3M | $14.4M | 0.5% | ▼ 1 |
| 8 | The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory LLC | $1.6M | $24.2M | 0.4% | ▼ 3 |
| 9 | The Regents of the University of Colorado | $1.5M | $1.5M | 0.4% | ▲ 1 |
| 10 | Lockheed Martin Integrated Systems, LLC | $167K | $0 | 0.0% | New |
| 11 | Astrion Group, LLC | $22K | $0 | 0.0% | New |
| 12 | Amentum Technology, Inc. | $308 | −$2K | 0.0% | New |
What changed in the last 12 months
Contractors with the largest change in reported obligations versus the preceding 12 months.
Largest gains
- Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc.$153.2M → $161.7M (+$8.5M) · now #2
- Boeing Company, the−$855K → $0 (+$855K) · no latest-period obligations
- Lockheed Martin Integrated Systems, LLC$0 → $167K (+$167K) · now #10
Largest declines
- Lockheed Martin Corp$341.2M → $196.3M (−$144.9M) · now #1
- University of Arizona$26.5M → $0 (−$26.5M) · no latest-period obligations
- The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory LLC$24.2M → $1.6M (−$22.7M) · now #8
New to this market
3 contractors received their first obligations in this market (since FY2022) during the latest 12 months. The largest:
| Contractor | First obligation | Latest 12 mo |
|---|---|---|
| Lockheed Martin Integrated Systems, LLC | Mar 4, 2026 | $167K |
| Astrion Group, LLC | Mar 3, 2026 | $22K |
| Amentum Technology, Inc. | Mar 4, 2026 | $308 |
Where the money comes from
Funding sub-agencies within the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, latest 12 months. The funding organization can differ from the office that runs the requirement.
| Funding sub-agency | Latest 12 mo | Prior 12 mo | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Aeronautics and Space Administration | $436.5M | $641.7M | Down $205.2M (32.0%) |
Potential recompetes
Large awards in this market whose current period of performance ends in the next 18 months. Treat these as research leads: options, extensions, and follow-on vehicles often change the timing.
| Award | Incumbent | Obligated | Current end |
|---|---|---|---|
| NNM07AA01C | Lockheed Martin Corporation FOCAL PLANE PACKAGE MISSION OPERATIONS AND DATA ANALYSIS - SOLAR B PHASE E | $10.8M | Feb 28, 2027 |
| NNM07AB07C | Smithsonian Institution SOLAR B X RAY TELESCOPE PHASE E | $9.1M | Feb 28, 2027 |
| GSFC0200005DNAS500147 | The Leland Stanford Junior University GAMMA RAY LARGE AREA SPACE TELESCOPE (GLAST). THE CONTRACTOR SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR SUPPORTING NASA REVIEWS&DIRECTED ENGINEERING ANALYSIS, OBSERVATION PLANNING, MISSION… | $9.9M | Mar 1, 2027 |
| NNJ06TA25C | Lockheed Martin Corp TAS::80 0124::TAS DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT, TEST&EVALUATION OF PROJECT ORION | $1.9B | Apr 15, 2027 |
| NAS503127 | Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. THE PRIMARY ACTIVITIES COVERED BY THIS EFFORT SPAN THE MAJOR PHASES OF THE MISSION BEGINNING WITH FORMULATION THROUGH DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING, AND ENDING ONE YEAR AFTER LAUNCH… | $725.6M | Jun 25, 2027 |
| GSFC0200004DNAS500136 | The Pennsylvania State University SWIFT ULTRAVIOLET&OPTICAL TELESCOPES X-RAY TELESCOPE, GROUND STATION SYSTEM | $11.3M | Aug 31, 2027 |
| MSFC0200308DNAS803060 | Smithsonian Institution FOLLOW ON CONTRACT TO PROVIDE OPERATIONS AND SCIENCE SUPPORT TO THE CXO | $325.5M | Sep 30, 2027 |
| GSFC0200208DNAS502105 | University of Arizona NEXT GENERATION SPACE TELESCOPE NIRCAM THE CONTRACTOR SHALL PROVIDE THE PERSONNEL, SERVICES, MATERIALS, EQUIPMENT, AND FACILITIES NEEDED TO MANAGE AND PERFORM PHASES A THROUGH E… | $43.9M | Sep 30, 2027 |
| GSFC0200210DNAS502139 | The Leland Stanford Junior University SOLAR DYNAMICS OBSERVATORY PROJECT HELIOSEISMIC AND MAGNETIC IMAGER INVESTIGATION (HMI) PHASE B/C/D/E THE CONTRACTOR SHALL PROVIDE PERSONNEL, MATERIALS, EQUIPMENT, FACILITIES AND… | $20.3M | Sep 30, 2027 |
| NNG04EA00C | Lockheed Martin Corporation TAS::80 0114::TAS THE ATOMOSPHERIC IMAGE ASSEMBLY | $16.8M | Sep 30, 2027 |
Common questions
Who are the top NASA contractors for NAICS 541710?
In the latest 12 months, Lockheed Martin Corp ($196.3M), Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. ($161.7M), Smithsonian Institution ($59.8M) received the most NASA obligations for research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences.
How concentrated is this market?
The eight largest primes held 99.6% of positive obligations, and Lockheed Martin Corp alone held 45.0%. 3 contractors won their first obligations in this market during the latest 12 months.
Are any large NASA NAICS 541710 contracts ending soon?
10 of the largest awards in this market reach their current end date in the next 18 months. The first is NNM07AA01C (Lockheed Martin Corporation, $10.8M obligated), ending Feb 28, 2027. An end date is a research lead, not a confirmed recompete: options and extensions often move it.
Related markets
NAICS 541710 across all agencies
DoD · NAICS 541710
$837.0MFigures are net obligations on prime contracts (award types A–D) from USAspending.gov, grouped by funding agency and the NAICS code on each award. Net obligations include deobligations and corrections, so they can differ from positive-obligation totals. See methodology.
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