Top NASA research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences (except biotechnology) contractors
In the 12 months ending Oct 5, 2026, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration obligated $824.2M in net prime contract dollars under NAICS 541712, down 13.1% from $948.4M in the preceding 12 months. 22 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 541712
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 | Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation | $390.8M | $325.3M | 45.1% | — |
| 2 | Aerojet Rocketdyne of DE, Inc | $335.1M | $299.2M | 38.6% | — |
| 3 | KBR Wyle Services, LLC | $60.7M | $151.1M | 7.0% | — |
| 4 | Aerojet Rocketdyne, Inc. | $20.9M | $24.0M | 2.4% | ▲ 1 |
| 5 | Sierra Lobo Inc | $10.3M | $8.0M | 1.2% | ▲ 5 |
| 6 | The Regents of the University of Colorado | $8.3M | $9.7M | 1.0% | ▲ 1 |
| 7 | Teledyne Brown Engineering, Inc. | $7.2M | $6.3M | 0.8% | ▲ 7 |
| 8 | Cepeda Systems & Software Analysis, Inc. | $7.1M | $7.3M | 0.8% | ▲ 3 |
| 9 | Arizona State University | $5.0M | $8.4M | 0.6% | — |
| 10 | Lockheed Martin Corporation | $3.9M | $6.8M | 0.4% | ▲ 3 |
| 11 | University of Arizona | $3.2M | $9.2M | 0.4% | ▼ 3 |
| 12 | Science Systems and Applications, Inc. | $3.2M | $28.6M | 0.4% | ▼ 8 |
| 13 | BAE Systems Space & Mission Systems Inc. | $3.0M | $2.5M | 0.3% | ▲ 8 |
| 14 | Southwest Research Institute | $2.7M | $1.8M | 0.3% | ▲ 9 |
| 15 | University of Maryland, College Park | $2.1M | $2.1M | 0.2% | ▲ 7 |
What changed in the last 12 months
Contractors with the largest change in reported obligations versus the preceding 12 months.
Largest gains
- Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation$325.3M → $390.8M (+$65.5M) · now #1
- Aerojet Rocketdyne of DE, Inc$299.2M → $335.1M (+$36.0M) · now #2
- Sierra Lobo Inc$8.0M → $10.3M (+$2.3M) · now #5
Largest declines
- KBR Wyle Services, LLC$151.1M → $60.7M (−$90.4M) · now #3
- California Institute of Technology−$134K → −$37.6M (−$37.5M) · no latest-period obligations
- Science Systems and Applications, Inc.$28.6M → $3.2M (−$25.4M) · now #12
New to this market
1 contractors received their first obligations in this market (since FY2022) during the latest 12 months. The largest:
| Contractor | First obligation | Latest 12 mo |
|---|---|---|
| l3harris Technologies, Inc. | May 1, 2026 | $3K |
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 | $824.2M | $948.4M | Down $124.1M (13.1%) |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80SSC025FA004 | Sierra Lobo Inc TEST OPERATIONS CONTRACT COVERS TEST OPERATIONS SUPPORT FOR TEST CUSTOMERS, AS WELL AS THE OPERATION AND TECHNICAL SYSTEMS MAINTENANCE OF THE HIGH PRESSURE INDUSTRIAL WATER, HIGH… | $18.4M | Nov 9, 2026 |
| 80JSC024FA069 | Nanoracks, LLC NRAL AND GAMBIT ADDITIONAL DATA PURCHASE | $3.3M | Dec 31, 2026 |
| NNM15AA18C | BAE Systems Space & Mission Systems Inc. IMAGING X-RAY POLARIMETRY EXPLORER (IXPE) PHASE A | $17.3M | Jan 31, 2027 |
| 80LARC21F0100 | Boeing Aerospace Operations, Inc. PROVIDE TESTING IN THE BOEING LCAT ARC-JET FACILITY IN SUPPORT OF NASA HYPERSONIC MATERIAL DEVELOPMENT | $2.2M | Apr 30, 2027 |
| 80MSFC25F0024 | Cepeda Systems & Software Analysis, Inc. SEE SECTION J, ATTACHMENT A, STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW) | $5.1M | May 31, 2027 |
| NNC16CA21C | Aerojet Rocketdyne, Inc. NASA, THROUGH THE SPACE TECHNOLOGY MISSION DIRECTORATE (STMD,) SEEKS TO DEMONSTRATE AN ADVANCED SOLAR ELECTRIC PROPULSION (EP) SYSTEM THAT WILL ENABLE FUTURE DEEP SPACE HUMAN AND… | $83.4M | Aug 4, 2027 |
| NNM14AA89D | Teledyne Brown Engineering, Inc. LAUNCH VEHICLE/STAGES ADAPTER | $56.5M | Sep 30, 2027 |
| NNG09FA40C | Lockheed Martin Corporation INTERFACE REGION IMAGING SPECTROGRAPH (IRIS). THE CONTRACTOR SHALL REFINE AND EVOLVE THE CONTRACTOR'S COST ESTIMATE FOR PHASES B-F FOR THE INTERFACE REGION IMAGING SPECTROGRAPH… | $26.5M | Sep 30, 2027 |
| NNL15AA03C | University of Maryland, College Park "GLOBAL ECOSYSTEM DYNAMICS INVESTIGATION LIDAR (GEDI)" PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR (PI)SUPPORT FOR THE GLOBAL ECOSYSTEM DYNAMICS INVESTIGATION (GEDI) LIDAR INVESTIGATION. THE GEDI… | $9.5M | Sep 30, 2027 |
| NNL13AA09C | Smithsonian Institution "" OTHER FUNCTIONS - TROPOSPHERIC EMISSIONS: MONITORING OF POLLUTION (TEMPO) - THE TEMPO INVESTIGATION WAS SELECTED UNDER THE NASA SECOND STAND ALONE MISSIONS OF OPPORTUNITY… | $12.5M | Mar 31, 2028 |
Common questions
Who are the top NASA contractors for NAICS 541712?
In the latest 12 months, Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation ($390.8M), Aerojet Rocketdyne of DE, Inc ($335.1M), KBR Wyle Services, LLC ($60.7M) received the most NASA obligations for research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences (except biotechnology).
How concentrated is this market?
The eight largest primes held 96.9% of positive obligations, and Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation alone held 45.1%. 1 contractors won their first obligations in this market during the latest 12 months.
Are any large NASA NAICS 541712 contracts ending soon?
10 of the largest awards in this market reach their current end date in the next 18 months. The first is 80SSC025FA004 (Sierra Lobo Inc, $18.4M obligated), ending Nov 9, 2026. An end date is a research lead, not a confirmed recompete: options and extensions often move it.
Related markets
NAICS 541712 across all agencies
DoD · NAICS 541712
$4.7BCommerce · NAICS 541712
$37.9MHHS · NAICS 541712
$30.6MDOT · NAICS 541712
$12.9MDHS · NAICS 541712
$6.3MFigures 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.
Ready to connect your pursuit work?
GovEagle gives BD directors, capture managers, and proposal teams one AI workspace from pipeline through proposal, with CMMC/FedRAMP Certified compliance built in.