Top NASA research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences (except nanotechnology and biotechnology) contractors
In the 12 months ending Oct 5, 2026, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration obligated $5.8B in net prime contract dollars under NAICS 541715, down 2.4% from $5.9B in the preceding 12 months. 435 prime contractors received positive obligations, and 16 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 541715
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 | California Institute of Technology | $2.2B | $2.3B | 38.6% | — |
| 2 | Blue Origin Manufacturing, LLC | $505.1M | $0 | 8.7% | New |
| 3 | The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory LLC | $486.1M | $384.5M | 8.4% | — |
| 4 | Amentum Technology, Inc. | $218.1M | $245.6M | 3.8% | — |
| 5 | Space Exploration Technologies Corp. | $215.3M | $220.5M | 3.7% | — |
| 6 | KBR Wyle Services, LLC | $195.2M | $38.1M | 3.4% | ▲ 16 |
| 7 | The Aerospace Corporation | $116.1M | $114.2M | 2.0% | ▼ 1 |
| 8 | Columbus Technologies and Services, Inc | $95.0M | $60.3M | 1.6% | ▲ 9 |
| 9 | Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation | $92.7M | $26.1M | 1.6% | ▲ 16 |
| 10 | Raytheon Company | $89.0M | $87.9M | 1.5% | ▼ 1 |
| 11 | Space Network Solutions LLC | $80.9M | $83.7M | 1.4% | — |
| 12 | RSI-Quantitech JV LLC | $76.5M | $64.4M | 1.3% | ▲ 3 |
| 13 | Sierra Lobo Inc | $75.7M | $0 | 1.3% | New |
| 14 | Adnet Systems Inc | $74.9M | $83.9M | 1.3% | ▼ 4 |
| 15 | Science Systems and Applications, Inc. | $69.7M | $101.4M | 1.2% | ▼ 8 |
What changed in the last 12 months
Contractors with the largest change in reported obligations versus the preceding 12 months.
Largest gains
- Blue Origin Manufacturing, LLC$0 → $505.1M (+$505.1M) · now #2
- KBR Wyle Services, LLC$38.1M → $195.2M (+$157.2M) · now #6
- The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory LLC$384.5M → $486.1M (+$101.5M) · now #3
Largest declines
- Blue Origin Washington, LLC$778.4M → $501K (−$777.9M) · now #189
- California Institute of Technology$2.3B → $2.2B (−$77.9M) · now #1
- Barrios Technology, LLC$59.1M → $12.4M (−$46.6M) · now #40
New to this market
108 contractors received their first obligations in this market (since FY2022) during the latest 12 months. The largest:
| Contractor | First obligation | Latest 12 mo |
|---|---|---|
| Blue Origin Manufacturing, LLC | Jan 30, 2026 | $505.1M |
| Sierra Lobo Inc | Aug 28, 2026 | $75.7M |
| l3harris Technologies, Inc. | Apr 20, 2026 | $19.2M |
| Troy Sierra JV LLC | Sep 29, 2026 | $18.7M |
| Modulate Space Corporation | Sep 30, 2026 | $13.0M |
| Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai | Jul 30, 2026 | $5.4M |
| Eascra Biotech, Inc | May 13, 2026 | $5.3M |
| Air-Lock, Incorporated | Apr 30, 2026 | $3.1M |
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 | $5.8B | $5.9B | Down $140.5M (2.4%) |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80MSFC22CA016 | Teledyne Brown Engineering, Inc. MARSHALL OPERATIONS SYSTEMS, SERVICES, AND INTEGRATION II (MOSSI II) | $276.2M | Dec 31, 2026 |
| 80NM0021F0036 | California Institute of Technology SURFACE BIOLOGY & GEOLOGY (SBG): PRE-PHASE A AND PHASE A PLAN | $247.4M | Feb 28, 2027 |
| 80GSFC20C0044 | Science Systems and Applications, Inc. THE PURPOSE OF THIS CONTRACT IS TO ACQUIRE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH SERVICES THAT CONCEIVES, DEVELOPS AND APPLIES SPACE, FIELD-DEPLOYED (I.E. AIRBORNE AND IN SITU) AND LABORATORY… | $364.5M | Mar 31, 2027 |
| 80MSFC18C0011 | Amentum Technology, Inc. ENGINEERING SERVICES AND SCIENCE CAPABILITY AUGMENTATION (ESSCA) | $1.2B | May 31, 2027 |
| 80GSFC22CA056 | Mitchell Vantage Systems LLC UNDER THIS SES III CONTRACT, THE SOFTWARE ENGINEERING DIVISION (SED) OF THE ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY DIRECTORATE (ETD) PROVIDES QUALITY SOFTWARE PRODUCTS, SERVICES AND… | $271.9M | Aug 31, 2027 |
| 80GSFC21CA007 | Aerodyne-SGT Engineering Services, LLC THE MIST II CONTRACT WILL PROVIDE MULTIDISCIPLINARY ENGINEERING TASK ORDERS FOR THE FORMULATION, DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT, FABRICATION, INTEGRATION, TESTING, VERIFICATION, AND… | $433.4M | Sep 13, 2027 |
| 80NM0020F0054 | California Institute of Technology NEAR EARTH OBJECT SURVEYOR (NEO SURVEYOR) PROJECT (71-107722) | $847.9M | Oct 31, 2027 |
| 80MSFC23CA004 | RSI-Quantitech JV LLC MARSHALL ENGINEERING TECHNICIANS AND TRADES SUPPORT (METTS III) COVERS A WIDE RANGE OF ENGINEERING TECHNICIANS AND TRADE SKILLS TO PERFORM TESTING GROUND AND SPACE BASED RESEARCH… | $268.1M | Dec 31, 2027 |
| 80MSFC21F0224 | The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory LLC INTERSTELLAR MAPPING AND ACCELERATION PROBE (IMAP) PHASE CD | $353.0M | Jan 31, 2028 |
| 80GSFC23CA040 | Adnet Systems Inc SPACE AND EARTH SCIENCES DATA ANALYSIS (SESDA V) | $283.1M | Mar 31, 2028 |
Common questions
Who are the top NASA contractors for NAICS 541715?
In the latest 12 months, California Institute of Technology ($2.2B), Blue Origin Manufacturing, LLC ($505.1M), The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory LLC ($486.1M) received the most NASA obligations for research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences (except nanotechnology and biotechnology).
How concentrated is this market?
The eight largest primes held 70.2% of positive obligations, and California Institute of Technology alone held 38.6%. 108 contractors won their first obligations in this market during the latest 12 months.
Are any large NASA NAICS 541715 contracts ending soon?
10 of the largest awards in this market reach their current end date in the next 18 months. The first is 80MSFC22CA016 (Teledyne Brown Engineering, Inc., $276.2M obligated), ending Dec 31, 2026. An end date is a research lead, not a confirmed recompete: options and extensions often move it.
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$47.8MFigures 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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