The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has awarded California Institute of Technology (Caltech) $258,697,495 for the Surface Biology and Geology (SBG) mission, covering pre-Phase A and Phase A planning work.

The contract, award number 80NM0021F0036, is administered by NASA and runs through September 28, 2026. The work falls under NAICS code 541715 (Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences).

The SBG mission is part of NASA's Earth System Observatory, a next-generation suite of Earth-observing satellites recommended by the 2017 National Academies Earth Science Decadal Survey. The mission is designed to provide high-resolution imaging of surface biology and geology — including vegetation health, soil composition, and surface mineralogy — to advance understanding of terrestrial ecosystems, carbon cycles, and geological processes.

Caltech's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which NASA manages, is a primary driver of mission design for SBG. Pre-Phase A covers concept formulation and feasibility assessment, while Phase A involves preliminary analysis and system requirements definition — the foundational steps before a full mission development commitment.

For contractors in the aerospace and scientific research sectors, the SBG mission represents a sustained investment in Earth science instrumentation and satellite systems development. Follow-on acquisition phases will require systems integration, instrument development, launch services, and ground operations support.

Source: USASpending.gov — Award CONT_AWD_80NM0021F0036_8000