Request for Information: Development of NASA-DARES 2025: The NASA Decadal Astrobiology Research and Exploration Strategy
Number: NNH25ZDA002L
Release Date: October 8, 2024
Response Date: February 4, 2025
Short URL: https://go.nasa.gov/ABStrategyRFI
Dear Colleagues:
NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) is pleased to announce a Request for Information (RFI) to gather community responses for the development of the forthcoming 2025 NASA Decadal Astrobiology Research and Exploration Strategy (NASA-DARES).
The need for a new Strategy is timely. Since the publication of the 2015 Astrobiology Strategy, the field has experienced transformative growth, driven by numerous scientific discoveries and technological advancements. “Origins, Worlds, and Life: A Decadal Strategy for Planetary Science and Astrobiology 2023 – 2032“ (OWL) identifies decadal priorities for astrobiology within the context of planetary science missions. Recognizing astrobiology’s emergence as a cross-cutting pillar of NASA’s scientific and mission portfolios, NASA-DARES 2025 will broaden the scope of astrobiology to reflect the full breadth and potential of astrobiology research and exploration at NASA in support of a growing interdisciplinary community.
This RFI seeks responses broadly from U.S. industry, universities, non-profit organizations, individuals, NASA centers, Federal Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) such as the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and other U.S. federal, state, local, tribal government agencies as well as the international science community. Responses are subject to the restrictions placed on NASA by the “Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024, P.L. 118-42, Sec. 526” that prohibit bilateral relationships with China. Details of that restriction are at https://www.congress.gov/117/plaws/publ103/PLAW-117publ103.pdf.
This email is a partial summary of the RFI. For the full text of the RFI and response instructions, visit the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System (NSPIRES) at https://nspires.nasaprs.com, choose/click on “Solicitations” at the top of the page, and on the next page input number “NNH25ZDA002L” in the search box or use the direct short URL above. In the event of any future lapses to the NASA operations, RFI respondents should visit NSPIRES, the official NASA source for this RFI.
All responses to this RFI must be submitted in an electronic format per section “6. Response Instructions” via NSPIRES. The RFI Response should address the requested information found in section “5. Requested Information”, including an indication of the primary Topic addressed followed by no more than three secondary Topics as outlined in section “3. Requested Response Topics”.
Please email questions and comments concerning this RFI to the email address below, no later than January 22, 2025 at 11:59 PM Eastern, with the subject line: “NASA-DARES 2025 RFI Question/Clarification”. NASA intends to respond to received questions by January 29, 2025. Depending on the nature of received questions, NASA may respond on an individual basis by email or may post responses to inquiries in a “Questions and Answers” (Q&A) document available at https://go.nasa.gov/ABStrategyRFI. Any posted Q&As will be edited to preserve the anonymity of persons and institutions who submit questions and are intended to address inquiries of broader interest and general clarification.
The following email address is not to be used for RFI response submissions. Any RFI submissions made via email will not be considered.
Questions and comments concerning this RFI may be sent to [email protected].
Dr. Rachel L. Harris
Science Mission Directorate
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Washington, D.C. 20546
Dr. David Grinspoon
Science Mission Directorate
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Washington, D.C. 20546
Astrobiology, Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Space Biology, microgravity, SETI,
