NASA revealed a sweeping overhaul of its science‑mission selection process on Oct. 21, introducing the Competition Model 2.0 (CM 2.0). The change, outlined in an open letter from Nicky Fox, associate administrator of the agency’s Science Mission Directorate, is intended to lower development costs, simplify competition and accelerate the path from concept to launch. The reforms were directed by Administrator Jared Isaacman and are expected to affect universities, research institutions, NASA centers and commercial partners alike.
New selection framework
Under the current system, most science missions are chosen through competitive Announcements of Opportunity (AOs) that require detailed engineering designs and financial plans in the first proposal round. This two‑step process can stretch to almost three years, demanding substantial time and resources from teams that may never be selected. CM 2.0 shifts the emphasis to scientific merit in the initial evaluation, allowing engineering and budget details to be deferred until later stages. Early proposals will therefore concentrate on the scientific goals of a mission and a high‑level approach to achieving them.
Impact on mission classes
NASA’s portfolio is divided into classes ranging from small Explorer missions to flagship projects such as the James Webb Space Telescope. For Discovery planetary missions, larger New Frontiers spacecraft and the mid‑size Astro‑Probes program, the new model retains a two‑step format but cuts the required documentation roughly in half. The agency estimates that the original 35‑month timeline will shrink to about 19.5 months, delivering more mature concepts at the point of selection.
Medium‑class missions, including MIDEX and Earth Explorer, will open to a broader applicant pool that now explicitly includes commercial entities. Selection for these programs will still involve two steps, but NASA will assess developers based on prior experience with comparable projects. Principal investigators will be able to request technical support from either Goddard Space Flight Center or the Jet Propulsion Laboratory during the first evaluation phase.
Smaller, lower‑cost programs such as Small Explorer (SMEX), Earth Venture, Missions of Opportunity, hosted payloads and rideshares will transition to a single‑stage selection process. By eliminating the second round of competing proposals, final‑selection timelines are expected to fall from roughly 32 months to 19 months, aligning these missions with the accelerating commercial space economy.
Oversight, center roles and expected outcomes
The reforms also place greater responsibility on Goddard and JPL for mission maturation, a move designed to lessen internal competition while preserving agency expertise. NASA is pairing the streamlined process with stricter cost and schedule oversight; any breach of established thresholds could trigger serious consequences, including possible mission cancellation.
Fox highlighted the anticipated benefits, stating that the changes will enable “more missions, more often, with more incredible science at a lower cost.” She added that the agency now has an administrator willing to move faster, a commercial market ready to assist, and a scientific community whose ideas continue to expand humanity’s reach into the cosmos. A virtual town‑hall on Oct. 26 at 2 p.m. EDT will provide further details and allow public questions.
Helene Elliott is the Lead Science & Space Reporter at News Raise. She reports on aerospace missions, astrophysics discoveries, quantum research, and environmental technology.
