KEY OBJECTIVE: THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE IS TO DEVELOP AND TEST AN EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT ACCESS PAYLOAD ACCOMMODATION FACILITY. WE PROPOSE TO DEMONSTRATE A VEHICLE ENHANCEMENT AND ONBOARD FACILITY FOR PAYLOAD ACCOMMODATION FOR THE BLUE ORIGIN NEW SHEPPARD REUSABLE SUBORBITAL LAUNCH VEHICLE BY ESTABLISHING AN EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT ACCESS CAPABILITY. THIS PROPOSAL IS SOLELY FOR INTEGRATION AND FLIGHT TESTING. THE ENHANCEMENT CONSISTS OF THE JANUS INTEGRATION PLATFORM MODIFIED WITH AN AEROGEL COLLECTOR SYSTEM TO BE MOUNTED ON THE UPPER RING OF THE PROPULSION MODULE (PM). TECHNIQUES FOR ACCOMPLISHING THE KEY OBJECTIVE: 1) INTEGRATE AEROGEL COLLECTOR WITH EXISTING JANUS 2.0 INTEGRATION PLATFORM 2) MOUNT OUR PAYLOAD ON THE BLUE ORIGIN NEW SHEPARD VEHICLE TO ALLOW EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT ACCESS 3) FLY THIS PAYLOAD WITH EXTERNAL ACCESS ON THE TEST FLIGHT. 4) ANALYZE FLIGHT RESULTS AND ASSESS THE EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT PERCEIVED SIGNIFICANCE: OUR PROPOSED PROJECT IS HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT TO U.S. SPACE EXPLORATION AND UTILIZATION BECAUSE SUCH EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT ACCESS IS A CRITICAL CAPABILITY THAT MUST BE DEVELOPED IF THESE NEW VEHICLES ARE TO HAVE SUCH A GAME CHANGING IMPACT. CURRENTLY NO EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT ACCESS CAPABILITY EXISTS ON THE BLUE ORIGIN NEW SHEPPARD VEHICLE SO OUR PROPOSAL EXCEEDS CURRENT STATE OF THE ART. ESTABLISHING SUCH A NOVEL CAPABILITY IS REVOLUTIONARY DISRUPTIVE AND TRANSFORMATIVE. TO DATE RELATIVELY LITTLE IN SITU OBSERVATIONS AND SAMPLING EXIST FOR SUBORBITAL SPACE AT 80-100 KM ALTITUDES DESPITE THIS BEING A CRITICAL REGION WHERE THE ATMOSPHERE (COLLISIONAL) TRANSITIONS TO SPACE (NON-COLLISIONAL). WHAT LITTLE DATA EXISTS WAS DERIVED FROM INFREQUENT AND RELATIVELY EXPENSIVE SOUNDING ROCKETS. ONCE WE ESTABLISH THIS CAPABILITY WE ANTICIPATE A NEW ERA OF DISCOVERY IN THIS REGION WILL PROVIDE UNPRECEDENTED INSIGHT INTO SUBORBITAL SPACE IMPACTING MANY EARTH BASED AND GEOSCIENCE MISSIONS REQUIRING SCIENTIFIC MEASUREMENTS. ADDITIONALLY WE WILL ENABLE MANY MORE INSTRUMENT DEVELOPMENT/TESTING AND TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATION PROGRAMS THAT WILL LIKELY MORE RAPIDLY ADVANCE THE STATE OF THE ART FOR INSTRUMENTS ON LARGE SPACE MISSIONS. THIS IS ENABLED BY INSTRUMENT DEVELOPMENT TESTING AND EVALUATIONS AT DRAMATICALLY LOWER COSTS AND MORE RAPID DEVELOPMENT TIMELINES. SUCH A CAPABILITY NOT ONLY ALSO SUPPORTS EARTH BASED MISSIONS BUT ALSO ALL PLANETARY MISSIONS AND COMMERCIAL VENTURES WHERE THIS ENVIRONMENT IS AT LEAST PARTIALLY APPLICABLE. VIRTUALLY ANY MISSION OR COMMERCIAL APPLICATION THAT REQUIRES EXTERNAL ACCESS AT 100 KM ALTITUDES OR BELOW WILL BE ENABLED BY OUR PROPOSED WORK. | Contract Data Entity | T-Minus Zero
Exact Contract Story
KEY OBJECTIVE: THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE IS TO DEVELOP AND TEST AN EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT ACCESS PAYLOAD ACCOMMODATION FACILITY. WE PROPOSE TO DEMONSTRATE A VEHICLE ENHANCEMENT AND ONBOARD FACILITY FOR PAYLOAD ACCOMMODATION FOR THE BLUE ORIGIN NEW SHEPPARD REUSABLE SUBORBITAL LAUNCH VEHICLE BY ESTABLISHING AN EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT ACCESS CAPABILITY. THIS PROPOSAL IS SOLELY FOR INTEGRATION AND FLIGHT TESTING. THE ENHANCEMENT CONSISTS OF THE JANUS INTEGRATION PLATFORM MODIFIED WITH AN AEROGEL COLLECTOR SYSTEM TO BE MOUNTED ON THE UPPER RING OF THE PROPULSION MODULE (PM). TECHNIQUES FOR ACCOMPLISHING THE KEY OBJECTIVE: 1) INTEGRATE AEROGEL COLLECTOR WITH EXISTING JANUS 2.0 INTEGRATION PLATFORM 2) MOUNT OUR PAYLOAD ON THE BLUE ORIGIN NEW SHEPARD VEHICLE TO ALLOW EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT ACCESS 3) FLY THIS PAYLOAD WITH EXTERNAL ACCESS ON THE TEST FLIGHT. 4) ANALYZE FLIGHT RESULTS AND ASSESS THE EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT PERCEIVED SIGNIFICANCE: OUR PROPOSED PROJECT IS HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT TO U.S. SPACE EXPLORATION AND UTILIZATION BECAUSE SUCH EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT ACCESS IS A CRITICAL CAPABILITY THAT MUST BE DEVELOPED IF THESE NEW VEHICLES ARE TO HAVE SUCH A GAME CHANGING IMPACT. CURRENTLY NO EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT ACCESS CAPABILITY EXISTS ON THE BLUE ORIGIN NEW SHEPPARD VEHICLE SO OUR PROPOSAL EXCEEDS CURRENT STATE OF THE ART. ESTABLISHING SUCH A NOVEL CAPABILITY IS REVOLUTIONARY DISRUPTIVE AND TRANSFORMATIVE. TO DATE RELATIVELY LITTLE IN SITU OBSERVATIONS AND SAMPLING EXIST FOR SUBORBITAL SPACE AT 80-100 KM ALTITUDES DESPITE THIS BEING A CRITICAL REGION WHERE THE ATMOSPHERE (COLLISIONAL) TRANSITIONS TO SPACE (NON-COLLISIONAL). WHAT LITTLE DATA EXISTS WAS DERIVED FROM INFREQUENT AND RELATIVELY EXPENSIVE SOUNDING ROCKETS. ONCE WE ESTABLISH THIS CAPABILITY WE ANTICIPATE A NEW ERA OF DISCOVERY IN THIS REGION WILL PROVIDE UNPRECEDENTED INSIGHT INTO SUBORBITAL SPACE IMPACTING MANY EARTH BASED AND GEOSCIENCE MISSIONS REQUIRING SCIENTIFIC MEASUREMENTS. ADDITIONALLY WE WILL ENABLE MANY MORE INSTRUMENT DEVELOPMENT/TESTING AND TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATION PROGRAMS THAT WILL LIKELY MORE RAPIDLY ADVANCE THE STATE OF THE ART FOR INSTRUMENTS ON LARGE SPACE MISSIONS. THIS IS ENABLED BY INSTRUMENT DEVELOPMENT TESTING AND EVALUATIONS AT DRAMATICALLY LOWER COSTS AND MORE RAPID DEVELOPMENT TIMELINES. SUCH A CAPABILITY NOT ONLY ALSO SUPPORTS EARTH BASED MISSIONS BUT ALSO ALL PLANETARY MISSIONS AND COMMERCIAL VENTURES WHERE THIS ENVIRONMENT IS AT LEAST PARTIALLY APPLICABLE. VIRTUALLY ANY MISSION OR COMMERCIAL APPLICATION THAT REQUIRES EXTERNAL ACCESS AT 100 KM ALTITUDES OR BELOW WILL BE ENABLED BY OUR PROPOSED WORK.
KEY OBJECTIVE: THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE IS TO DEVELOP AND TEST AN EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT ACCESS PAYLOAD ACCOMMODATION FACILITY. WE PROPOSE TO DEMONSTRATE A VEHICLE ENHANCEMENT AND ONBOARD FACILITY FOR PAYLOAD ACCOMMODATION FOR THE BLUE ORIGIN NEW SHEPPARD REUSABLE SUBORBITAL LAUNCH VEHICLE BY ESTABLISHING AN EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT ACCESS CAPABILITY. THIS PROPOSAL IS SOLELY FOR INTEGRATION AND FLIGHT TESTING. THE ENHANCEMENT CONSISTS OF THE JANUS INTEGRATION PLATFORM MODIFIED WITH AN AEROGEL COLLECTOR SYSTEM TO BE MOUNTED ON THE UPPER RING OF THE PROPULSION MODULE (PM). TECHNIQUES FOR ACCOMPLISHING THE KEY OBJECTIVE: 1) INTEGRATE AEROGEL COLLECTOR WITH EXISTING JANUS 2.0 INTEGRATION PLATFORM 2) MOUNT OUR PAYLOAD ON THE BLUE ORIGIN NEW SHEPARD VEHICLE TO ALLOW EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT ACCESS 3) FLY THIS PAYLOAD WITH EXTERNAL ACCESS ON THE TEST FLIGHT. 4) ANALYZE FLIGHT RESULTS AND ASSESS THE EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT PERCEIVED SIGNIFICANCE: OUR PROPOSED PROJECT IS HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT TO U.S. SPACE EXPLORATION AND UTILIZATION BECAUSE SUCH EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT ACCESS IS A CRITICAL CAPABILITY THAT MUST BE DEVELOPED IF THESE NEW VEHICLES ARE TO HAVE SUCH A GAME CHANGING IMPACT. CURRENTLY NO EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT ACCESS CAPABILITY EXISTS ON THE BLUE ORIGIN NEW SHEPPARD VEHICLE SO OUR PROPOSAL EXCEEDS CURRENT STATE OF THE ART. ESTABLISHING SUCH A NOVEL CAPABILITY IS REVOLUTIONARY DISRUPTIVE AND TRANSFORMATIVE. TO DATE RELATIVELY LITTLE IN SITU OBSERVATIONS AND SAMPLING EXIST FOR SUBORBITAL SPACE AT 80-100 KM ALTITUDES DESPITE THIS BEING A CRITICAL REGION WHERE THE ATMOSPHERE (COLLISIONAL) TRANSITIONS TO SPACE (NON-COLLISIONAL). WHAT LITTLE DATA EXISTS WAS DERIVED FROM INFREQUENT AND RELATIVELY EXPENSIVE SOUNDING ROCKETS. ONCE WE ESTABLISH THIS CAPABILITY WE ANTICIPATE A NEW ERA OF DISCOVERY IN THIS REGION WILL PROVIDE UNPRECEDENTED INSIGHT INTO SUBORBITAL SPACE IMPACTING MANY EARTH BASED AND GEOSCIENCE MISSIONS REQUIRING SCIENTIFIC MEASUREMENTS. ADDITIONALLY WE WILL ENABLE MANY MORE INSTRUMENT DEVELOPMENT/TESTING AND TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATION PROGRAMS THAT WILL LIKELY MORE RAPIDLY ADVANCE THE STATE OF THE ART FOR INSTRUMENTS ON LARGE SPACE MISSIONS. THIS IS ENABLED BY INSTRUMENT DEVELOPMENT TESTING AND EVALUATIONS AT DRAMATICALLY LOWER COSTS AND MORE RAPID DEVELOPMENT TIMELINES. SUCH A CAPABILITY NOT ONLY ALSO SUPPORTS EARTH BASED MISSIONS BUT ALSO ALL PLANETARY MISSIONS AND COMMERCIAL VENTURES WHERE THIS ENVIRONMENT IS AT LEAST PARTIALLY APPLICABLE. VIRTUALLY ANY MISSION OR COMMERCIAL APPLICATION THAT REQUIRES EXTERNAL ACCESS AT 100 KM ALTITUDES OR BELOW WILL BE ENABLED BY OUR PROPOSED WORK.
What this contract page answers
This is the canonical contract page for USASPENDING-80NSSC18K0268. It summarizes the award identity, mission scope, obligated amount, customer, recipient, source evidence, and the exact program page that owns broader context.
Mission
Blue Origin Program
Amount
$235,484
Recipient
THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
Story status
Exact story joined
Contract evidence mix
Contract pages combine the normalized canonical row with linked actions, notices, spending points, bidder records, and source evidence when those records have been matched.
Actions
1
Notices
0
Spending points
1
Exact source records
1
Source and freshness notes
This page uses T-Minus Zero contract normalization plus linked public-source evidence. Award identifiers, source URLs, agency/customer fields, and amounts are shown only when available in the normalized source data.
Source label
USASpending award record
Freshness
Mar 02, 2026
Data policy
Published source fields only
Contract interpretation
Use this page to identify what the award is, who it is tied to, how much has been obligated, and which evidence rows support the contract story. Program pages own broader mission context and related contract families.
Award date
2017-12-14
Agency/customer
THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
Match confidence
92% match
Contract relationship map
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What sources feed the contract data on this site?
Contract entities combine USAspending award references with SAM.gov-normalized procurement records (including PIID-linked actions, notices, and spending rows when available).
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What is a PIID on a contract detail page?
PIID stands for Procurement Instrument Identifier. It is the contracting identifier used to track related awards, actions, and notices across a procurement thread.
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Use the Source record link on the contract detail page. The page also links back to the program-native detail page and, when available, the Artemis story page for thread context.
Why are actions, notices, or spending rows sometimes missing?
Missing rows usually mean no matched records were returned yet for that identifier set in the current source snapshot, not that the contract entity itself is invalid.
What exact terms should I search to verify this specific contract?
Use these identifiers in search: USASPENDING-80NSSC18K0268 | 80NSSC18K0268. Add terms like "USAspending", "SAM.gov", or the awardee name for faster exact matching.
