01 / PSC Market Profile
PSC AR21 R&D- Space: Science/Applications (Basic Research) Federal Contracts
Product and Service Code AR21
Federal contract activity classified under R&D- Space: Science/Applications (Basic Research) across FY 2020–FY 2026. Net obligations include both new obligations and subsequent deobligations.
02 / Market Size
How large is the PSC AR21 federal market?
03 / Spending Trend
PSC AR21 contract spending by fiscal year
Annual obligations, activity, and participation across the same FY 2020–FY 2026 profile window.
Latest closed fiscal year$505.46M
FY 2026| Fiscal year | Obligations | Actions | Vendors | Customers | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $1.77B | 10,554 | 661 | 3 | — |
| FY 2021 | $1.26B | 8,133 | 534 | 4 | −28.9% |
| FY 2022 | $1.02B | 6,367 | 483 | 3 | −18.8% |
| FY 2023 | $689.69M | 3,964 | 398 | 3 | −32.4% |
| FY 2024 | $395.24M | 2,255 | 305 | 2 | −42.7% |
| FY 2025 | $515.24M | 1,450 | 263 | 1 | +30.4% |
| FY 2026 | $505.46M | 698 | 181 | 1 | −1.9% |
04 / Top Federal Customers
Which federal agencies buy most in this industry?
Ranked by net obligations during FY 2020–FY 2026.
| Federal customer | Code | Obligations | Actions | Vendors | Market share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION | 8000 | $6.15B | 33,379 | 681 | 100.0% |
| US GEOLOGICAL SURVEY | 1434 | $2.13M | 29 | 7 | 0.0% |
| DEPT OF THE NAVY | 1700 | $467.1K | 12 | 1 | 0.0% |
| FOREST SERVICE | 12C2 | -$47 | 1 | 1 | 0.0% |
05 / Contracting Offices
Which contracting offices buy in PSC AR21?
Ranked by net obligations during FY 2020–FY 2026.
| Office | Code | Agency | Obligations | Actions | Vendors | Market share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NASA SHARED SERVICES CENTER | 80NSSC | NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION | $2.63B | 31,780 | 663 | 42.8% |
| NASA JOHNSON SPACE CENTER | 80JSC0 | NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION | $1.76B | 245 | 6 | 28.7% |
| NASA GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER | 80GSFC | NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION | $1.09B | 714 | 66 | 17.8% |
| NASA MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER | 80MSFC | NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION | $508.23M | 492 | 15 | 8.3% |
| NASA LANGLEY RESEARCH CENTER | 80LARC | NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION | $129.39M | 56 | 4 | 2.1% |
| NASA HEADQUARTERS | 80HQTR | NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION | $22.19M | 76 | 7 | 0.4% |
| OFC OF ACQUSITION GRANTS-NATIONAL | 140G01 | US GEOLOGICAL SURVEY | $2.13M | 29 | 7 | 0.0% |
| NAVAL RESEARCH LABORATORY | N00173 | DEPT OF THE NAVY | $467.1K | 12 | 1 | 0.0% |
| NASA GLENN RESEARCH CENTER | 80GRC0 | NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION | $10.0K | 3 | 1 | 0.0% |
| NASA MANAGEMENT OFFICE -- JPL | 80NM00 | NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION | $0 | 1 | 1 | 0.0% |
06 / Top Vendors
Which contractors lead the PSC AR21 market?
| Vendor | Obligations | Actions | Customers | Market share | Latest activity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION | $1.20B | 105 | 1 | 19.6% | Sep 23, 2026 |
| ORBITAL SCIENCES CORPORATION | $542.45M | 43 | 1 | 8.8% | May 23, 2022 |
| ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITIES FOR RESEARCH IN ASTRONOMY, INC. | $535.45M | 246 | 1 | 8.7% | Sep 8, 2026 |
| JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY (5111) | $491.30M | 445 | 1 | 8.0% | Sep 9, 2026 |
| ADNET SYSTEMS, INC. | $189.32M | 81 | 1 | 3.1% | Sep 23, 2025 |
| ORBITAL SCIENCES CORPORATION | $126.66M | 44 | 1 | 2.1% | Mar 10, 2022 |
| UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND | $125.48M | 1,043 | 1 | 2.0% | Aug 27, 2026 |
| SOUTHWEST RESEARCH INSTITUTE | $117.62M | 578 | 1 | 1.9% | Sep 15, 2026 |
| UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA | $110.11M | 161 | 1 | 1.8% | Jun 23, 2026 |
| BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE | $102.89M | 53 | 1 | 1.7% | Apr 13, 2026 |
07 / Industry Mix
What industries are purchased under PSC AR21?
| NAICS | Description | Obligations | Actions | Vendors | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 541712 | RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE PHYSICAL, ENGINEERING, AND LIFE SCIENCES (EXCEPT BIOTECHNOLOGY) | $2.11B | 519 | 27 | 34.3% |
| 541710 | RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE PHYSICAL, ENGINEERING, AND LIFE SCIENCES | $549.15M | 592 | 7 | 8.9% |
| 333314 | OPTICAL INSTRUMENT AND LENS MANUFACTURING | $494.93M | 109 | 1 | 8.0% |
| 541330 | ENGINEERING SERVICES | $165.96M | 88 | 3 | 2.7% |
| 336414 | GUIDED MISSILE AND SPACE VEHICLE MANUFACTURING | $110.92M | 73 | 2 | 1.8% |
| 336419 | OTHER GUIDED MISSILE AND SPACE VEHICLE PARTS AND AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURING | $38.44M | 43 | 2 | 0.6% |
| 517919 | ALL OTHER TELECOMMUNICATIONS | $7.19M | 28 | 1 | 0.1% |
| 541990 | ALL OTHER PROFESSIONAL, SCIENTIFIC, AND TECHNICAL SERVICES | $3.24M | 12 | 1 | 0.1% |
| 927110 | SPACE RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY | $2.13M | 29 | 7 | 0.0% |
| 541715 | RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE PHYSICAL, ENGINEERING, AND LIFE SCIENCES (EXCEPT NANOTECHNOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY) | $517.1K | 25 | 6 | 0.0% |
08 / Buying Pattern
How does the government buy in PSC AR21?
| Common action type | Obligations | Actions |
|---|---|---|
| GRANT FOR RESEARCH | $1.54B | 25,380 |
| COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT | $1.12B | 5,268 |
| TRAINING GRANT | $9.32M | 1,237 |
| DEFINITIVE CONTRACT | $3.01B | 1,014 |
| DELIVERY ORDER | $475.27M | 518 |
09 / Recent Contract Awards
What was awarded most recently in PSC AR21?
10 / Market Interpretation
How should contractors evaluate this market?
Start with the spending direction
Compare annual obligations with actions and vendor participation. Growth driven by only a few large actions represents a different opportunity from broad, recurring demand.
Follow the actual buyers
Move from federal customers to contracting offices. Offices reveal where acquisition responsibility and recurring purchasing activity are concentrated.
Measure accessible demand
Use competition, small-business participation, incumbent vendors, and PSC mix before treating the full $6.15B market as addressable.