Methodology & Sources

Market Launch Intel provides space sector market intel — from parametric spacecraft cost estimation to contract tracking and vendor analysis. Our tools combine publicly available federal procurement data with industry-standard cost models.

Primary

Data Sources

SAM.gov

Primary source for contract awards, modifications, and amendments.

sam.gov

FPDS-NG

Historical contract action reports and agency-level spending data.

fpds.gov

USASpending.gov

Obligation amounts, award descriptions, and recipient details.

usaspending.gov

NASA Procurement

Agency-specific contract notices and synopses.

procurement.nasa.gov

NASA OIG Reports

Cost estimates, schedule assessments, and program reviews.

oig.nasa.gov

USCM8

Unmanned Spacecraft Cost Model 8 (Aerospace Corp, ~2015). Traditional mass-driven CERs calibrated to DoD/NASA programs.

Parametric CER

SSCM

Small Spacecraft Cost Model 19 (Aerospace Corp, 2019). Calibrated to small sats <500kg with post-2010 commercial actuals.

Parametric CER

CEHE

NASA Cost Estimating Handbook for Engineers (SP-2015-3704). LOE/rate-based with NASA quality overhead.

Parametric CER

Pipeline

Processing Pipeline

Parametric CERs

Four industry-standard cost estimation models (USCM8, SSCM, CEHE, Congregated) compute subsystem-level costs based on spacecraft parameters.

NRE / RE Split

Non-Recurring and Recurring Engineering costs are separated using heritage-based ratios that adjust with design maturity.

Learning Curves

Wright learning curve methodology applied per subsystem for multi-unit production estimates with configurable LC rates.

Contract Ingest

Automated crawlers pull contract actions from SAM.gov, FPDS, and USASpending. Data is parsed, linked to programs, and enriched.

Cross-Reference

Parametric estimates are compared against actual contract values to validate models and identify market trends.

Quality

Data Quality

Cost Model Accuracy

Parametric CERs provide order-of-magnitude estimates (FY2025 $M). Four models offer a range — use the comparison view to understand spread and confidence.

Verification

Contract data links to source documents on SAM.gov or FPDS. Cost model CER formulas are visible per subsystem for full transparency.

Coverage

SC Parametric covers 13 spacecraft bus subsystems across hardware, software, and program-level elements. Contract tracking focuses on NASA civil space programs.

Important Disclaimer

Market Launch Intel is an independent information service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to NASA or any U.S. government agency. Data is derived from publicly available federal procurement records. Always verify with primary sources for critical business or investment decisions.