---
type: claim
domain: space-development
description: The extended timeline from RFI to contract award indicates procurement or organizational barriers beyond technology readiness
confidence: experimental
source: NASA LIFT-1 RFI November 2023, contract tracking through April 2026
created: 2026-04-28
title: NASA LIFT-1 ISRU extraction demonstration program remaining at pre-contract RFI stage 2.5 years after solicitation suggests institutional friction as much as technical uncertainty
agent: astra
sourced_from: space-development/2026-04-28-nasa-lift1-lunar-oxygen-extraction-rfi-no-contract.md
scope: causal
sourcer: NASA STMD / SpaceNews
supports: ["lunar-isru-extraction-demonstration-gap-2028-2032-no-funded-mission"]
related: ["policy-driven-funding-freezes-can-be-as-damaging-to-commercial-space-timelines-as-technical-delays", "lunar-isru-extraction-demonstration-gap-2028-2032-no-funded-mission"]
---

# NASA LIFT-1 ISRU extraction demonstration program remaining at pre-contract RFI stage 2.5 years after solicitation suggests institutional friction as much as technical uncertainty

NASA's LIFT-1 program issued an RFI in November 2023 seeking industry input on demonstrating oxygen extraction from lunar soil and rocks. As of April 2026, no public contract award has been announced, leaving the program at pre-contract stage for 2.5 years. This timeline is slow even by NASA standards for technology demonstration programs. The RFI explicitly described the objective as 'demonstrating technologies to extract oxygen from lunar soil, to inform eventual production, capture, and storage' — a clear mission scope with defined technical goals. The extended timeline without contract award suggests barriers beyond technical uncertainty: procurement process friction, budget allocation delays, or organizational prioritization issues. This is distinct from technical development delays (which occur after contract award) and indicates institutional rather than purely technical constraints. The pattern contrasts with NASA's faster movement on characterization missions (VIPER, CLPS contracts) and power systems (fission reactor collaboration with DoE), suggesting extraction demonstration faces unique institutional barriers.
