What NASA announced
NASA said in an Oct. 6, 2026 media advisory that its Glenn Research Center in Cleveland is seeking Phase 1 proposals for the design and construction of the Aerospace Power Systems Laboratory. The same advisory describes this as a procurement step rather than a completed facility, so the supported reporting here is that NASA opened solicitation for proposals.
Stated purpose of the procurement
In NASA's description, the principal purpose of the procurement is to deliver a laboratory facility to support testing and development of power systems, together with related site work, infrastructure, and systems. That wording supports describing the project as a planned laboratory intended for power-systems work, not as an already operating installation.
What NASA says the lab would support
NASA says the laboratory will provide modern test facilities to advance power research and help meet current and future mission needs. Because this point comes from NASA's own advisory about a proposed procurement, it is best presented as the agency's stated rationale and expected benefit, not as an independently verified outcome.
Deadlines and next steps
The advisory sets a proposal deadline of Oct. 30, 2026, at 1 p.m. EST. NASA also lists Dec. 16, 2026 as the anticipated contract award date. Those dates establish the timetable NASA announced, but 'anticipated' does not mean guaranteed, and the supplied evidence does not support stronger claims about a final award or project completion.