SMD is issuing a new policy documenting the principles and approach that will guide the implementation of Class-D missions under $150M lifecycle cost, not including launch vehicles, going forward. This new approach is a tailoring/streamlining of how SMD executes space flight
projects per NPR 8705.4, Risk Classification for NASA Payloads (Updated w/change 3); NPR 7120.5, NASA Space Flight Program and Project Management Requirements w/Changes 1-15; and the SMD Management Handbook. This policy is effective January 1, 2018 for all applicable
projects that have not reached Key Decision Point-C (KDP-C) as of that date.

The full text of the new policy is available:
https://soma.larc.nasa.gov/standardao/ClassD.html

SMD will be hosting a discussion of the new policy during a town hall meeting scheduled for Thursday, December 14 at 6:15pm CST at the 2017 American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting in New Orleans, LA.

SMD will also host a discussion for interested industry representatives at 1:00pm EST on January 3, 2018 at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC. Further information about this meeting will appear on the SOMA web page.

A web feature on this topic has also been released at:
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-policy-provides-new-approach-to-space-science-and-technology-missions