SOURCES SOUGHT
18 -- MICROSATELLITE DEPLOYMENT SYSTEMS ENGINEERING DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT
- Notice Date
- 5/15/2008
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 336419
— Other Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing
- Contracting Office
- NASA/Ames Research Center, JA:M/S 241-1, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000
- ZIP Code
- 94035-1000
- Solicitation Number
- NNA08242834L-AMD
- Response Due
- 5/28/2008
- Point of Contact
- Marianne Shelley, Contracting Officer, Phone 650-604-4179, Fax 650-604-0932
- E-Mail Address
-
marianne.shelley@nasa.gov
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- NASA/ARC is hereby soliciting information about potential sources for engineeringdesign and development of microsatellite deployment systems.Background:NASA and the Small Satellite Division at NASA Ames Research Center (ARC)have recently teamed with industry and universities to develop fully automated, miniaturespaceflight systems. Advanced miniaturization of key technologies coupled with theability to launch small, secondary spacecraft offers a new, low-cost way to advance spaceexploration technology. Putting novel cellular genetics investigative tools into smallspacecraft gives scientists a powerful ability to study and understand the effects ofdeep space environments on living things. ARC has an existing purchase order withCalifornia State University at San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) to design and fabricate amicrosatellite deployer engineering development unit (EDU) prototype, the Poly PicoSatOrbital Deployer (PPOD). The PPOD, developed by Cal Poly, will carry six small CubeSatmicrosatellites. CubeSats are flight certified and have been used on various NASAmissions, including GeneSat.The objectives of this Request for Information (RFI) are to provide industry withpreliminary information regarding this potential acquisition, to determine otherpotential sources and industry capabilities, request cost/schedule estimates, and toinvite potential offerors to submit comments regarding the Government's acquisitionapproach. NASA has a requirement for engineering design and development of microsatellitedeployment systems. These systems will be developed to deploy a quantity of CubeSatminiature satellites. The deployment system will enable the integration of the NASA Amesmicrosatellite spacecraft to a variety of NASA-acquired launch vehicles. The deploymentsystem will hold a number of miniature CubeSat satellites, and must be compatible withthe CubeSat specification. NASA is aware of a number of CubeSat developers, academic aswell as commercial vendors, however few are NASA flight certified. The vendor willprovide up to twenty miniature satellite deployment systems per year, with twodestructive engineering development units (EDUs) required by October 2008, and two flightcapable units required by December 2008.The CubeSat orbital microsatellite deployer has the following minimum requirements:1.Minimum Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 9 for all spaceflight hardware. TRL 9equates to Actual system, flight proven, through successful mission operations.2.Demonstrated qualification and successful flight of 3U microsatellite deployersin a spaceflight environment on U.S. and/or international launch vehicles.3.Demonstrated qualification and successful flight of CubeSats and CubeSattechnologies in a spaceflight environment on U.S. and/or international launch vehicles.4.Meet or exceed qualification of microsatellite deployers with integrated massmodels to NASA GEVs for ESS, Shock and Vibration.5.Qualified microsatellite deployers onto the RideShare Adapter (RSA) for SpaceX 1Falcon Spacecraft.6.Proven successful deployment of 3U and 1U CubeSats.7.Proven successful deployment of multiple CubeSats in a spaceflight mission.Vendors are asked to submit information in any or all of the following areas:1. Industry opinion on whether the CubeSats and microsatellite deployers (or PPODs)would be considered commercial, modified commercial, or noncommercial items. (See FARPart 2.101 for the definition of commercial item).2.The vendors price estimate for one microsatellite deployer, and pricing for upto a quantity of 20. 3.The Government is considering a firm fixed price type contract with pricedoptions for the potential award but would like to hear rationale supporting any othercontract types, including time and materials, cost type contracts, or a hybrid approach. The Government is also considering an Indefinite Delivery/ Indefinite Quantity typecontract.4. Information about the vendors business size (i.e., large, small, smalldisadvantaged, woman-owned, veteran-owned, etc.), a description of previous similar workperformed and for who, a description of the vendors facilities, key personnel, or anyother information that would be pertinent to this acquisition.Detailed requirements for the acquisition have not been finalized, nor have the specificsfor the acquisition strategy been determined. NASA intends to use the results of thismarket research to aid in the making of these final decisions. This preliminary information is being made available for planning purposes only, subjectto FAR Clause 52.215-3, entitled Request for Information or Solicitation for PlanningPurposes. It does not constitute a Request for Proposal, and it is not to be construedas a commitment by the Government to enter into a contract, nor will the Government payfor the information submitted in response to this request. This procurement is subjectto review or cancellation at any time.Respondents will not be notified of the resultsof the evaluation. Respondents deemed fully qualified will be considered in anyresultant solicitation for the requirement. The Government reserves the right toconsider a small business or 8(a) set-aside based on responses hereto. This noticeconstitutes all information concerning the microsatellite deployment systems procurementthat will be furnished at this time. Responses are requested by 4:30 PM Pacific Time, May 28, 2008.Interestedofferors/vendors having the required specialized capabilities to meet the aboverequirement should submit a capability statement of 20 pages of less indicating theability to perform all aspects of the effort described herein, including schedule andprice estimates, as well as any comments on the acquisition approach for the items listedabove.Submit the response in writing to the Contracting Officer:Marianne.Shelley@nasa.gov, and reference RFI # NNA08242834L-AMD on the email subjectline. Any pages submitted in response to this RFI that contain Competition Sensitive orProprietary information must be clearly marked on each individual page, and the sensitiveinformation will be handled and protected accordingly.Responses to the RFI will not bereturned.Following this initial feedback, NASA may conduct one-on-one meetings with potentialcontractors. These meetings will allow for exchange of information and will provide anopportunity for potential offerors to provide feedback on the Governments requirementsand its acquisition approach. The Government reserves the right to consider a small business or 8(a) set-aside based onresponses hereto. No solicitation exists; therefore, do not request a copy of the solicitation. If asolicitation is released it will be synopsized in FedBizOpps and on the NASA AcquisitionInternet Service. It is the potential offerors responsibility to monitor these sitesfor the release of any solicitation or synopsis.Any referenced numbered notes may be viewed at the following URLs linked below. Anombudsman has been appointed -- See NASA Specific Note "B".
- Web Link
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- Record
- SN01573756-W 20080517/080515215709-bbfb24a0ac2e0a71c45c1a3d33892137 (fbodaily.com)
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