SOURCES SOUGHT
A -- TEAMING OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP AND VALIDATE ACTIVE ELECTROSTATIC RADIATIONSHIELDING FOR HUMAN SPACE MISSIONS
- Notice Date
- 3/17/2011
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541712
— Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)
- Contracting Office
- NASA/Langley Research Center, Mail Stop 144, Industry Assistance Office, Hampton,VA 23681-0001
- ZIP Code
- 23681-0001
- Solicitation Number
- SS-RADSHIELD
- Response Due
- 3/31/2011
- Archive Date
- 3/17/2012
- Point of Contact
- Robert B. Gardner, Contracting Officer, Phone 757-864-2525, Fax 757-864-7898, Email Robert.B.Gardner@nasa.gov - Teresa M Hass, Contracting Officer, Phone 757-864-8496, Fax 757-864-8863, Email Teresa.M.Hass@nasa.gov
- E-Mail Address
-
Robert B. Gardner
(Robert.B.Gardner@nasa.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- This partnering synopsis solicits potential partners to participate in developing aproposal addressing the goals and objectives of NASA Research Announcement (NRA)NNH11ZUA001N, NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) and NASA Broad Agency Announcement(BAA) NNH11ZUA001K, Unique and Innovative Space Technology. The BAA and NRA can beaccessed at: http://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/solicitations/solicitations.do?method=open&stack=push. Participation in this partnering synopsis is open to all categories of U.S. and non-U.S.organizations, including educational institutions, industry, not-for-profit institutions,the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, as well as NASA Centers and other U.S. GovernmentAgencies. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Other MinorityUniversities (OMUs), small disadvantaged businesses (SDBs), veteran-owned smallbusinesses, service disabled veteran-owned small businesses, HUBzone small businesses,and women-owned small businesses (WOSBs) are encouraged to apply. Participation bynon-U.S. organizations is welcome but subject to NASAs policy of no exchange of funds,in which each government supports its own national participants and associated costs.Under the Unique and Innovative Space Technology BAA, the Game Changing TechnologyDivision (GCT), within NASAs Office of the Chief Technologist (OCT) is solicitingexecutive summaries, white papers, and proposals for research and development (R&D) fortechnology that is innovative and unique and promises to enable revolutionary(game-changing) improvements to the efficiency and effectiveness of our countrys spacecapability. Novel (unique) capabilities are sought in any of the NASA Space TechnologyGrand Challenges or the NASA draft Space Technology Roadmaps. The Space Technology GrandChallenges can be found at:http://www.nasa.gov/offices/oct/strategic_integration/grand_challenges_detail.html.The Space Technology Roadmap (Draft) can be found at:http://www.nasa.gov/offices/oct/home/roadmaps/index.html. Under the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC), the NRA solicits multiple studies,each of which will investigate an architecture, mission, or system concept that has thepotential to change the possible in aeronautics or space. NASA Innovative AdvancedConcepts (NIAC) is also part of the Office of Chief Technologist (OCT). Concepts proposedfor NIAC Phase I studies must be innovative and visionary, technically substantiated, andvery early in development (10+ years out; Technology Readiness Level 1, 2, or early 3).Focused technology maturation and incremental improvement are explicitly not of interestin this program. In response to the NASA Research Announcement (NRA) NNH11ZUA001N, NASA InnovativeAdvanced Concepts (NIAC) and Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) NNH11ZUA001K, Unique andInnovative Space Technology, partners are sought for efforts focused on developing andvalidating active electrostatic radiation shielding for protecting astronauts and habitatin long duration human space missions.Current conventional radiation protectionstrategy based on materials shielding alone, referred to as passive radiation shielding,is maturing (has been worked on for about three decades) and any progress using thematerials radiation shielding would only be evolutionary (incremental) at best. Theoverall situation is further augmented by the nonexistence of in vivo or in vitro data orstudies about continuous long duration tissues exposure to a radiation and concomitantbiological uncertainties. Material shielding would have only limited or no potential foravoiding continuous exposure to radiation. In addition, current material shielding alonefor radiation protection for long duration/deep space safe human space missions isprohibitive due to pay load and cost penalties and is not a viable option.Out-of-the-box revolutionary technologies, while taking full advantage of advances inthe state-of-the-art evolutionary material shielding are sought. Active radiationshielding has a tremendous benefit of stopping and diverting space radiation from thespacecraft. Primary candidates for active shielding include but are not limited to:confined and unconfined magnetic fields requiring super-conducting magnets, plasmashields, and electrostatic shields. Recently, a journal publication (Adv. Space Res. 42(2008) 1043) made a critical analysis and demonstrated why previous approaches of usingelectrostatic and magnetic radiation shielding were not feasible. Further it clearlyestablished the feasibility proof-of-concept of electrostatic active shielding using thenovel approach of quadruple configuration. The biggest advantage of active electrostaticradiation shielding is that by preventing ions from hitting the spacecraft, the unknownharmful biological effects of continuous long duration exposure to space radiation issignificantly reduced (~ 70 %) for galactic cosmic rays (GCR) and for solar particleevents (SPE), of great concern for radiation exposure,it is practically eliminated. Itis believed that the best strategy for radiation protection and shielding for longduration human missions is to use electrostatic active radiation shielding while, inconcert, taking the full advantage of the state-of-the-art evolutionary passive(material) shielding technologies for the much reduced and weaken radiation that mayescape and hit the spacecraft. In particular, NASA LaRC is seeking potential partners having demonstrated experience andexpertise in; 1) modeling and simulation (physics and electricity and magnetismbackground is desired), 2) assessments of radiation exposure dose, 3) fabrication ofexpandable structures for space needs, and 4) working with charged ions and electronsaccelerators. NASAs intended applications include but are not limited to radiationprotection and shielding, radiation dose exposures, sensors, medical applications. Potential partners are requested to indicate which specific opportunity they areinterested in partnering with NASA LaRC, the NIAC NRA or the Unique and Innovative SpaceTechnology BAATeaming with providers of and leveraging emerging technologies, such as current andrecent Small Business Innovative Research awards(http://sbir.gsfc.nasa.fov/SBIR/awards.htm), is of special interest.If selected through this synopsis, it is expected that the selected partner(s) will workwith NASA LaRC scientists and engineers to jointly develop the proposal. If the proposalis selected, NASA LaRC anticipates issuing contracts or other agreements to the selectedpartner(s) for performance of the proposed tasks. The goals of the partnerships are to;1) develop and optimize electrostatic active radiation shielding configuration(s) andmake simulation investigations, 2) assess radiation exposure for the configuration(s), 3)fabricate expandable structures, and 4) perform laboratory validation and tests of anexpandable structure for its effectiveness for electrons and positively charged ions. This partnering opportunity does not guarantee selection for award of any contracts orother agreements, nor is it to be construed as a commitment by NASA to pay for theinformation solicited.It is expected that the partner(s) selected would provide (at nocost to NASA) conceptual designs, technical data, proposal input, project schedules, andcost estimates. Partner selections will be made by LaRC based on the listed criteria in the followingorder of importance:(1) Relevant experience, past performance, technical capability, key personnelavailability, and demonstration of work on any of the following: development of modelsand simulations, assessment of radiation doses exposures, fabrication of expandablestructures of space needs, working with charged particles (electrons and/or ions)accelerator laboratories and proficiency in analysis. This criterion evaluates theproposers relevant recent experience, past performance in similar developmentactivities, technical capability to perform the development, and key personnel availableto support the development. Substantive evidence of successful participation in similardevelopments should be included.(2) Cost and schedule control.This criterion evaluates the proposers ability tocontrol both cost and schedule. The proposer should provide evidence of successfullycontrolling cost and schedule for similar development programs and provide evidence ofmanagement processes in this area.(3) Facilities. This criterion evaluates the proposers facilities (development,testing, and analysis) to conduct the development or demonstration of the proposed task. The proposer should discuss facility availability, access, and the ability to meet theproposed objectives.NASA will not reimburse organizations for the cost of submitting information in responseto this synopsis. NASA will not pay for technical assessment or proposal preparationcosts incurred by the team members.RESPONSE INSTRUCTIONS: Responses to this partnering synopsis shall be limited to 8 pagesin not less than 12-point font. Responses must address the aforementioned evaluationcriteria. All responses shall be submitted to LaRC electronically via email by 5:00pmEST on March 31, 2011 to Ram Tripathi (ram.k.tripathi@nasa.gov) and Brad Gardner(Robert.B.Gardner@nasa.gov). Technical and Programmatic questions should be directed to Ram Tripathi(ram.k.tripathi@nasa.gov). Procurement questions should be directed to Brad Gardner(Robert.B.Gardner@nasa.gov).
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