SOURCES SOUGHT
A -- TEAMING OPPORTUNITY FOR SPACECRAFT BUS DEVELOPMENT AND OPERATIONS
- Notice Date
- 4/8/2011
- 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-SpacecraftOperations
- Response Due
- 4/22/2011
- Archive Date
- 4/8/2012
- 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 a proposaldevelopment activity that addresses the technical objectives and development of acomplete mission in response to an anticipated Earth Venture Class InvestigationAnnouncement of Opportunity (AO) expected to be released in the Spring/Summer of 2011. Earth Venture is a Program element within the Earth System Science Pathfinder Program(ESSP) consisting of a series of innovative, integrated, science-driven approaches topressing Earth system science issues. The goal of NASAs Earth Venture mission portfoliois to provide frequent flight opportunities for high quality, high value, focused Earthscience investigations that can be accomplished under a not-to exceed cost cap and thatcan be developed and flown relatively quickly, generally in 5 years or less. Foradditional information on the Venture Class program and a copy of the draft AO visit: http://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/solicitations/summary.do?method=init&solId={EF2EDAC6-FDD5-B1F7-1C5E-ACD03EACA010}&path=init 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. Vendors may submit responses to either the spacecraft bus development, the spacecraft busoperations, or both. Vendors are not required to respond to both sections of thisPartnering Synopsis.Partners are sought with expertise in Spacecraft Bus Development and Spacecraft MissionOperations. Typical spacecraft / payload characteristics are shown below:Minimum Operational life: 3 yearsNominal Orbit Altitude: 650 kilometersNominal Orientation: Local Vertical Local Horizontal (LVLH)Payload risk classification of 'D' should be assumed per NASA ProceduralRequirement (NPR) 8705.4 Risk Classification for NASA PayloadsSpacecraft bus must meet the NASA Procedural Requirements for Limiting OrbitalDebris (NPR 8715.6A) and NASA Process for Limiting Orbital Debris (NASA-STD-8719.14)Total Average Payload Power ~200W Watts Total Payload Mass ~250 kilograms MIL-STD-1553B command and telemetry bus and appropriate interface for scienceinstrument(s) Spacecraft Bus DevelopmentSpacecraft bus development activities include but are not limited to: spacecraft busdesign, development and test, integration of GFE payload(s), full observatory functionaltesting, performance and environmental testing, shipment to the launch site, support oflaunch operations, launch and early orbit support, and on-orbit performance verification.The following capabilities are deemed critical:Ability to work as part of a government-industry team that may include otherindustrial partners, academia, and/or foreign partners. Innovative technical and partnering approaches that could be used to minimizecost without increasing overall mission risk. Demonstrated track record of developing low-cost spacecraft on-time and at theagreed upon cost. Depth of experience of spacecraft bus management/development, including but notlimited to: systems engineering, spacecraft bus fabrication and test, subcontractmanagement, quality management, safety management, materials and processes/contaminationcontrol, payload integration and test support, observatory functional and environmentaltesting, shipment to the launch site, launch vehicle integration support, preparationsfor and the conduct of launch and early orbit checkout operations, on-orbit operationsupport, sustaining engineering support including flight software maintenance.AS9100 quality management systems compliant with NASA safety and missionassurance requirements including a description of the contractors approach to comply withNASA standards.Spacecraft Bus OperationsSpacecraft bus operations activities include but are not limited to: on-orbit spacecraftbus command and control; including the design, development, procurement, integration,testing, operational staffing, training, implementation and maintenance to providespacecraft bus health and attitude control.The following capabilities are deemed critical:Ability to work as part of a government-industry team that may include otherindustrial partners, academia, and/or foreign partners. Innovative technical and partnering approaches that could be used to minimizecost without increasing overall mission risk. Demonstrated track record of operating spacecraft bus with proven technical andcost performance. Depth of experience of spacecraft bus operations, including but not limited to: pre-launch ground system development approach; pre-launch operations system qualificationand retention approach; experience with autonomous/lights out operations; missionoperations infrastructure including facilities, communications, power, etc; operationsteam development and certification approach; quality management; safety management;conduct of launch and early orbit checkout operations; conduct of routine operations;anomaly response protocols; and sustaining engineering.AS9100 quality management systems compliant with NASA safety and missionassurance requirements including a description of the contractors approach to comply withNASA standards.Earth Venture proposed investigations will be evaluated and selected through a singlestep competitive process. This single step is the solicitation, submission, evaluation,and selection of proposals prepared in response to this AO. As the outcome of this singlestep, NASA Headquarters intends to select at least one mission to proceed to missiondevelopment for flight and operations. 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) technical requirements, conceptual designs, technical data, proposal input,project schedules, and cost estimates.If the proposal is subsequently selected, NASALaRC anticipates issuing contracts or other agreements to the selected partner(s) forperformance of the proposed tasks. NASA LaRC is committed to transparency and openness in the generation of its science dataproducts. Openness and transparency are critical to continued scientific and engineeringprogress and to building public trust in the nations scientific enterprise (NationalScience Board 2/11). Consequently, it is anticipated that future contracts or otheragreements with selected partner(s) would emphasize broad dissemination and sharing ofinstrument testing, performance, and results with the science community/public.Partner selections will be made by LaRC based on the listed criteria:Relevant Experience, past performance.This criterion evaluates the proposersrelevant recent experience, past performance in similar space flight developmentactivities. Substantive evidence of successful participation in similar developmentsshould be included.Technical Capability and Key Personnel. This criterion evaluates technicalcapability to perform the development and key personnel available to support thedevelopment. Evidence of staffing estimates with available key personnel shall beincluded. Past successful programs and technical contributions shall be included. Facilities. This criterion evaluates the proposers facilities (development,testing, calibration, and analyses) to conduct the development or demonstration of theproposed task. The proposer should discuss facility availability, access, and the abilityto meet the proposed objectives.Cost and Schedule control. The proposer shall provide evidence of pastperformance of controls of cost and schedule on similar development activities andprovide examples of management processes utilized to effect and track cost and schedule.(Note: The Earth Venture draft solicitation includes a student collaboration incentive(defined as 1% of the mission cost cap). The student collaboration (SC) can take the formof an instrument development, an investigation of scientific questions, analysis anddisplay of data, development of supporting hardware or software, or other aspects of theinvestigation that can be incorporated into the mission on a nonimpact basis.Consequently, NASA LaRC is interested in SC activities from prospective offerors for theinstrument and spacecraft that maximize the opportunity for teaching, learning, andsuccess in contributing to the mission. A proposed SC is optional and the merit of the SCwill not be evaluated as part of this process.) RESPONSE INSTRUCTIONS: Responses to this partnering synopsis shall be limited to 5 pagesin not less than 12-point font for each technical area of interest (i.e. offerorsresponding to one or more of the elements may submit up to 5 pages per each element).Responses shall address each of the evaluation criteria listed above. Resumes of keypersonnel and a cover page that clearly identifies the mission element area addressed bythe response do not count against the total allocated page count. In addition, studentcollaboration activities proposed do not count against the total page count.All responses shall be submitted to LaRC electronically via e-mail by 4:30 pm EasternDaylight Time April 22, 2011 to Robert.B.Gardner@nasa.gov. Technical and programmaticquestions should be directed to Gloria Hernandez at gloria.hernandez@nasa.gov, or (757)864-5572. Procurement questions should be directed to Brad Gardner atRobert.B.Gardner@nasa.gov or (757) 864-2525.
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