SOURCES SOUGHT
99 -- Space Exploration Networks Services and Evolution (SENSE)
- Notice Date
- 2/24/2016
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 517919
— All Other Telecommunications
- Contracting Office
- NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, 20771
- ZIP Code
- 20771
- Solicitation Number
- RFI-SENSE
- Point of Contact
- Michele C Rook, Phone: 3012862271
- E-Mail Address
-
Michele.C.Rook@nasa.gov
(Michele.C.Rook@nasa.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Exploration and Space Communications Projects Division Office (ESC) is seeking capability statements from all interested parties, including Small, Small Disadvantaged (SDB), 8(a), Woman-owned (WOSB), Veteran Owned (VOSB), Service Disabled Veteran Owned (SD-VOSB), Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) businesses, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU/Minority Institutions) for the purposes of determining the appropriate level of competition and/or small business subcontracting goals for Space Exploration Networks Services and Evolution (SENSE) procurement. The Government reserves the right to consider a Small, 8(a), WOSB, SD-VOSB, or HUBZone Business set-aside based on responses hereto. A. Background Since NASA’s inception in 1959, ESC has been a key organizational element chartered with providing reliable and cost-effective communications and navigation services to robotic and Human Space Flight missions. NASA Headquarters’ Human Exploration and Operations Missions Directorate (HEOMD), and the Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Program sponsors this work. SCaN provides the program management function overseeing the technology, systems engineering, spectrum development and operations of the networks. ESC leads projects across all phases of the NASA life cycle and has an extensive portfolio spanning operations, implementation and technology development. These projects include: the Space Network (SN), the Near Earth Network (NEN), the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) Project, the SN Ground Segment Sustainment (SGSS) Project, the Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) Project and the Networks Integration Management Office (NIMO), as well as other related offices. Customers of the networks have sponsors which include the NASA Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, Science Mission Directorate and the Space Technology Mission Directorate, as well as, other Government agencies, international civilian space agencies, and commercial entities. The SN and NEN are fundamental agency capabilities and national resources, with many missions being dependent upon them for critical communications, therefore the work is especially critical in regards to, technical performance, schedule and cost. The scope of work for this potential procurement is primarily centered around customer support and delivery of SN and NEN communications services as well as the operation, maintenance, and sustaining engineering of the systems providing service. In addition, customer needs or significant upgrades may involve development for the SN and NEN. Additional support includes the following: Mission Network Planning and Integration Services and other NASA functions including the agency’s Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) and Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) Geodynamics tracking Networks and other support services. These services are currently being provided under GSFC Contract NNG09DA01C, Space Communications and Network Services (SCNS). SCNS is a Cost-Plus-Award-Fee core contract with Indefinite Delivery-Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) components. Major evolutionary changes planned in the timeframe of this potential contract include: - Transition of the results of the SGSS development into SN operations - Integration and initiation of Human Space Flight Exploration Missions (eg. EM-1, EM-2) and commercial human space flight mission operations in the 2018 timeframe. - Integration of optical communications services - Expansion of NEN Ka-band capability These evolutionary events and others will require significant planning and transition activities within the ESC systems and services and interfaces with customers. The Space Exploration Networks Services and Evolution (SENSE) has been conceived as the potential follow-on contract to SCNS to address the support needed and it is envisioned to start January 8, 2018. B. Description of Current Requirements and Potential Scope for the SENSE Acquisition The following information is a description of the current contract, (i.e.,SCNS) which provides support to the ESC. The goal is to enable mission success through reliable communications to every NASA customer using the networks services. The services and products provided are highly reliable and affordable and contribute to the safe and efficient operation of the mission as demonstrated by the appropriate contract metrics and reporting. The existing SCNS contract includes a safety, health, and mission assurance program that provides a safe and healthy work environment, minimizes program risk, and maximizes NASA mission success. Security functions (e.g. IT security, personnel, communications, etc.) are also critical services provided for the contract. In addition to the significant operation, maintenance and sustaining engineering, the contract includes development projects for hardware and software systems, as well as, brick and mortar facilities development and maintenance. It is anticipated that the type of support required under SCNS will be included within the scope of the SENSE procurement. Below is a description of some of the significant Projects and programs that will continue to be supported via the SENSE contract vehicle. SN Project The SN Project manages the Tracking and Data Relay Satellites (TDRS) fleet and associated ground assets providing operations, maintenance, development, and sustaining engineering services. The TDRS system provides communications from customer spacecraft and aircraft to SN satellites that receive and relay data to the earth. The SN tracks and acquires data in support of a wide range of near-Earth missions using the constellation of the TDRS, and the facilities located at the White Sands Complex, New Mexico, the Guam Remote Station, in the U.S. territory of Guam, and the Blossom Point Remote Station (BPRS) in Welcome, MD. Data acquisition services are provided via S-band Multiple Access and S-band, Ku-band, and Ka-band Single Access antennas and emerging optical communications capabilities. Additional information about the SN (including the SN Users Guide) can be found on-line at http://esc.gsfc.nasa.gov/space-communications/sn-sne.html NEN Project The NEN Project provides operations, maintenance, development, and sustaining engineering services for a network of ground stations that communicate directly with customer spacecraft. The NEN Project manages a diverse set of resources, to provide high quality services at the lowest cost to NASA. The NEN provides RF tracking, communications, ranging and data system services to customers identified in the NASA mission set for a variety of orbits out to L1/L2. The NEN provides services to orbital spacecraft. <ins datetime="2016-02-11T11:18" cite="mailto:BARCLAY,%20CATHERINE%20B.%20(GSFC-4500)"> NEN resources include NASA owned orbital tracking systems, procurement of services from commercial orbital tracking stations, scheduling systems, and test systems. These diverse systems operate at UHF, S-band, and X-band and are evolving with the addition of Ka-band and emerging optical communications capabilities. Additional information about the NEN (including the NEN Users Guide) can be found online at http://esc.gsfc.nasa.gov/space-communications/NEN.html NIMO NIMO interfaces directly with future and current customers who are or plan to use NEN or SN communication services. Customer integration accomplished by the NIMO, provides Principal Investigator, Mission Manager, Project Managers, and Mission Formulation Manager customers with requirements definition and other mission formulation services, as well as, supporting other tracking and data acquisition (T&DA) needs through the entire lifecycle of the mission. The mission can range from testing support, ground experiment support, launch vehicle communications to Spacecraft mission communications. The NIMO functions include, but may not be limited to: pre-mission planning and analysis (trade studies & cost analyses); pre-mission testing compatibility test, associated with transponders, amplifiers, encoders/decoders, modulators/demodulators, spectrum analyzers); network monitoring & coordination and integration; Radio Frequency (RF) simulations, test and operations. NIMO requires that the costs of these functions be accurately estimated and costed in a timely manner from prime and any subcontractors. NIMO provides guidance to all customers as to how to use the SN and NEN. RF Mission Analysis The RF Mission Analysis Group assures that each mission will successfully interface with SCaN assets by conducting the RF analyses. A key part of the RF analyses is the link budget. The link budget is an accounting of all of the gains and losses from the transmitter, through the medium (free space, cable, waveguide, fiber, etc.) to the receiver in a telecommunication system. The end product is a RF Interface Control Document (RFICD) that confirms the connectivity of the required SCaN services. It is a bi-lateral document signed by NASA and the customer. It is used as the basis of compatibility testing and station configurations, and as a basis for the spacecraft communications design. NASA SLR Network The NASA SLR network provides operations, maintenance, sustaining engineering, data engineering, property management, and logistics support. SLR is a fundamental measurement technique used by NASA to support both national and international programs in Earth dynamics, ocean and ice surface altimetry, navigation and positioning, and technology development. Additional information may be found at http://ilrs.gsfc.nasa.gov/ NASA VLBI Network The NASA Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) network provides operations, maintenance and sustaining engineering at two sites (Kokee Park, Hawaii and GSFC, Maryland), as well as, support for international partners in Brazil, Norway and Australia. VLBI is a radio-frequency technique developed as a space geodesy tool by NASA in the 1970s to measure plate tectonics, regional deformation, and variations in the Earth's rotation. Geodetic VLBI uses a network of typically 20-m radio antennas to receive weak noise signals from extragalactic radio sources, usually quasars. The signals are recorded with very accurate time provided by hydrogen masers and processed at special correlator facilities to determine the relative time of arrival of a wave front at the various antennas. From these time delays, the geometry and orientation of the network can be measured with sub-centimeter precision resulting from a 24-hr observing session. VLBI provides the scale for the International Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF), the radio source positions defining the International Celestial Reference Frame (ICRF), unique Earth orientation parameters and atmospheric data. The global geodetic VLBI network is largely operated by international and U.S. partners. Additional information may be found at http://lupus.gsfc.nasa.gov/ SGSS Project The SGSS goal is to replace the current SN analog ground segment with a digital system using current technology. The SGSS Project mission is to implement a flexible and extensible ground segment that will allow the SN to maintain the high level of service in the future, accommodate new users and capability requirements, and reduce the effort required to operate and maintain the system in the future. With regard to the transition process from SGSS to SENSE, the transition flow of the SGSS system is as assets go through an Operation Readiness Review (ORR) and are provisionally accepted by the SN for operations, that asset will be placed into operational service and another asset will be released to the SGSS Project for upgrade. The first ORR will occur in close proximity to the SENSE contract award and the Final Acceptance Review (FAR) is anticipated to occur about a year after the contract award. The SGSS project has the responsibility of maintenance for the SGSS system to FAR with the help of the SN Maintenance and Operations (M&O) contractor. The SN M&O contractor will provide personnel for SGSS training and operations support as SGSS assets undergo tests and eventually assume more responsibility as each asset becomes operational. The entire SGSS system will be turned over to the SN for full M&O upon the successful completion of FAR. The transition from the old to new system will occur during the period of performance of SENSE. Additional information regarding the SGSS Project can be viewed at the following link: http://esc.gsfc.nasa.gov/space-communications/sgss.html. Other Support Services The following information is included as a description of other support services: The engineering services may be required for support to a broad NASA customer base and includes major task areas of spectrum management and engineering, RF Systems Engineering, Network Analysis, Advanced Planning, Advanced Technology and Proof of Concept Assessments. Additional systems engineering services provided include telecommunications analysis, mathematical modeling, requirements assessment, system enhancement concepts, architectural trade studies, conceptual designs, specification development, support to the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) and other international organizations. Systems engineering products include reports, studies, analyses and prototyping. Potentially, these engineering services will result in a development effort and/or a procurement of systems to be implemented into a network. These systems range from the relatively small efforts to modify existing capabilities, to potentially a new capability at a new location. C. Information Requested Interested vendors/potential offerors having the required specialized capabilities to meet the above requirement should submit a capability statement of 15 pages or less indicating the ability to perform all aspects of the effort described herein. Responses must include the following: name and address of firm, size of business; average annual revenue for past 3 years and number of employees; ownership; whether they are large, or any category of small business (reference categories previously described in this synopsis), number of years in business; affiliate information: parent company, joint venture partners, potential teaming partners, prime contract (if potential sub) or subcontractors (if potential prime); list of customers covering the past five years (highlight relevant work performed, contract numbers, contract type, dollar value of each procurement; and point of contact – address and phone number). Also provide information regarding country of origin for your firm, and indicate whether your firm has a security facility clearance. In addition to the capability statement, NASA invites potential offerors to submit feedback on the stated scope, schedule, technical requirements, and procurement approach. The feedback should be no more than 15 pages (8.5" x 11") in length (maximum of 30 pages for capability statement and feedback). Feedback is solicited in the following topics. Comments which demonstrate clear benefit to performance, represent potential reductions to administrative costs/burden, and could result in potential schedule and/or cost efficiencies are of particular value and interest to the Government. 1. Given the potential scope of work (operations, maintenance, mission network planning & integration, sustaining engineering, development and systems engineering) available for subsequent solicitation, the Government is interested in industry comment and recommendation for the most effective contract structure(s), scope(s). Provide a recommended contract structure(s) and scope (additions, deletions) for the requirements described within. Describe the reasoning behind your recommendations. As the technology and approach of providing the described network services evolves, opportunities for increased efficiency and effectiveness present themselves. Recommend a contract incentive approach that would lead the successful contractor to strive for these efficiency improvements. Consider contract type in this recommendation and discussion. 2. Recommend a contract structure and technical approach for providing an optimized customer integration service. Describe your company’s approach of requirements development and pre-launch network integration activities for space flight projects, or servicing similar interfaces in your business. 3. Recommend a government contract fee type (fixed fee, award fee, incentive fee) structure for the various types of work to be performed under this requirement. Provide recommendations for contract structure or task order combinations for the SGSS transition to allow for dual operations of legacy and SGSS with the eventually combining of the two into one M&O component at FAR. 4. Identify Standards and Certifications that you recommend and consider relevant for the follow-on. 5. Provide recommendations for combining the operations and maintenance (O&M) of the SN and NEN within the SENSE contract. Please provide insights regarding what is viewed as beneficial or detrimental to the efficient operations of the NEN and SN if the O&M tasks are combined. 6. The Government is considering limiting the fee that can be earned for the following types of costs: pass through services such as major antenna and material procurements/subcontracts, procurement of data services, and travel. Provide recommendations on any other types of costs that should be subject to a lower fee and recommend a reasonable fee limitation for these types of costs. 7. Provide a recommend approach for the transition from the existing system to the SGSS approach. Describe how you would structure the contract to phase in the SGSS system and replace the legacy system. 8. Provide any other information that would benefit the Government during the planning for this potential acquisition. This synopsis is for information and planning purposes and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government nor will the Government pay for information solicited. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation. Respondents deemed fully qualified will be considered in any resultant solicitation for the requirement. No solicitation exists; therefore, do not request a copy of the solicitation. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized in FedBizOpps. It is the potential offeror’s responsibility to monitor these sites for the release of any solicitation or synopsis. RFI Responses and procurement related questions should be directed to: NASA GSFC, Attn: Michele Rook, Code 210.P, 8800 Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, Phone: 301-286-2271, Email: Michele.C.Rook@nasa.gov. Responses are requested within 15 days after issuance of this synopsis.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/NASA/GSFC/OPDC20220/RFI-SENSE/listing.html)
- Record
- SN04029280-W 20160226/160224234356-d0089c8a5127b69fe77879b51700100e (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
| FSG Index | This Issue's Index | Today's FBO Daily Index Page |