NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 214.4, Greenbelt, MD 20771

A -- MISSION DEFINITION STUDY FOR THE SOLAR TERRESTRIAL RELATIONS OBSERVATORY DUE 071098 POC Thomas Russell, Contracting Officer, Phone (301)286-2885, Fax (301)286-0341, Email Thomas.S.Russell.1@gsfc.nasa.gov WEB: Click here for the latest information about this notice, http://nais.nasa.gov/EPS/GSFC/date.html#214400000. E-MAIL: Thomas Russell, Thomas.S.Russell.1@gsfc.nasa.gov. This is a notice to award a contract on a sole source basis to the Johns Hopkins University/Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL) for a mission definition study supporting the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) mission. The STEREO mission is a part of NASA's Sun-Earth Connections program aimed at improving mankind's understanding of the origins of solar variability, how that variability transforms the interplanetary medium, how eruptive events on the sun impact geospace, and how they might affect climate and weather. It is one of five Solar Terrestrial Probes called for in NASA's Space Science Enterprise Strategic Plan. The principal science objectives to be addressed in the STEREO mission are to understand the origin and consequences of Coronal Mass Ejections (CME's); to determine the processes that control CME evolution in the heliosphere by tracking CME driven disturbances from the Sun to Earth's orbit; to discover the mechanisms and sites of solar energetic particle acceleration; to determine the 3-D structure and dynamics of coronal and interplanetary plasmas and magnetic fields; and to prove the solar dynamic through its effects on the corona and heliosphere. The mission definition study will be for four months and will cover cost and schedule, project management, mission profile, observatory description, mission operations concept, and major trade decisions. The statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition is 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(3), to maintain an essential engineering, research and development capability to be provided by an educational or other nonprofit institution. Essential engineering, research and development capabilities related to NASA's needs were previously maintained at JHU/APL through contracts with the Department of the Navy. Currently, the Navy no longer allows NASA to procure efforts through its contracts, but NASA continues to require maintenance of the NASA-related essential capabilities. NASA requires and JHU/APL possesses the capability to perform research and technology development and to provide independent evaluations required by NASA while at the same time working closely with industry, including the transition of the technology to industry. Interested firms desiring consideration have 15 days from publication in the Commerce business Daily (CBD) to submit their qualifications/capabilities. Such qualifications/capabilities will be used solely for the purpose of determining whether or not to conduct this procurement on a competitive basis. Responses received after 15 days without the required information will be considered nonresponsive to the synopsis and will not be considered. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract, on a full and open competitive basis, based upon responses to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the Government. All responsible sources may submit a proposal which shall be considered by the agency. See Number Note 22. Any referenced numbered notes can be viewed at the following URL: http://genesis.gsfc.nasa.gov/nnotes.htm. Posted 06/24/98 (0175)

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