NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 214.6, Greenbelt, MD 20771

A -- ACOUSTO-OPTICAL SPECTROMETER (AOS) SOL RFO5-VESPER2-177 POC Verron M. Brade, Contracting Officer, Phone (301)614-5406, Fax (301)614-5415, Email verron.brade@gsfc.nasa.gov -- Rex T. Elliott, Contracting Officer, Phone (301)286-6204, Fax (301)286-0247, Email Rex.T.Elliott.1@gsfc.nasa.gov WEB: Click here for the latest information about this notice, http://nais.nasa.gov/EPS/GSFC/date.html#RFO5-VESPER2-177. E-MAIL: Verron M. Brade, verron.brade@gsfc.nasa.gov. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) plans to issue a Request for Offer (RFO) for a space-qualified multi-channel array Acousto-Optical Spectrometer (AOS) under the authority of 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1) -- Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. NASA's GSFC intends to purchase the items from the University of Cologne (UC), Germany. The contractor shall provide a space-qualified multi-channel array AOS suitable for use with the Submillimeter Limb Sounder as required for the proposed planetary Discovery mission VESPER. Such a multi-channel IF array AOS must obtain a stability performance as specified by the Allen-Variance of better than 1000 seconds. The array AOS must have 4096 1-MHz channels with 4 IF channels of 1 GHz bandwidth minimum. Mass of the AOS optical unit must be 8 kg requiring 8W power. Suitable specifications and designs for the AOS electronic interface shall be provided to the VESPER project. Software and bench-top hardware to operate the AOS component shall be required. Documentation and operating procedure shall be developed. Calibration and interface control documents shall be provided as needed. The supplier shall support routine-scheduled technical working meetings and reviews as specified by the VESPER Project. Considering a projected award date of May 1999, the AOS will need to be developed, manufactured, and integrated within the SLS by December 2000 in order for NASA's GSFC to meet the delivery dates for integration and testing of the entire VESPER instrument suite. The UC has pioneered the development of multi-IF-channel array Acousto-Optical Spectrometer (array AOS) and has constructed and space-qualified a similar system for the SWAS. These spectrometers have the following unique technical capabilities: The array AOS differs from other RF-spectrum analyzers in its mode of operation. It converts RF-signals into acoustic waves by applying the signal to a piezo-electric transducer that is attached to an optically transparentcrystal, a Bragg cell that has suitable acousto-optic properties. The acoustic waves change the density to vary the optical index of refraction within the crystal. Consequently, there are periodic changes in the optical path length of a laser beam directed into the cell with a periodicity identical to the wavelength of the acoustic wave. The Bragg cell acts as a variable phase grating. Each frequency component of the RF signal corresponds to another grating constant and the laser light is deflected at different angles for each RF-frequency. The deflected beam is finally detected by a linear CCD array, which outputs the required spectral information for digitization and further processing. This concept has shown to be extremely rugged and reliable by the performance in orbit of the SWAS recently launched by NASA. The array AOS further improves upon the SWAS design by allowing four different IF signals to be processed simultaneously by a single Bragg cell. This development is uniquely attributed only to the array AOS manufactured and produced at the UC. These capabilities are integrally tied to the entire scientific purpose of the proposed VESPER mission in the following ways. The UC multi-channel array AOS component shall provide the spectral information attained by the Submillimeter Limb Sounder (SLS) instrument-the primary instrument on the VESPER mission. The observed spectrum of trace gases provides temperature, pressure, abundances, and Doppler-wind velocities of the Venus atmosphere. These properties are some of the primary goals of the VESPER mission. VESPER requires the capability that the UC offers the SLS instrument because no one else has ever developed a space-qualified AOS. The nature of planetary mission schedules (they are driven by celestial mechanics) is such that launch dates are inflexible and their frequencies are measured in years so to support such schedules the program must have high confidence that components will arrive on time. Planetary programs cannot proceed into implementation without demonstrating that confidence. UC's demonstrated performance in providing an AOS component on time supports the VESPER mission confidence level. The Government does not intend to acquire a commercial item using FAR Part 12. See Note 26. See Note 22. An Ombudsman has been appointed. See Internet Note "B". Interested firms have 15 days from the publication of this synopsis to submit in writing to the identified point of contact, 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 the 15 days or without the required information will be considered nonresponsive to the synopsis and will not be considered. A determination by the Government to not compete this proposed effort on a full and open competitive basis, based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Firm date for receipt of offers will be stated in the RFO. All qualified responsible sources may submit an offer which shall be considered by the agency. Any referenced notes can be viewed at the following URL: http://genesis.gsfc.nasa.gov/nasanote.html. Posted 03/24/99 (D-SN312003). (0083)

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