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A -- RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT SOL OSL BAA #99-001!! DUE 053100 POC M. Huler (310) 416-7497 WEB: OSL BAA #99-001, http://151.200.109.47. 17. This is a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) from the National Reconnaissance Office, Office of Space Launch, Advanced Programs Division (OSL/APD). It is issued under the provisions of paragraph 6.102(d)(2) of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), which provides for the competitive selection of research proposals. Contracts awarded as a result of proposals submitted in response to this BAA are considered to be the result of competition to the maximum extent practicable. The NRO may contract with educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, and private industry for research in those areas covered in this BAA. The mission of the Advanced Programs Division is to investigate and develop concepts and technologies that will enable the NRO to meet future launch needs. Our goal is to develop technologies that provide the best possible launch capabilities for our users when and where needed in the most cost-effective manner. Specific research interests and objectives covered by this BAA are found in Section 1. Proposed research should investigate truly new and unique approaches and techniques that lead to, or enable revolutionary and evolutionary improvements in capability, performance, and cost. Offerors may submit proposals on any topic either contained within this BAA or related to a BAA topic. Prior to submitting a proposal, offerors shall contact the technical points of contact, identified with the description of the corresponding research. Offerors are cautioned that only a Contracting Officer may obligate the Government to any agreement involving expenditure of Government funds. This BAA shall remain in effective until 31 May 2000. The period of performance for proposals submitted in response to this BAA may be up to a maximum of two (2) years. Proposals should contain a brief summary of the work and a ceiling rough order of magnitude (CROM) price spread by Government Fiscal year (1 Oct 30 Sep). It is the Government's intent to restrict the value of any contract awarded as a result of this BAA to a maximum price of $750K per contract, including any options. Contracts may be awarded and negotiated for up to a 12 to 18-month base period plus options which may be unilaterally exercised by the Government. Offerors are cautioned that award of any contract(s) pursuant to this BAA is subject to the availability of funds. All written communications, including submission of proposals pursuant to this BAA, shall be forwarded to the OSL Contracting Office Point of Contact, Mr. Merrill Huler, Contracting Officer, who can be reached at (310) 416-7497. Please call Mr. Huler only if you have questions of a contractual nature. Technical questions/comments should be directed to the technical points of contact listed in Section 1 herein. SECTION 1 RESEARCH INTERESTS: Specific technology areas of interest for this BAA are listed below: 1.1 Object Oriented Integration Process: Develop a conceptual process that maximizes reuse of launch documentation, analyses, and procedures. Identify "object modules" and interfaces that might be used in this structure: (1) recommend methods to automate these processes, store and access preconfigured templates, and reuse developed "object classes", (2) define the necessary set of databases and software tools, and (3) develop a preliminary CONOPS for industry-wide access. Technical Point of Contact: Mr. Kevin Klonoski (703) 808-2346. 1.2 Low-cost Space Technology Demonstrations: Define the information launch services providers would need to enable a consortium of small payloads to achieve low-cost access to space. What is an achievable or desirable cost per pound to facilitate a vibrant small-payload community? Demonstrate a process to enable small or secondary payloads to be matched with primary payloads, be combined with other secondary payloads in a "mission dispenser", or be incorporated as a package on a spacecraft bus. Offerors shall also address issues that work against synergistic missions and propose solutions to these problems. Technical Point of Contact: Mr. James Liller (703) 808-2334. 1.3 Risk Management: Tailor or develop benchmark processes that enable risk evaluation to be addresses at selected space vehicle/launch vehicle design and integration milestones. Define the components of a risk management database and the concept of operations for integrating it into the daily process of doing business. Identify a useable set of key risk considerations in common use across the industry. Offerors shall develop suggested weighting guidelines based on maturity, complexity, and other key program parameters. Technical Point of Contact: Mr. Wayne Chenard (310) 416-7970. 1.4 Standards and Best Practices: Develop a representative process flow and description for commercial and NRO launch integration. Identify areas to leverage "best practice" standards across the industry. Identify areas of the process flow for which single process initiatives might be applicable. Identify inhibitors to implementation of "best practices" and recommend solutions for overcoming these hindrances. Offerors shall propose a process or forum for industry to adopt industry-wide standards and provide feedback from participants on process phase-in. Technical Point of Contact: Mr. Russell Cykoski (703) 808-4230. 1.5 Streamlined Design Considerations: Provide recommendations for developing and maintaining an internet accessible catalog of existing spacecraft buses and their associated performance capabilities with compatible launch vehicles. Provide recommendations on pros and cons of maintaining a single central database or maintaining contractor-specific databases in standard formats that can be accessed through a central website. Provide access to pre-qualified payload interface requirements (power, thermal, loads and vibration, payload envelope, data bus storage, bandwidth, and downlink capability) definition. Technical Point of Contact: Ms. Debbie Hathaway (703) 808-2633. 1.6 Spacecraft Processing: Provide recommendations for moving from the stovepipe-based integration of today to an integrated enterprise process in the future. Develop a concept of operations for spacecraft launch processing to maximize efficiency, optimize use of existing facilities (commercial and government), and recommend smart alternatives for new facilities. Optimize contractor performance and resource use. Address launch base privatization. Recommend transition timeframe and transition process. Recommend concepts for joint government agency participation in the development of spacecraft processing capabilities. Technical Point of Contact: Mr. Jeff Jacobs (407) 853-9906. 1.7 Reusable Launch Vehicles (RLV): Identify viable emerging RLVs (define what makes a concept viable), a realistic development schedule, and an acquisition strategy for incorporating reusable launch vehicles into the NRO catalog of launch service options. Identify operational, development, or reliability hurdles that must be overcome and suggest potential solutions. Identify key development milestones and funding opportunities. Provide recommendations for system architecture requirements (spacecraft dimension and orbit parameters). Technical Point of Contact: Mr. Jason Shimshi (703) 808-6399. 1.8 Streamlined Launch Services: Develop a method to streamline the acquisition of launch services for the NRO. Consider the optimal solution for acquiring a launch service from the customer's perspective (where current thinking suggests a block buy concept is more cost effective). Address new and innovative procurement methods and contracting strategies, such as IDIQ type contracts (ordering from a catalog) where entrepreneurs can compete with well-developed companies. Investigate incentives, investment strategies, and cooperative partnerships. Suggest innovative partnerships and services. Technical Point of Contact: Ms. Terry Bergjans (310) 416-7787. The topics listed above are brief synopses of the actual study topics. Please see our web site at http://151.200.109.47 for the complete details of this Broad Agency Announcement. MERRILL G. HULER Contracting Officer Posted 04/01/99 (W-SN315356). (0091)

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