NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 214.3, Greenbelt, MD 20771

A -- TEAMING OPPORTUNITY FOR HORIZON COMMON AVIONICS MODULE DEVELOPMENT SOL NA DUE 080499 POC Leif L. Grotos, Contract Specialist, Phone (301) 286-7586, Fax (301) 286-0530, Email Leif.L.Grotos.1@gsfc.nasa.gov -- Sharon M. Collignon, Contracting Officer, Phone (301)286-9874, Fax (301)286-0530, Email Sharon.M.Collignon.1@gsfc.nasa.gov WEB: Click here for the latest information about this notice, http://nais.nasa.gov/EPS/GSFC/date.html#NA. E-MAIL: Leif L. Grotos, Leif.L.Grotos.1@gsfc.nasa.gov. The GSFC is currently conducting a study and preparing a competitive proposal for a large aperture telescope with adaptable optics. This technology validation mission, termed Horizon, is to be operational in mid 2003. The study, sponsored by NASA's New Millennium Program (NMP), was awarded as a result of a NASA Research Announcement, NRA-98-OES-12, for NEW MILLENNIUM PROGRAM MEASUREMENT CONCEPTS. The GSFC is forming a team to develop the final proposal and, if selected, implement a mission to validate the Horizon measurement concept and associated technologies. If selected in this competition GSFC expects to receive authority to proceed in November 1999. The Horizon mission study team is particularly interested in adding a partner with capabilities in solid rocket motor design, interstage design and shuttle integration. It is expected that the partner would fully support the preparation of the detailed Horizon proposal. The NASA NMP is managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to identify, flight validate, and infuse key advanced technologies and capabilities needed to enable 21st century NASA space and earth science missions. The Program focuses on technology validation in a systems and subsystems approach to retire risk for the first use of such technology in a science mission. The Horizon measurement concept will improve the observation capability for a wide variety of scientific measurements that require large area telescopes to gather light. The 2.75 meter diameter segmented optical telescope will validate key technologies by demonstrating diffraction limited performance and phase diversity correction, at geostationary earth orbit. The result will be a Hubble Space Telescope class observatory capable of out performing current weather observation satellites by at least a factor of 10 in spatial resolution and image update rate. The GSFC has approached the Horizon concept architecture as a "sciencecraft." This typically means that the measurement payload and the spacecraft bus functions are shared as an integral package. In the case of Horizon the sciencecraft concept will be expanded to include the upper stage and orbit injection control functions. The current Horizon mission concept baseline is a Space Shuttle launch in June of 2003, to low Earth orbit. The Horizon sciencecraft will then use its integral propulsion stage(s) to inject into a geostationary orbit. The common avionics module of the Horizon sciencecraft will control the entire operational life of the mission as well as effect an injection into a disposal orbit. It is expected that by sharing the common functions of a typical spacecraft and upper stage the recurring cost of the motor(s), stage(s), interstage(s), and common avionics can be drastically reduced from current practice. A goal for the compliment of motor(s), stage(s), interstage(s), common module structure and Shuttle qualified interface/accommodations is a recurring cost of $15M. The remaining required sciencecraft avionics would be integrated and supplied by GSFC with support from an industry partner. Responses from interested parties will be considered from all US responsible companies with applicable experience. If the mission is selected by NASA Office of Earth Science, GSFC plans to issue a shared cost contract or agreement to the provider for delivery of the integrated stage and common avionics module development. The provider is expected to become a full member of the mission implementation team. Interested organizations should provide the GSFC with a short information package, approximately ten pages in length, addressing each of the partnership priorities listed below. This information package should contain a definition of what your organization is willing to accomplish in a partnership with the Horizon team, how that would be accomplished, and resource estimates (e.g., cost, weight, power, dimensions, etc.). Partnership opportunities will be assessed based on the following priorities in the following order of importance: (1) Recent relevant experience, past performance, technical capability and availability of key personnel; (2) Cost and Schedule control; and (3) Suitability of Stage and Common Avionics Module Concept for the Horizon Mission. These criteria are defined as follows: 1. Recent relevant experience, past performance, technical capability and availability of key personnel: Of key importance to the Horizon team is the respondent's relevant recent experience, past performance in similar development activities, technical capability to perform the development and key personnel available for the development. A successful partner should provide substantive evidence of successful participation in similar efforts. Please supply customer references with points of contact and current telephone numbers. The technical ability to complete the development and availability of key personnel with appropriate experience skill levels will also be assessed. 2. Cost and Schedule Participation: The Horizon project expects that an industry partner will substantially participate in this development activity. The partner's investment of resources and ability to control both cost and schedule will be assessed. A potential partner should identify available resources (cash, facilities, manpower, etc.) that would be applied in a cost share contract arrangement. In addition please provide evidence of successfully controlling costs and schedule for similar developments, and discuss how project management schedule and cost control processes are implemented. 3. Suitability of Stage and Common Avionics Module Concept for the Horizon Mission: The Horizon Mission will weigh approximately 1750Kg to 2000Kg and require a zero degree insertion at GEO from a shuttle orbit at 28.5 degrees. The successful potential partner will demonstrate a viable integrated common avionics module and propulsion stage concept that adds minimal risk to the overall mission. It is expected that the partnering organizations will participate actively in the Horizon detailed proposal preparation from early August through mid September of this year. It is not the intent of the GSFC to reimburse organizations for the cost of submitting information in response to this announcement, or to pay for proposal preparation costs incurred by team members. It is expected that selection of the proposal for Phase II mission implementation and the availability of funds would result in a shared cost development contract for the selected partner. This teaming opportunity announcement does not represent a guarantee of selection for award of any contracts, nor is it to be construed as a commitment by NASA to pay for the information solicited. It is expected that the partner selected would provide (at no cost to NASA) conceptual designs, technical data, proposal inputs, project schedules, and cost estimates consistent with the study guidelines provided by the NMP during the proposal process. Organizations with expertise and interest in this opportunity may contact Jim Adams, Horizon Project Formulation Manager at 301/286-1289 or jim.adams@gsfc.nasa.gov toobtain additional details of the present design status, or to discuss qualifications, and capabilities. Procurement questions should be directed to Leif Grotos. All responses should be sent to: NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 214.3 Bldg 16W Attn: Leif Grotos, Greenbelt, MD 20771 Email responses are acceptable, attached files should use Microsoft Office 97 or Adobe Acrobat .pdf formats. Files containing viruses will not be opened. The due date for submission is Noon Eastern Daylight Time August 4, 1999. Posted 07/23/99 (D-SN358414). (0204)

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