A -- PARTNERING FOR JOINT SMALL AIRCRAFT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM (SATS) RESEARCH

Notice Date

July 2, 2001

Contracting Office

NASA/Langley Research Center, Mail Stop 144, Industry Assistance Office, Hampton, VA 23681-0001

ZIP Code

23681-0001

Solicitation Number

JSRA-Partnering-Synopsis-Announcement-SS325

Response Due

August 20, 2001

Point of Contact

R. Todd Lacks, Contract Specialist, Phone (757) 864-2477, Fax (757) 864-7709, Email r.t.lacks@larc.nasa.gov -- Rosemary C. Froehlich, Contracting Officer, Phone (757) 864-2423, Fax (757) 864-8863, Email R.C.FROEHLICH@larc.nasa.gov

E-Mail Address

R. Todd Lacks (r.t.lacks@larc.nasa.gov)

Description

NOTE: This sysnopsis was previously posted under the designation of "NRA-01-LaRC-4". Since the Government no longer plans to release a NASA Research Announcement (NRA), the NRA designation is invalid. All future references will be to "JSRA Partnering Synopsis Announcement SS325". NASA/LaRC intends to issue JSRA Partnering Synopsis Announcement SS325, for the purpose of soliciting an industry partner for its small aircraft research and flight demonstration program. The program involves the testing of integrated systems of aviation technology that have the potential to improve air mobility for inter-city transportation of people and freight. The technology investment strategy is planned to improve safety, efficiency and economic availability of small transportation aircraft (e.g. four- to 10-passenger), operating within the nation's 5400 small public use landing facilities, for the purposes of public transportation, extending reliable air service to smaller communities. The program is designated as the Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS) Program and is intended to focus on technology and business deployment innovations that would be too risky and costly for any one entity to undertake. As such, the program will be implemented through a partnership between the Federal Government and a consortium of private businesses and public agencies. A consortium is a group of such organizations that collaborates with the Federal Government through one organization acting as the consortium manager. The consortium manager will sign a Joint Sponsored Research Agreement (JSRA) with NASA and will be solely responsible for total technical performance. Federal funding totaling $40 million is anticipated over four years (Fiscal Years (FY) 2002 through 2005). The SATS Program will require the consortium membership to include state and local aviation authorities, airport operators, general aviation airframe manufacturers, transportation services suppliers, transportation research, and suppliers of communication, navigation and surveillance systems for small transportation aircraft. The consortium will be required to manage the technology development interface between the Federal Government and the SATS stakeholder partnering community as well as lead the development of the necessary external consensus process required to achieve open technology standards and accelerate the commercial deployment of the SATS-developed technology within the NAS. Additionally, the consortium will be required to organize private sector strategies for long term technology investment roadmap planning. Such roadmap planning is expected to coordinate with public sector requirements that would support an alternative short-haul air transportation system. The outcome of the public and private sector roadmap coordination would include the national development and deployment of standards for SATS system analysis, State Aviation System Plans, Airport Master Plans, and regional transportation system planning. The SATS Program addresses NASA's Mobility objectives of the Office of Aerospace Technology (OAT) goal to "Revolutionize Aviation" specifically, to enable people to travel faster and farther, anywhere, anytime." This objective aims to "reduce inter-city doorstep-to-destination transportation time by 50% in 10 years" and "by 70% in 25 years." The SATS Program has three objectives: o Develop, integrate, and demonstrate key airborne technologies that enable new operating capabilities. o Conduct simulation and flight test based integrated technology evaluation and validations of these technologies and the new operating capabilities they enable. o Collaborate with state and local aviation authorities and private sector providers in the development and testing in a manner that maximizes the technology transfer and commercialization. The program will culminate in a series of large-scale regional or state flight technology demonstrations across the country in the second half of the Federal Fiscal Year 2005. The proof-of-concept technology flight demonstrations will showcase four new integrated operational capabilities: (1) high-volume operations at airports without control towers or terminal radar facilities; (2) lower adverse weather landing minimums at minimally equipped landing facilities; (3) integration of General Aviation (GA) aircraft into a higher en route capacity air traffic control system with complex flows and slower aircraft; and (4) improved single-pilot ability to function competently in complex airspace in an evolving National Airspace System NAS. The new operating capabilities will be based on key enabling technologies developed and integrated into the flight demonstration aircraft over the life of the program. To achieve these objectives, NASA is issuing a NRA to solicit the consortium with membership capable of collaborating on the technology development and proof-of-concept flight demonstrations. The anticipated release date of JSRA Partnering Synopsis Announcement SS325 is on or about June 25, 2001, with an anticipated proposal due date thirty (30) days after release. A question and answer (Q&A) session will be held on June 18, 2001 at NASA Langley Research Center. This Q&A session will be for the purpose of clarifying the functions and capabilities that NASA is seeking. For further details/updates on the SATS Program, reference the NASA SATS Program website: http://sats.nasa.gov. The place, time, and agenda for the June 18th Q&A session will be posted at this website as well. Participation in this JSRA Partnering Synopsis Announcement SS325 is open to all organizations or teams of organizations from industry, educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations (includes not-for-profit organizations). It is anticipated that a single award will result from this announcement. Communications concerning JSRA Partnering Synopsis Announcement SS325, from the receipt of proposals through selection announcement, shall be soley through the Contracting Officer. All qualified responsible sources may submit an offer, which shall be considered by the agency. The solicitation and any documents related to this procurement will be available over the Internet. These documents will be in Microsoft Office Suite (Word 6.0, Excel 5.0, Power Point 4.0) format and will reside on a World Wide Web (WWW) server, which may be accessed using a WWW browser application. The Internet site or URL of the NASA/LaRC Busibness Opportunities home page is http://procurement.nasa.gov/EPS/LaRC/class.html. The NASA Langley Research Center technical point-of-contact is Mr. Michael Durham. Mr. Durham may be contacted at (757) 864-3683. Prospective offerors shall notify this office of their intent to submit an offer. It is the offeror's responsibility to monitor this site and/or the CBD for the release of the solicitation and amendments (if any). Potential offerors will be responsible for downloading their own copy of the solicitation and amendments. An ombudsman has been appointed -- See NASA-Specific Note "B". Any referenced notes can be viewed at the following URL: http://cdbnet.access.gpo.gov/num-note.html and http://genesis.gsfc.nasa.gov/nasanote.html.

Web Link

Click here for the latest information about this notice (http://nais.msfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/EPS/bizops.cgi?gr=D&pin=23#JSRA-Partnering-Synopsis-Announcement-SS325)

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20010705/ASOL017.HTM (D-182 SN50Q5W8)