SPECIAL NOTICE
A -- UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIPS IN SPACEPORT TECHNOLOGY
- Notice Date
- 5/1/2002
- Notice Type
- Special Notice
- Contracting Office
- NASA/John F. Kennedy Space Center, Procurement, Kennedy Space Center, FL 32899
- ZIP Code
- 32899
- Solicitation Number
- NASA-SNOTE-020501-002
- Description
- 1) The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) has identified technical interests that can best be advanced through consolidated grants to colleges and universities having exceptional expertise in or understanding of one or more of the areas as they relate to the mission of NASA-KSC. Proposals submitted should include new ideas and advanced and innovative concepts for current and emerging principles. The technology proposal categories are: A. Thermal Management at Cryogenic Temperatures Current thermal switches rely on electronic sensors to measure temperature and then use that information to turn on or off the switch. Such decoupled systems are more complex and less reliable than other integrated sensor/switch systems. Using advanced materials technology, thermal switches can be made that integrate the sensor element and the actuator element. NASA KSC is interested in developing such thermal switches for a variety of Human Exploration and Development of Space (HEDS) applications. Included in this are switches used to control liquid methane temperature and pressure in a zero boil off system, possibly dumping heat to a liquid oxygen tank in a common bulkhead arrangement. Thermal switches can also be used to create a variable thermal sink to other cryogenic tanks for liquefaction, densification, and zero boil off systems for advanced spaceport applications. Such switches can also be used as a temperature control device for a 3-way flow control valve, possibly for use on ammonia systems in a space environment. KSC would like to develop a switch that is used for the first application mentioned above, to support methane liquefaction for Mars missions. The switch should be able to allow a thermal conduction of approximately 8 watts between two liquid reservoirs held at 118 K and 92 K. The switch would be tested in a common bulkhead tank arrangement at the cryogenic testbed. B. Autonomous Harvester Current human space missions rely primarily on packaged, freeze-dried foods as the main form of nourishment for the crew. As the mission durations increases, consumables resupply will become more costly due to constraints on mass and volume. A remedy to this problem would be to supply fresh salad and fruits grown in controlled environments as a dietary supplement for the crew. In addition to the trade economics of life support, there are potential psychological considerations relating to astronauts eating a diet exclusively of packaged foods. Food requirements for long duration space missions will most likely incorporate fresh foods such as: tomato, spinach, lettuce, radish, carrot, green onion, herbs, strawberry, pepper, and others. Harvesting of these foods is another issue that must be addressed. Automating harvesting activities to reduce the crew involvement would allow the crew to concentrate on scientific or technical activities. One potential example crop that requires harvesting would be the tomato. The challenges or objectives of an autonomous harvester are to locate the fruit, harvest the fruit, and transport/store the fruit. Locating the fruit is not as straightforward as one would think. The autonomous system must have remote sensing capabilities to "recognize" the fruit from the plant canopy as well as determine suitable ripeness. Also, targeting fruit at varying heights and obscured behind leaves poses another challenge. The software needs to be able to adapt to these changing conditions as the plant matures. The second objective of harvesting the fruit is difficult as well because of the soft nature of the fruit. Harvesting the fruit requires an end effector that can close around the fruit and remove it from the plant without damaging the fruit or damaging the plant. Transporting the fruit to a storage container is the final sequence. The end effector must then be able to articulate such that the fruit can be gently placed in a storage bin without bruising the fruit. Other desirable features of an autonomous harvester include the operation of the autonomous harvester through the three sequences above must occur within a reasonable timeframe to make it advantageous, the system must have low power, low mass, and be highly reliable, and the system should multitask (e.g. assist on pollination requirements and have applicability to other salad and fruit plants). The project goal would be to demonstrate the feasibility of an autonomous harvester system for tomatoes. The project schedule should be broken down into meeting each one of the objectives with a summary report and a laboratory demonstration. Applications for such a system include extraterrestrial greenhouses/farms where the optimal conditions for plants may not be suitable for humans and may be separated from the crew areas. Spacecrafts used for long duration missions may also require an autonomous harvester to reduce the crew time associated with those tasks. An autonomous harvester and the technologies associated with the objectives will have direct applicability to food production on Earth. (2) Pursuant to 32 CFR Sec. 22.315 and Sec. 22.320, this announcement is open only to eligible U.S. colleges and universities. Proposals from minority universities are encouraged. (3) The proposal shall not exceed 10 pages (81/2 x 11 single-spaced), in English text. Pitch requirements are 12 pitch with 1 inch left, right, and bottom margin and 11/2-inch top margin. The proposal may be submitted in electronic format as MS Word for Windows document for the text and MS Excel for Windows for cost information. The first page of the proposal must be an executive summary of the proposed technical and management approaches. The proposal shall include full discussion of the scope, nature, objectives of the proposed research effort, rationale for the technical approach and methodology, expected results and any state-of-the-art technology advancements. The proposal should discuss the offeror's capabilities and qualifications including discussion of key personnel, relevant offeror experience and adequacy of offeror's facilities and instrumentation. The proposal should discuss the potential contribution of the proposed research to the KSC mission. The offeror should provide the necessary scheduling, planning and budgeting documentation that fully describes the proposed program, which should include the offeror's approach for controlling expenditures and labor hours. All proprietary material should be clearly marked. (4) At least one award is anticipated. Proposals will be evaluated and awarded within sixty days of the proposal due deadline. Issuance of this Announcement does not obligate the Government to pay any proposal preparation costs or to award any grants. The government reserves the right to select for award any, all, part, or none of the proposals received, subject to availability of funding. (5) EVALUATION FACTORS: Selection of proposal(s) for award will be based on an assessment of those that are most advantageous to the KSC technical mission and availability of funds. The principal elements (of approximately equal weight) to be considered in the evaluation are A. Relevance to the KSC mission. B. Evaluation of intrinsic merit includes the consideration of the following factors of equal importance: 1. Overall scientific or technical merit of the proposal or unique and innovative methods, approaches, or concepts demonstrated by the proposal. 2. Offeror's capabilities, related experience, facilities, techniques, or unique combinations of these, which are integral factors for achieving the proposal objectives. 3. The qualifications, capabilities, and experience of the proposed principal investigator, team leader, or key personnel critical in achieving the proposal objectives. 4. Consideration of diversity in the program. 5. Any leveraged funding or resources. C. Evaluation of the cost of a proposed effort includes the realism and reasonableness of the proposed cost and available funds. (6) This announcement will remain open through close of business 14 June 2002. In order for proposals to be considered for award in the first evaluation period, they must be submitted by 4:00 pm EST on 14 June 2002. Only proposals addressing the categories noted above will be accepted. Proposals will be reviewed and awarded within sixty days of the proposal due deadline, subject to availability of funds. Meritorious proposals that do not receive awards will be kept on file for one year. (7) For planning purposes, grants are expected to be awarded with a period of performance not to exceed 12 months. (8) In addition to the information in 1 & 2 above, general reference information can be found at: For Spaceport Technology information.. http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/spacetech/future.htm (9) Title and frequency of reports: Quarterly R&D Status Report - This report shall keep the Government informed of Grantee activity and progress toward accomplishment of Grant objectives and advancement in state-of-the-art on the research and development involved. Final Technical Report - This report, due upon completion of the Grant, shall document the results of the complete effort. (10) Point of Contact: Lynn Rafford, 321-867-7364, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Mail Code OP-ES, Kennedy Space Center, FL 32899. Email: Lynn.Rafford-1@ksc.nasa.gov.
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