SOURCES SOUGHT
A -- COMMERCIAL REUSABLE SUBORBITAL RESEARCH TECHNOLOGIES
- Notice Date
- 9/2/2011
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541712
— Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)
- Contracting Office
- NASA/Langley Research Center, Mail Stop 12, Industry Assistance Office, Hampton,VA 23681-0001
- ZIP Code
- 23681-0001
- Solicitation Number
- NNL11OCTGCD-2
- Response Due
- 10/2/2011
- Archive Date
- 9/2/2012
- Point of Contact
- LaShonda P. Jacobs-Terry, Contract Specialist, Phone 757-864-2359, Fax 757-864-9775, Email Lashonda.P.Jacobs-Terry@nasa.gov - Lisa M. Harvey, Contracting Officer, Phone 757-864-2444, Fax 757-864-8863, Email Lisa.M.Harvey@nasa.gov
- E-Mail Address
-
LaShonda P. Jacobs-Terry
(Lashonda.P.Jacobs-Terry@nasa.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- The NASA Authorization Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-267) authorizes creation of aCommercial Reusable Suborbital Research (CRuSR) initiative within the NASA Office of theChief Technologist (OCT). OCT has implemented the CRuSR initiative through the FlightOpportunities Program within the Crosscutting Capability Demonstrations Division. OCT hasdetermined that commercial suborbital reusable launch vehicles (sRLVs) provide anopportunity to qualify a number of key space technologies in unique environments underaffordable and repeatable flight tests before committing to more expensive demonstrationsin Earth orbit or beyond. OCT has also determined that the research capabilities ofcommercial reusable suborbital vehicles can be broadened for NASA and other users bydeveloping and demonstrating vehicle enhancements and facilities for research-specificneeds.Such investments can improve or enable new spacecraft capabilities and hold thepromise of reduced costs and greater availability of near-space research capabilities forscience and technology demonstration. To this end, the Flight Opportunities Program incooperation with the Game Changing Technology Division plans in the near future tosolicit proposals from entrepreneurs, scientists, technologists, instrument builders,research managers, vehicle builders, and vehicle operators. As a first step in this process, the Program has identified three technologydemonstration components that can utilize or enhance research flights aboard commercialreusable suborbital vehicles: (1) Payloads to Demonstrate Space Technologies, (2)Demonstration of Vehicle Technology Enhancements, and (3) Deployment of onboard ResearchFacilities for Technology Testing and Demonstration. The Program has also selected fordevelopment a sub-set of technology areas from OCTs draft Space Technology Roadmaps(http://www.nasa.gov/offices/oct/home/roadmaps/index.html). Topics have been identifiedfor each of the technology demonstration components listed above. The purpose of the Request for Information (RFI) is to solicit (1) interest in thetechnology development topics provided in Attachment 1; (2) interest in other spacetechnology roadmap areas; and (3) comments regarding how such technology development canfurther OCTs goals, as well as industry goals. Specifically, the Government issoliciting:(1) Interest regarding potential technology demonstration payloads that can utilize theenvironments provided by commercial sRLVs that fit into any of the categories describedin sections 2.1.1 through 2.1.11 of Attachment 1.(2) Comments regarding other potential technology demonstration payload topic areas thatcan utilize the environments provided by commercial sRLVs beyond those listed in section2.1 of Attachment 1.(3) Interest regarding potential technology enhancements that fit within the topic areasdefined in section 2.2.1 through 2.2.9 of Attachment 1 for sRLVs and additional specialcapabilities necessary to fly and/or integrate any such payload.(4) Comments for additional technology enhancement topic areas for sRLVs that go beyondthose listed in section 2.2 of Attachment 1.(5) Interest regarding potential onboard research facilities that fit into the categoriesdescribed in sections 2.3.1 through 2.3.4 of Attachment 1 and could leverage and utilizethe environments that are provided by sRLVs.(6) Comments for additional topic areas (beyond those covered in section 2.3 ofAttachment 1) which would leverage and utilize the environments that are provided bysRLVs. No solicitation exists; therefore, do not request a copy of the solicitation. If asolicitation is released it will be synopsized in FedBizOpps and on the NASA AcquisitionInternet Service. It is the potential offerors responsibility to monitor these sites forthe release of any solicitation or synopsis. This document is for information and planning purposes, to conduct market research, aswell as to promote competition. The Government encourages all segments of industry,academia, and government to reply with information regarding how their technologypayload, sRLV technology enhancement or onboard research facilities could benefit fromthe environments that are provided by sRLVs. Technologists and researchers interested indeveloping and flying their technology demonstration payloads on sRLVs as well as sRLVproviders with suggestions for technology enhancements are encouraged to respond to thisRFI. Responses should be submitted in Adobe PDF or Microsoft Word format, and are limited tofive (5) pages in length. Responses should include the following (as applicable): nameand address of the firm; size of business; average annual revenue for past 3 years andnumber of employees; ownership; whether they are large, or any category of smallbusiness, number of years in business; affiliate information: parent company, jointventure partners, potential teaming partners, prime contractor (if potential sub) orsubcontractors (if potential prime); list of customers covering the past five years(highlight relevant work performed, contract numbers, contract type, dollar value of eachprocurement; and point of contact - address and phone number).This information isseparate from the responses to Attachment 1 and is not included in the five pagelimitation.Responses should be forwarded to L.K. Kubendran via electronic transmission(laguduva.r.kubendran@nasa.gov) by October 2, 2011. Please reference NNL11OCTGCD-2 inany response. All responses are to be for general access by Government evaluators. If so requested inyour response, all information received from this RFI will be considered confidential andproprietary, however, NASA may use responses to aid the drafting of an open solicitationfor research investigations. It is not NASAs intent to publicly disclose proprietaryinformation obtained during this RFI. To the full extent that it is protected pursuant tothe Freedom of Information Act and other laws and regulations, information identified bya respondent as Proprietary or Confidential will be kept confidential. It is emphasizedthat this RFI is for planning and information purposes only, and is NOT to be construedas a commitment by the Government to enter into a contractual agreement, nor will theGovernment pay for information solicited. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation. Respondents deemedfully qualified will be considered in any resultant solicitation for the requirement. TheGovernment reserves the right to consider a small business or 8(a) set-aside based onresponses hereto. Technical questions should be directed to L.K. Kubendran (laguduva.r.kubendran@nasa.gov). All other questions should be directed to LaShonda Jacobs-Terry(Lashonda.P.Jacobs-Terry@nasa.gov). Any referenced notes may be viewed at the followingURLs linked below.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/NASA/LaRC/OPDC20220/NNL11OCTGCD-2/listing.html)
- Record
- SN02561472-W 20110904/110902235415-7f3d35bf350c0b4fa0c56c2ddfa17ea9 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
| FSG Index | This Issue's Index | Today's FBO Daily Index Page |