SPECIAL NOTICE
A -- Request for Information-Hosted Environmental Assessment of LEO Radiation
- Notice Date
- 4/22/2013
- Notice Type
- Special Notice
- NAICS
- 541712
— Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)
- Contracting Office
- Department of the Air Force, Air Force Space Command, SMC - Space and Missile Systems Center, 483 North Aviation Blvd, El Segundo, California, 90245-2808
- ZIP Code
- 90245-2808
- Solicitation Number
- 13-64
- Archive Date
- 5/18/2013
- Point of Contact
- Shelby C. Sommer, Phone: 3106539650, Erin L. Orthmeyer, Phone: 3106539050
- E-Mail Address
-
shelby.sommer@us.af.mil, Erin.Orthmeyer.ctr@us.af.mil
(shelby.sommer@us.af.mil, Erin.Orthmeyer.ctr@us.af.mil)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- I. Description / Purpose: I.1. The Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC), Development Planning (XR) and Weather Systems (WM) Directorates, Los Angeles Air Force Base, California are contemplating the feasibility of industry to support the Hosted Environmental Assessment of LEO Radiation (HEALER) project. This effort seeks to use commercially hosted payloads to deliver timely space weather data to satisfy operational requirements more cost effectively than stand-alone spacecraft. Energetic particle radiation in space can interfere with communications, damage spacecraft, and affect human health. Observing and monitoring space weather in real time is of critical importance to both our defense and national economy. The intent is to quickly and affordably provide the Government the ability to rapidly and accurately assess the impacts of space weather hazards. The Government believes this is possible through hosting at least 25-100 pods of small dosimeters (1-4 dosimeters per pod, one pod per satellite) on commercial hosts scheduled for fielding no later than 2018. A dosimeter is a solid state sensor designed to measure the total dose of energetic particles impacting a silicon detector target. For the purposes of this RFI, the Government has selected a micro-dosimeter designed by The Aerospace Corporation and manufactured under license by Teledyne Microelectronics, Part Number: µDOS-001. The host would be responsible for the integration, test, launch, and operation of this Government Furnished Equipment (GFE). I.2. SMC is issuing this RFI as part of its market research to determine industry's ability to satisfy this requirement. SMC is deeply committed to maximizing commercial hosting opportunities to reduce the time and cost of space access for USAF programs. Consequently, SMC is requesting companies able to meet HEALER requirements to provide information detailing their capabilities and corporate qualifications pertaining to this scope of work. I.3. The Air Force will use the following requirements to determine industry's ability to meet HEALER needs: 1) Launch Schedule and Lifecycle- Currently, the Air Force desires the dosimeter pods on orbit in the 2017-2018 timeframe. The Government requires a 15 year operational life of the host to ensure adequate space weather coverage. 2) Coverage and Revisit Rate - To meet operational and scientific requirements, the host shall have the ability to provide 100% global coverage with a revisit rate of approximately three hours, for a two degree longitude by thirty degree latitude box. 3) Orbit/Altitude - A polar orbit with an inclination of no less than sixty degrees is preferred. Typical LEO altitudes can be accommodated provided the orbit lifetime of the operational system meets the 15 year operational requirement. 4) Power: Each host shall have up to 3W of available power. 5) Mass: The host shall have up to 3kg of available mass. 6) Thermal Conditions - The micro-dosimeter pod requires an operating temperature of -30 C to +40 C and a storage temperature of -40 C to +110 C. 7) Telemetry - The micro-dosimeter pod produces telemetry that includes its data once per second when on and requires a transmission rate of 280 bps. The data packet is 35 bytes and includes pod serial number, temperature and ADC reference, 2 micro-dosimeter medium range outputs once per second, 2 micro-dosimeter low range outputs that are sampled once per 100 msec. 8) Data Latency - Data latency, the time from collection to being made available to the end user, shall be less than five (5) minutes. 9) Launch Vehicle Origin and Launch Location - The HEALER project office is pursuing a waiver to US Transportation Policy requiring US Government payloads to be launched on space launch vehicles manufactured in the US. Therefore, potential hosts using non-US manufactured launch vehicles and locations are considered viable for this RFI. II. White Paper Content: Interested industry respondents are requested to provide a White Paper that includes answers/information with regards to the following questions/requests: II.1 Technical Competency - Discuss your company's ability to satisfy the requirements listed in Section I.3 above. Responses should include a high-level integration and launch schedule, adequate demonstration of the ability to meet coverage and revisit rate requirements, and a high-level CONOPS for ground operations. II.2 Corporate Capabilities - Briefly discuss you company's experience related to projects similar in size, complexity, and scope of HEALER. II.3 Rough Order Magnitude (ROM) Costs - Provide a summary of estimated ROM lifecycle costs by year based on the technical requirements listed in Section I.3 for the full 15 year life. If possible, address Satellite Scarring (hosting NRE), Satellite Integration & Test, Liability Insurance, Hosting Fee, and Operations & Maintenance. II.4 Small Business Participation - Respondents should indicate whether they meet criteria for a small business. Small business criteria are listed in Section IV. All other respondents are asked to provide percentage estimates (small business dollar component divided by estimated total contract value) for nominal small business subcontracting possibilities for the notional HEALER project. The term "nominal" signifies the amount of small business subcontracting the contractor would employ without any requirement or goal being imposed by the Government, i.e., the amount that would generate the most efficiencies for the contractor and the Government. III. Industry Day: An industry day session may be scheduled, based on the results of the RFI. RFI respondents may be invited to participate in supplemental industry day one-on-one discussions with the Government to discuss their White Paper information in greater detail. However, failure to respond to the RFI does not preclude proposal submittal or industry day participation if a formal acquisition is announced. IV. Small Business Consideration: The NAICS code for this project is 541712. The Small Business size standard is: 1,000 employees. The applicable classification code is "A- Research & Development." The Small Business point of contact is Mr. Willard Strozier at 310-653-1108. Participation from small and small disadvantaged businesses is highly encouraged. However, only companies able to meet the stringent schedule and technical requirements as host prime contractors should respond to this RFI. V. White Paper Classification: Respondents shall provide an unclassified response to this RFI. Respondents shall indicate whether their responses contain proprietary information if the respondents wish for the responses to be handled as such. VI. White Paper Format: Responses shall not exceed ten (10) pages. The Government will not consider pages in excess of ten (10) pages. Page size shall be 8.5 x 11; text font size shall be no smaller than 11 pt; font size within graphics and tables shall be no smaller than 8 pt. The White Paper front matter such as transmittal letter, cover page, and table of contents will not count against the page limit. The Government will not accept company literature or marketing materials in response to this RFI. VII. Response Due Date: 1600 PST, 03 May 2013. VIII. Submission Instructions: Submit an electronic copy in either PDF format or Microsoft Word format to Mr. Shelby Sommer, at Shelby.Sommer@us.af.mil by the Response Due Date. Hard copy responses will not be accepted. IX. Questions: All communication associated with this RFI shall be submitted via email to Mr. Shelby Sommer or Ms. Erin Orthmeyer, at Erin.Orthmeyer.ctr@us.af.mil. X. Point of Contact: Technical: Capt Dan Kimmich, Program Manager, Daniel.Kimmich.1@us.af.mil or (310) 653-9106 Primary: Mr. Shelby Sommer, Contract Support, at Shelby.Sommer@losangeles.af.mil or (310) 653-9650 Alternate: Ms. Erin Orthmeyer, Acquisition Support, at Erin.Orthmeyer.ctr@us.af.mil or (310) 653-9050 XI. DECLARATION: This synopsis is not a formal solicitation. The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this synopsis, or to otherwise pay for the information solicited herein. Responses will be used by the Government for informational purposes only as part of its acquisition planning. Information obtained from responses to this RFI will not be used to exclude potential future bidders on the HEALER acquisition.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/USAF/AFSC/SMCSMSC/13-64/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: SMC/XR, Los Angeles Air Force Base, 483 N. Aviation Blvd., El Segundo, California, 90254, United States
- Zip Code: 90254
- Zip Code: 90254
- Record
- SN03041817-W 20130424/130422233958-d72af82d0322ab0fa1e3d6b714cfdd41 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
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