SOURCES SOUGHT
A -- NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION {NASA} - CENTENNIAL CHALLENGESPROGRAM - MARS ASCENT VEHICLE CHALLENGE - REQUEST FOR INFORMATION {RFI}
- Notice Date
- 4/9/2014
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541712
— Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)
- Contracting Office
- NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA Headquarters Acquisition Branch, Code210.H, Greenbelt, MD 20771
- ZIP Code
- 20771
- Solicitation Number
- NNH14STMD003L
- Response Due
- 5/30/2014
- Archive Date
- 4/9/2015
- Point of Contact
- Dr Larry P Cooper, Program Executive for Centennial Challenges, Phone 202-358-1531, Fax 202-358-3223, Email HQ-STMD-CentennialChallenges@mail.nasa.gov
- E-Mail Address
-
Dr Larry P Cooper
(HQ-STMD-CentennialChallenges@mail.nasa.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- 1. SUMMARY The Centennial Challenges Program is NASAs flagship program for technology prize competitions (www.nasa.gov/challenges). The program is an integral part of NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate, which is innovating, developing, testing, and flying hardware for use in NASA's future missions. The Centennial Challenges Program directly engages the public, academia, and industry in open prize competitions to stimulate innovation in technologies that have benefit to NASA and the nation. For more information about NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/spacetech. The Centennial Challenges program is seeking input on a Mars Ascent Vehicle challenge being considered for start in 2014. The challenge focuses on highly reliable and autonomous sample insertion, preparation, launch and deployment for Mars Ascent Vehicle Cache Sequence Demonstration. The purposes of this RFI are: (1) to gather feedback on the competition being considered, the prize amounts and distribution structure, (2) to determine the level of interest in potentially competing in this challenge, and (3) to understand the applicability of the challenge capabilities for other non-government applications. Specific information sought is detailed in Section 6. Responses should be submitted in Adobe PDF or Microsoft Word format and are limited to five (5) pages in length. Responses should include (as applicable): name, address, email address, and phone number of the respondent, business, or organization, with point of contact for business or organization. This RFI is seeking feedback on the competition phases, the prize amounts and distribution structure, and/or interest in competing in any or all phases of this Challenge. Comments must be submitted in electronic form no later than 5:00pm Eastern DST May 30, 2014 to Dr. Larry Cooper at e-mail address: HQ-STMD-CentennialChallenges@mail.nasa.gov. Use MAV Challenge on the Subject line. NASA welcomes all segments of industry, academia, and government, including associations, innovators, and enthusiasts to reply to this RFI. This RFI is for informational/planning purposes only and the Government will not be responsible for any cost associated with preparing information in support of this RFI. This RFI is NOT to be construed as a commitment by the government to enter into any agreement or other obligation or to conduct a Mars Ascent Vehicle Challenge. This notice is issued in accordance with the NASA Prize Authority, 51 U.S.C. 20144. Responses may be made available for public review and should not include proprietary information.Submitted information will be shared within NASA and with contractor personnel associated with the NASA Centennial Challenges Program. All responses are to be for general access by government reviewers. For general information on the NASA Centennial Challenges Program see: http://www.nasa.gov/challenges. The point of contact is Dr. Larry Cooper, Program Executive, Centennial Challenges Program, NASA Headquarters. 2. BACKGROUND NASA is considering initiating a MAV Challenge to incentivize the demonstration of sample handling systems with high autonomy and high reliability. The robotic Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission baseline architecture includes a sample to be cached on the surface of Mars for an extended duration. A following mission must land a MAV with relatively close proximity to the cache, grapple the cache, insert the cache into a horizontal MAV, seal and erect the MAV, then finally launch and deploy the sample container into Mars orbit. This chain of events will be performed without human intervention beyond potential go/no-go decisions. 3. CHALLENGE DESCRIPTION This Mars Ascent Vehicle Challenge would provide opportunities to evaluate a wide range of innovative methods to insert the sample, provide sample containment, erect the launch vehicle and deploy the sample container with limited human intervention and validate a reliable methodology. This challenge especially seeks to engage the amateur robotics and rocketry communities to provide solutions. The Challenge would award prizes for successful demonstration of an end-to-end autonomous operation to sequentially accomplish the following tasks: picking up the sample, inserting the sample into a single stage rocket in a horizontal position, erecting the rocket, launching the rocket to an altitude not less than 800m, deploying a sample container with the cache internally sealed and landing the container at less than 6m/s terminal velocity. 4. DRAFT CHALLENGE RULES AND COMPETITION STRUCTURE Based upon responses to this RFI, NASA plans to develop detailed written challenge rules (Rules). The Rules will include specific milestones, entrance, review and acceptance criteria, and prize award criteria. The final Rules would be the official specification of the competition structure. A requirement is being considered that at least one person on each team be a certified Level 2 member of either Tripoli Rocketry Association or National Association of Rocketry. Milestones and Phases As currently envisioned, competitors will be provided the cache specifications, size and power limits for the competitors remotely controlled robotic arm, mobile platform, and rocket. Competitors will meet a series of requirements prior to the head-to-head competition and then complete a demonstration on the day of the competition. 1)The team must submit a design review package 2)The team must complete a failure modes, effects and criticality analysis (FMECA) 3)The team must submit video updates of their system development and testing On the day of competition: 4)A sample cache will be placed at a predefined location in close proximity to the competitors system. The competitor will use their remotely controlled robotic arm and mobile platform to secure the sample cache and insert the sample cache into the ascent rocket while it is in a horizontal position. The competitor will then remotely erect the rocket, standby for range safety approval, launch, achieve at least 800 meter altitude, and then eject the sample container, and recover the sample container. Awards NASA plans to offer the following prizes: Award 1: $50,000 will be awarded to the team with the lowest total system mass that completes all tasks. $100,000 will be split amongst the top five (5) teams that successfully complete all objectives. The first tiebreaker will be the fewest number of single point failure identified in the FMECA task. The second tiebreaker will be the smallest distance above the minimum 800 meter target altitude of deployment. A bonus of $25,000 will be awarded to teams that successfully complete all tasks and also utilize a cache containment vessel in the rocket with a hermetic seal suitable for use in vacuum. 5. INFORMATION SOUGHT NASA seeks information and comments on the following: a.Competition Name Please suggest official names that best, succinctly, characterize this Centennial Challenge. Please provide comments on how the naming could increase the public interest in the prize competition. What other actions should be taken to increase public interest? b.Competition Milestones and Phases Are there aspects of the challenge competition metrics that should be added, modified, or deleted? Are there concerns or other considerations regarding technical requirements? How could the Milestones and Phases be better structured? c.Competition Awards NASA anticipates that up to $250,000 in prizes will be available. How could the award levels and distribution structure best incentivize participation and technical progress? d.Technology Development and Utilization Are there specific emerging breakthrough technologies that are applicable to the competition? Are there specific commercial space and/or non-space related applications for the capability? Are there ways to adjust the competition metrics that would assist with the synergy with commercial space and/or non-space applicability? e.Interest Are you interested in participating in this competition? How would a requirement that at least one person on each team be a certified Level 2 member of either Tripoli Rocketry Association or National Association of Rocketry impact you? Should NASA specify a robotic arm for use in the competition? Are there other barriers that can be addressed in the formulation of these challenges? 6. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: This RFI is seeking feedback on the competition phases, the prize amounts and distribution structure, and/or interest in competing in any or all phases of this Challenge. Comments must be submitted no later than 5:00pm Eastern DST May 30, 2014 to Dr. Larry Cooper at e-mail address: HQ-STMD-CentennialChallenges@mail.nasa.gov. Use MAV Challenge on the Subject line. For general information on the NASA Centennial Challenges Program see: http://www.nasa.gov/challenges. The point of contact is Dr. Larry Cooper, Program Executive, Centennial Challenges Program, NASA Headquarters. 7. ELIGIBILITY TO PARTICIPATE IN CHALLENGES In the event that NASA does initiate this challenge, NASA will post a public notice in the Federal Register. At that time, all individuals or entities that wish to participate in the challenge must register as members of a team and enter into an agreement with the designated challenge management organization. No teams will be accepted for these competitions that include foreign nationals who are not permanent residents of the United States. The sole exception is for U.S based educational institutions, which may have up to 50% foreign national students on their teams. No team members may be from countries listed on the NASA list of designated countries. (The current list of designated countries can be found at http://oiir.hq.nasa.gov/nasaecp/ ). Teams cannot include any Federal entity or Federal employee acting within the scope of their employment. This includes any U.S. Government organization or organization principally or substantially funded by the Federal Government, including Federally Funded Research and Development Centers, Government-owned, contractor operated (GOCO) facilities, and University Affiliated Research Centers. NASA and other federal agencies may work with and provide technical support to participating teams as long as it is done on an equitable basis. That is, similar requests are dealt with in a similar fashion, be it access to facilities, testing, scientific consultation, or other services. This does not obligate NASA or other federal agencies to provide the support. These services may be at no cost or on a cost reimbursable basis as determined by the subject federal agency in accordance with law and policy. Registration and participation in a challenge does not entitle a participant to a NASA-funded prize. To be eligible to win a NASA funded prize, the competitor must (1) register and comply with all requirements in the rules and enter into a team agreement; (2) in the case of a private entity, shall be incorporated in and maintain a primary place of business in the United States, and in the case of an individual, whether participating singly or in a group, shall be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States; and (3) shall not be a Federal entity or Federal employee acting within the scope of their employment.
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