SOURCES SOUGHT
A -- Alternative Airborne Surveillance Systems for Beyond Visual Line of Sight Unmanned Aircraft Systems Detect and Avoid
- Notice Date
- 6/10/2016
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541712
— Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)
- Contracting Office
- NASA/Armstrong Flight Research Center, Code A, P.O. Box 273, Mail Stop 4811-140, Edwards, California, 93523-0273, United States
- ZIP Code
- 93523-0273
- Solicitation Number
- NND16828627L
- Archive Date
- 7/12/2016
- Point of Contact
- UAS-NAS, , Rosalia Toberman, Phone: (661)276-3931
- E-Mail Address
-
afrc-uas-nas@mail.nasa.gov, rosalia.toberman@nasa.gov
(afrc-uas-nas@mail.nasa.gov, rosalia.toberman@nasa.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- Alternative Airborne Surveillance Systems for Beyond Visual Line of Sight Unmanned Aircraft Systems Detect and Avoid Request for Information This Request for Information (RFI) is issued by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration - Armstrong Flight Research Center to solicit responses from interested parties. This document is for information and planning purposes and to allow industry the opportunity to verify reasonableness and feasibility of the requirement, as well as promote competition. Prospective offerors are invited to submit written comments or questions to: UAS-NAS Project Team, Email afrc-uas-nas@mail.nasa.gov. When responding reference "Alternative Airborne Surveillance Systems for Beyond Visual Line of Sight UAS Detect and Avoid". This presolicitation/request for information synopsis is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government, nor will the Government pay for the information submitted in response. Respondents will not be notified of the results. NASA is seeking information for potential sources and partners for the development and testing of alternative airborne surveillance systems for UAS detect and avoid (DAA) operating beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) in airspace Classes D, E, and G. Background: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Integration in the National Airspace System (NAS) (UAS-NAS) Project within the Integrated Aviation Systems Program of the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate is soliciting information through this Request for Information (RFI) in support of the next phase of the project from FY17 - FY20. The Project goal is to provide research findings supporting the development and validation of detect and avoid (DAA) and command and control (C2) technologies necessary for integrating UAS into the NAS with airborne system tests. The next phase of the UAS-NAS Project will continue to focus on DAA and C2 technologies that are ready to be transitioned to implementation on unmanned vehicles, specifically to develop RTCA Special Committee (SC) - 228 Minimum Operational Performance Standards (MOPS). To that end, integrated flight tests in FY18 and FY19 and simulations throughout the project are planned to support the development of the standards. This RFI will focus on airborne DAA sensors. A separate RFI will focus on Ground Based Sense and Avoid technologies. The project will utilize the RFI responses to gauge the industry state-of-the-art for DAA technologies, assessment of technology readiness levels, and determination of a future partnership strategy to accomplish research leading to DAA standards. RTCA SC-228 is currently finalizing Phase 1 MOPS for DAA systems for large unmanned aircraft (UA) that could "fly in airspace normally frequented by commercial transport aircraft... and...are capable of carrying relatively large and high-power sensor systems such as primary radar." Phase 2 MOPS is scheduled to commence development in 2016 and will encompass a broad range of civil UAS capable of operations Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS). These operations, at a minimum will take place in Class D, E and G, but could take place in all classes of airspace for the entire duration of a flight (i.e., extended operations). The Phase 2 MOPS will also consider DAA requirements for both towered and non-towered airfields, and off-airfield recovery sites within Class G airspace. The focus of this RFI is to understand the state-of-the-art of potential airborne substitutes of the Phase 1 surveillance sensors that require less size, weight, and power (SWaP). Applicable sensors would be relevant to UAs operating under IFR at or above 500 feet and BVLOS that are unable to carry a large surveillance sensor but still need to surveil their surroundings and detect other aircraft. Examples of these technologies include, but are not limited to, electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR), light detection and ranging (LIDAR), relatively reduced SWaP radar, or relatively reduced SWaP Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B). These surveillance systems will be tested in order to develop, verify, and validate DAA/surveillance Phase 2 MOPS draft performance requirements by collecting performance data in relevant laboratory simulations and flight environments. The results of this testing may necessitate the modification of the surveillance system and/or proposing modifications to the draft DAA/surveillance performance requirements. In addition, NASA is seeking information about unmanned or optionally-piloted aircraft owned by the responder or responding partners where these technologies are currently being, or could potentially be, installed for flight testing activities. Information of interest pertaining to unmanned or optionally-piloted aircraft includes aircraft size, aircraft equipage, ground-control station information, and speed/altitude/turn aircraft performance envelope. Additional specific information is provided below. The intended partnership between NASA and one or more industry partners will jointly: develop the concepts for integration of the surveillance system into a DAA system, perform simulation experiments with computer models of the surveillance system, and execute flight testing of surveillance system in a relevant environment. The development and testing of an alternative airborne surveillance system is targeted for all classes of UAS able to operate under IFR, at or above 500 ft., and BVLOS. Qualified providers are considered to be U.S. commercial entities that are established and recognized manufacturers of avionics equipment and/or associated communication/navigation/surveillance hardware, who have previous history in the successful development of air traffic surveillance systems. Interested companies are invited to submit specific information on any or all of the following topics: 1. Candidate surveillance systems that meet the intent of this RFI, their technologies, performance, and limitations. Discussions should include topics such as: update rates, surveillance field of regard and range (minimum and maximum), maximum number of detected/tracked intruders, minimize intruder size, Interface Control Document (ICD) inputs and outputs, track integration and filtering, environmental/airspace limitations, latencies, installation requirements, detection accuracy, available computer models, test conditions, and pertinent test results. 2. Any unmanned/optionally-piloted aircraft that is equipped or could be equipped with candidate system, if applicable. Discussions should include aircraft size, aircraft equipage (ADS-B, Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance (TCAS)-I, TCAS-II, differential Global Positioning System (dGPS), etc.), endurance, ground-control station information, speed/altitude/turn aircraft performance envelope, command and control, navigation, i.e. waypoint and/or autopilot holds, and on-board data logging. 3. Include both ground and flight test data of the respective surveillance system (if available). 4. Possible airborne surveillance system architectures for UAS DAA systems. 5. Discuss relevant company experience in developing and civil certification of this system, or similar systems. 6. The company's potential to provide their sensor, ICD, integration support, etc. to NASA as an in-kind partnership in exchange for Flight Test. Companies should be willing to allow NASA to use the data in support of MOPS. Information shall be kept to a maximum of 25 slides or 5-page document per sensor. The same limit applies to aircraft information, if applicable. Submissions exceeding these limits will not be considered. Keeping responses as consolidated as possible is encouraged. Submittal Instructions: 1. Please send relevant literature and information to: E-mail address: afrc-uas-nas@mail.nasa.gov or Mailing Address NASA-Armstrong Flight Research Center, P.O. Box 273 M/S S323, Edwards, CA 93523. 2. Such information shall include as a minimum, a brief description of your relevant company capabilities, products and services, history, and other specific information as requested in this RFI. However, specific information related to any or all of the topics identified above is desired. As part of your information package, please include company Technical Point(s) of Contact including address, telephone number and e-mail address. 3. At its discretion, NASA may request further discussions and/or clarification of the information. If agreeable to both parties, such discussions may take place via teleconferencing or on-site visit to one of the NASA facilities at the responders' expense. If they do occur, discussions will be constrained to a two hour time duration, and will consist of vendor presentations and subsequent discussions of the presented material only. Representatives from NASA and their Contractors may be present for such discussions.
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- Record
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