SOURCES SOUGHT
A -- Partnership Opportunity Document (POD) for NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Small Explorer-1 Concept Access to Space dated July 2016 - POD Information in .pdf
- Notice Date
- 7/18/2016
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 336414
— Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing
- Contracting Office
- NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, 20771
- ZIP Code
- 20771
- Solicitation Number
- NASA-GSFC-POD-SMALL-EXPLORER-1-CONCEPT-ACCESS-TO-SPACE
- Point of Contact
- Timothy Gehringer, Phone: 301-286-6831
- E-Mail Address
-
timothy.c.gehringer@nasa.gov
(timothy.c.gehringer@nasa.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- POD information in pdf document to include picture as Figure 1. Partnership Opportunity Document (POD) for NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Small Explorer-1 Concept Access to Space dated July 2016 1.0INTRODUCTION/SCOPE This proposal opportunity is in response to the NASA Announcement of Opportunity (AO), NNH16ZDA003J, for the 2016 Small Explorer (SMEX) element of the Heliophysics Explorer Program. NASA's GSFC is developing a mission concept to be proposed for this AO. The partnership opportunity is being issued to select a teaming partner to provide access to space; including pre-launch mission integration, test (I&T) and launch support. The proposed mission is currently in pre-Phase A. This phase ends with a (step-1) proposal that will be due 3 months after the AO is released. If the proposal is selected, the SMEX-1 mission will proceed into Phase A, per NASA Procedural Requirement (NPR) 7120.5E (e.g. http://nodis3.gsfc.nasa.gov/main_lib.html), to produce a step-2 Concept Study Report (CSR) and Site Visit. If the step-2 CSR is selected, the mission will proceed into Phase B for implementation. The following schedule should be used as a basis for responses to this opportunity: Partnership Opportunity Document released: July 18, 2016 Responses due: August 1, 2016 Partner Selection announced: August 15, 2016 SMEX AO Released: July 13, 2016 Proposal submittal in response to 2016 SMEX AO: October 14, 2016 Step-1 Selections Announced: (target)Spring 2017 Initiate Phase A Concept Studies: (target)Spring 2017 Phase A Concept Study Reports Due: (target)Spring 2018 Down-select for Flight: (target)Fall 2018 Launch Readiness date: NLT August 2022 1.1COST The cost cap for this AO is $165M in Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 dollars. This cost includes the science instrument, spacecraft bus, instrument to spacecraft integration support, observatory integration & testing, ground systems, access to space and mission operations, management, safety & mission assurance, as well as required contingency (25% or greater reserves on Phases A-D). Reserves will be held at the Project level, and not with the partners. The fidelity and magnitude of the cost estimates significantly affect the mission selection likelihood. There will be no exchange of funds between the teaming partners for the development of the pre-Phase A (step-1) proposal. Funding will be available for subsequent phases (including Phase A) should the mission concept be selected. Selected Phase-A missions would receive $1 million in Real Year (RY) dollars to be allocated amongst partners at the discretion of the Principal Investigator (PI). The selected partner is expected to invest some of their own resources in developing the Phase A Concept Study and potentially supporting a Site Visit. 1.2DESIRED MISSION SERVICES NASA's GSFC is interested in formally establishing a partnership to provide access to space; including pre-launch mission I&T and launch support for an observatory payload to be provided by NASA's GSFC. All interested parties are required to respond to this POD in accordance with Section 5 below. 1.3PROPOSAL SUPPORT The selected POD respondent is expected to provide support using their own resources to help develop the required SMEX-1 (step-1) proposal elements in response to the SMEX AO pertinent to observatory accommodations, observatory to launch vehicle integration support, and launch support. This will involve meetings with the Project Team to help define the performance requirements, including developing preliminary Interface Control Documents (ICDs), the system architecture, to identify study topics, predict flight performance and provide cost estimates by mission phase. The period of performance for the pre-Phase A is expected to last approximately 3 months per the schedule in section 1.0. If the (step-1) proposal is selected for Phase A, the period of performance will extend from the date of selection through the submission of the CSR and Site Visit. If the mission is selected for development and launch (Phases B-D), the partner will be responsible for the design and development of the observatory accommodations, observatory to launch vehicle integration support, and launch support. The period of performance for this interval is expected to last approximately 3 years, starting late fall 2018. These dates and times may change depending on selection timelines and budget allocations or phasing.   2.0MISSION OVERVIEW The NASA's GSFC SMEX-1 concept consists of a sun-pointing observatory that shall be launched into a low Earth circular orbit of 600 km (+/-30 km). The desired orbit inclination is below 30 degrees to minimize exposure to high energy particles (e.g., South Atlantic Anomaly - SAA). Responses may include alternate rideshare options and orbit inclinations that may or may not be further evaluated in Phase A. The access to space concept(s) for the step-1 proposal will be selected based on the cost, schedule, and technical risk of each option available. The SMEX-1 mission has a minimum 24-month on-orbit operating time, with the possibility for an extended mission life. The SMEX-1 observatory mass will be less than 360 kgs and the Not-To-Exceed (NTE) launch volume is shown in Figure 1. The observatory interface is a 38-inch circular diameter. The launch loads shall be along the thrust vector (i.e., the observatory Z axis as shown in figure 1, to minimize the lateral loads on the observatory. The SMEX-1 mission will be a Category 3 mission (per NPR 7120.5E) with Class D payloads (per NPR 8705.4). The mission concept will be managed by the NASA's GSFC in collaboration with the partners. Figure 1 shows the observatory orientation with the static envelope dimensions in inches. Top is +Z (sun pointing), LV thrust vector --PLEASE SEE PICTURE IN ATTACHED PDF DOCUMENT -- Figure 1 - SMEX-1 Observatory NTE Volume and Orientation The mission concept will be managed by the NASA's GSFC in partnership with the chosen partner who will host the observatory. A proven access to space approach should be demonstrated in the response to this POD. 2.1LAUNCH VEHICLE The launch and related launch services are included in this partnership agreement. The partner should show heritage and previous launch experience for the access to space option proposed to provide the delivery of the observatory to space. Any prior experience the partner has dealing with the launch service provider shall also be described. The integration flow and launch environmental test levels (e.g. Launch loads and acoustic levels) must be provided. The mechanical, electrical, and thermal interfaces between the access to space method and observatory must be well defined by providing the NASA's GSFC SMEX-1 team with preliminary ICDs-post partnership selection to support the (step-1) proposal. Historic and predicted Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) costs for the observatory access to space option proposed shall be provided in response to this POD. The SMEX-1 mission is designed to be consistent with the AO requirements and the launch vehicle characteristics and capabilities provided in the "Expendable Launch Vehicle (ELV) Launch Services Information Summary" found in the Program library: http://explorers.larc.nasa.gov/HPSMEX/SMEX/programlibrary.html Alternate launch vehicles may be proposed provided they are compatible with the launch environments for the LVs referenced in this document. 2.2LAUNCH MANIFEST The vendor must provide a letter of commitment (by proposal due date) to manifest the NASA's GSFC SMEX-1 mission commensurate with the requirements of the 2016 SMEX AO for the observatory access to space requirements. The SMEX-1 mission should be ready for launch in November 2021 and is required to be launched no later than (NLT) June 2022. The vendor will also include costs associated with month-to-month delays in launch date for up to 9 months if a rideshare option is proposed. 3.0TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS 3.1GENERAL The access-to-space offered shall be compatible and appropriate for the mission described in Section 2.0 and the requirements described in Section 3.2. The SMEX-1 mission will be designated a Class D mission. 3.2RIDESHARE REQUIREMENTS NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD) has released the following guidelines for proposing access-to-space for the 2016 SMEX AO. (http://explorers.larc.nasa.gov/HPSMEX/pdf_files/2016-Helio-SMEX-AO-QA-rev12.pdf, Q-40). Additional guidance may be issued at any time. Proposers must ensure that their response is consistent with the extant guidance for the 2016 SMEX AO as of the date of their submission. Respond to each guideline and provide any additional details. Alternative access to space may include the provision of non-NASA launch services as primary, secondary, or co-manifested payloads on a U.S.- or foreign-manufactured launch vehicle. Proposals that include non-NASA launch services (purchased or contributed) obtained from a U.S. or non-U.S. partner shall meet the following requirements: •When flying as a co-manifested or secondary payload, the proposer must demonstrate a commitment from the proposed co-manifested or primary mission organization(s) to accommodate the proposed payload or demonstrate that the launch services provider has an appropriate process to provide specific launch services; these commitments must be documented in a Letter from the appropriate organization(s). •The proposal must identify the launch opportunity and must provide evidence in the proposal that the launch service provider agrees to manifest the mission should the proposal be selected and confirmed for flight by NASA. This evidence must include a Letter from the launch services provider containing, at a minimum, the following information: oEvidence that the launch services provider will provide the services described in the proposal under the conditions (cost, schedule) described in the proposal; oA description of the opportunity (or opportunities, if more than one under consideration) that the launch service provider can offer for consideration by the PI; and oA description of the process that the launch service provider will use in order to commit to the PI to provide specific launch services for the proposed investigation, should NASA select the proposed investigation; this process description must include a notional schedule for identifying the specific launch opportunity and definitizing the cost. •The proposal must describe the launch services, demonstrate compatibility with the proposed launch vehicle, and show how the provider will fulfill the mission requirements. •The proposal must describe the arrangement between the PI and the non-NASA launch service provider to enable the PI's insight for launch services, consistent with NASA Procedural Documents (NPD) 8610.7 and 8610.23. Note that these NPDs allow unique arrangements for payloads able to tolerate more risk. NASA will develop an advisory approach based on the insight the PI is provided from the non-NASA launch service provider. The proposal budget must include $2.0M for the NASA launch vehicle monitoring functions and advisory services that would enable NASA to review and advise the PI on launch vehicle information from the non-NASA launch service provider. •For proposed secondary or co-manifested missions, or for missions proposed as hosted payloads, the PI assumes all risk for any delays in the implementation of the parent mission and shall, therefore, propose appropriate reserves for such schedule contingencies. Proposal shall include a minimum 9 months funded schedule reserve for this risk. Proposal shall provide justification for the schedule risk. Alternative access to space options involves several complex issues at this stage of project maturity. It is in the proposer's best interest to clearly support the maturity of their plan and access to space possibilities. The minimum expectations for access to space arrangements must be included in the proposal to the level of detail outlined above. Any additional evidence of maturity or commitment provided will be used to support risk posture. 4.0STATEMENT OF WORK During the proposal preparation period, the partner will participate as part of the mission proposal team. Statements of Work (SOWs) are not required for the proposal. However, they are required before the Phase A work can begin. Therefore, the partner shall provide a draft statement of work during the proposal effort that defines general task statements for Phases A through D. SOWs will include the following as a minimum: Scope of Work, Deliverables (including documentation), and Government Responsibilities (as applicable). SOWs need not be more than a few pages in length. 5.0POD RESPONSE INSTRUCTIONS, FORMAT, AND SELECTION CRITERIA 5.1NOTICE OF INTEREST Potential respondents are asked to contact the GSFC team with a Notice Of Interest (intentionally not called a notice of intent). This Notice of Interest does not create an obligation to respond to the POD, but allows the GSFC team to disseminate additional details to provide answers to questions from potential partners. Notice of Interest respondents may receive additional details on the mission of interest, which can be used to facilitate a focused response to the partnership opportunity. These details are competition sensitive and are not to be shared outside the teams necessary to prepare a full response. Respondents may send questions to the GSFC point of contact (POC) listed below. All questions and answers will be made available to all those who respond to the Notice of Interest. The identity of the source of the questions shall be held confidential. Questions and answers that contain information unique to a respondent's proprietary approach will not be shared if they are identified as such. Notice of Interest shall be sent to the POC listed in Section 8.0 via email with ‘Notice of Interest' in the subject line, a simple sentence or two expressing interest and an email address to send further information. 5.2INSTRUCTIONS The respondent shall: •Provide demonstrated flight heritage for providing access to space; including rideshares and launch services. •Demonstrate understanding and quantified experience in the design, integration, and testing of launching observatories and rideshare missions. The response shall describe the cost, schedule, and risk of each orbit and access to space options. •Describe the approach for accommodating an observatory access to space opportunity. Describe your rideshare approach, including 1) schedule (with key milestones defined); 2) documentation requirements; 3) analysis requirements; 4) hardware requirements; 5) testing requirements; 6) integration requirements; 7) safety & mission assurance requirements; 8) budget phasing requirements; and any other additional details. Include your process, timeline, documentation requirements, analysis requirements, and any other relevant information. •Identify the technical maturity/qualification of the proposed access to space opportunity. If the launch opportunity has not already been demonstrated, the respondent shall describe how these items will be demonstrated, including a timeline for this demonstration, before it is required for this mission. •Describe the approach for supporting the proposal and the mission development, including the level of support that the partner plans to make available for each activity and the names of those individuals who will actively participate in the writing of the proposal. •Provide a brief statement of work defining participation in the proposal. •Provide an estimated cost from initial selection (Phase A) onward for all the activities including mission design, integration and testing, and launch services. The response shall include a brief discussion of the uncertainty in the cost estimate. Include the cost estimate for different orbits and access to space opportunities. •Demonstrate compliance to the mission described in Section 2.0 and the requirements in Section 3, 5.3FORMAT The response to this partnership opportunity is limited to 30 slides. Excluded from the page count are the cover letter, title pages, table of contents, and acronym list. Partners may attach additional appendices that further describe their capabilities, although GSFC is under no obligation to include the contents of such appendices in the evaluation of the offer package. The entire offer package, including any cover letter, title pages, and other supporting material, shall be formatted as a Portable Document Format (PDF) file delivered to the E-mail address in section 8.0. Offerors may be contacted after submission to schedule a telecom or face-to-face walk-through of their material. All offerors will be given the same opportunity to present. 6.0EVALUATION FACTORS AND CRITERIA The evaluation team will use the following factors in selection and award: 1.Technical Approach (30%). Offerors will be evaluated on their ability to meet the access to space technical requirements given in Section 3. This includes demonstrated understanding of the requirements and proposed approach to meet those requirements. 2.Cost (40%). Offerors will be evaluated on their overall cost and on the reasonableness of cost and schedule estimates. 3.Relevant Experience and Past Performance (30%). Special emphasis will be given to demonstrated experience with similar missions. 7.0POINT OF CONTACT: Questions about this POD should be directed to Tim Gehringer (Phone: 301-286-6831, Email: timothy.c.gehringer@nasa.gov). 8.0FINAL DUE DATE OF POD RESPONSE The response to the POC is due no later than 5 p.m. ET on August 1, 2016. The electronic PDF document shall be sent to Tim Gehringer (Email: timothy.c.gehringer@nasa.gov) It is the responsibility of potential respondents to monitor the FBO.gov for further information concerning this POD: http://fbo.gov 9.0ACRONYMS AO: Announcement of Opportunity CBE: Current Best Estimate CSR: Concept Study Report DC: Direct Current ELV: Expendable Launch Vehicle FY: Fiscal Year GSFC: Goddard Space Flight Center I & T: Integration & Test ICD: Interface Control Document LV: Launch Vehicle MLI: Multi-Layer Insulation NASA: National Aeronautics and Space Administration NLT: No Later Than NPD: NASA Procedural Document NPR: NASA Procedural Requirement NTE: Not To Exceed PDF: Portable Document Format PI: Principal Investigator PDF: Portable Document Format POC: Point of Contact POD: Partnership Opportunity Document ROM: Rough Order of Magnitude RS: Rideshare RY: Real Year SAA: South Atlantic Anomaly SMEX: Small Explorer SOW: Statement of Work TBD: To Be Determined U.S.A.: United States of America
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