SPECIAL NOTICE
A -- MULTIPLE BAND K/Ka-BAND ELECTRONICALLY STEERED ANTENNAS FOR SPACECRAFT COMMUNICATIONS
- Notice Date
- 7/31/2018
- Notice Type
- Special Notice
- NAICS
- 541715
— Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology)
- Contracting Office
- NASA/Glenn Research Center, 21000 Brookpark Road, Cleveland, Ohio, 44135
- ZIP Code
- 44135
- Solicitation Number
- NNC18MSC0CENRFI
- Archive Date
- 9/14/2018
- Point of Contact
- Rita K. Kizys, Phone: 2164333805, Kimberly Y. Hill, Phone: 2164335267
- E-Mail Address
-
rita.k.kizys@nasa.gov, kimberly.y.hill@nasa.gov
(rita.k.kizys@nasa.gov, kimberly.y.hill@nasa.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- Background The NASA Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Program provides space communications and navigation services to NASA's science and human spaceflight missions. The services include direct-to-ground (DTG) communications across the solar system, and relay communications service via a constellation of geosynchronous Tracking and Data Relay Satellites (TDRS). The SCaN architecture includes provisions for relay services for future exploration missions to the moon and Mars and is exploring Earth relay service via commercial constellations. NASA is releasing this request for information (RFI) to determine the potential cost and performance for electronically steered antennas (ESA) for future NASA mission spacecraft. Ka-band ESAs on the user spacecraft can provide a leap in capability over existing communications systems for multiple use cases without imposing additional cost, risk, or operational constraints compared to existing X-band isoflux/Earth coverage DTG antennas. To the greatest extent practicable, NASA is interested in leveraging existing ESA products and technology developments with minimum additional NASA investment, including those developed for the terrestrial market, e.g. 5G, and satellite broadband. Primary goals for ESAs are low recurring cost and low power consumption, with low mass and low volume as secondary goals. NASA is looking for the best potential value ESAs, and willing to compromise on some requirements to achieve lower end costs. NASA will use the information received to assess the potential costs and benefits of ESAs, and work with potential users and stakeholders to create a development plan for next generation user communications systems. Use Cases NASA missions encompass a wide range of communications performance requirements which vary from mission to mission. NASA would consider ESAs that cover all or a portion of the use cases. This RFI pertains only to the user mission ESA transmitting to a ground station or a relay satellite, and not the ground station antenna or the relay satellite antenna. The following NASA transmit use cases are envisioned for the ESA, in relative priority order: • LEO DTG at 100 Mbps - 2 Gbps, EIRP ~20-33 dBW • LEO to TDRS or commercial earth relay satellite at 100 kbps - 1 Mbps, EIRP ~13 - 23 dBW (Telemetry data) • LEO to TDRS or commercial earth relay satellite at 5 - 50 Mbps, EIRP ~30 - 40 dBW (Science data) • Lunar surface/low lunar orbit to Lunar relay satellite at 1 - 25 Mbps, EIRP ~30 - 40 dBW • Mars surface/ low Mars orbit to Mars relay satellite at TBD Mbps, EIRP TBD NASA mission receive data rates are typically much lower (kbps) and could either be provided by an ESA or a separate antenna. Human spaceflight missions are the exception and could require 10's of Mbps receive data rate. Technical Capabilities Specification Minimum Optional Transmit Frequency Range 25.5 - 27.0 GHz 25.25 - 30.0 GHz Instantaneous Bandwidth 100 MHz 1.5 GHz EIRP @ Boresight 20 dBW 40 dBW FOV  +/-60 degrees  +/-60 degrees with EIRP >36.5 dBW Receive Frequency Range 22.55 - 23.55 GHz 17.8 - 21.2 GHz Sidelobe Level < -10 dB from < -20 dB from main beam main beam Instructions to Responders This is not a request for proposal, quotation, or invitation for bid notice and is intended for information and planning purposes only. NASA does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this RFI. However, NASA may consider issuing a formal solicitation at a later date. NASA will not provide reimbursement for costs incurred in responding to this RFI. Respondents are advised that NASA is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted under this RFI. NASA may contact respondents to this RFI to seek clarifications or additional information. Responses to this RFI do not bind NASA to any further actions related to this topic. Any future steps taken to award Broad Agency Announcements, Request for Proposals, Space Act Agreements, or Announcements of Opportunities will be contingent upon availability of funds. This announcement contains all information required to submit a response. No additional forms, kits, or other materials are needed. NASA appreciates responses from all sources including, but not limited to public and private large and small businesses. Oral communications are not acceptable in response to this notice. NASA will not consider material that is marked classified. Any proprietary information must be clearly marked. NASA reserves the right to use responses to develop future solicitations and other types of public correspondence. However, NASA does not intend to release any individual RFI responses and will hold them confidential. Submissions must be formatted as a Microsoft Word document or PDF. RFI responses should address these six areas: 1. Technical Performance: Provide information on how and how well the candidate ESA meets the performance for the minimum and optional technical capabilities listed above. Typical measures of interest include: EIRP at boresight, scan loss characteristics, FOV, beamwidth, sidelobe levels, beam update rate, instantaneous bandwidth, operating frequency range, G/T (if receive), control and power supply requirements, dimensions and weight. 2. Technology Readiness: Provide information on the current technology readiness level (TRL) of the existing or emerging ESA technology, and the recommended roadmap and schedule envisioned to flight qualification with supporting references. 3. Technology Development Approach: Describe your technology development approach to advance the TRL from its current level to space qualified. Include information on what ground facilities and overall testing required. Describe the preferred flight platform and approach for demonstrating the ESA technology. Platforms include, but are not limited to, ISS, secondary payloads, and hosted payloads. 4. Other Applications: Provide a description of other applications for this technology and any synergies in requirements, development, and production for multiple applications. 5. Risk: Describe the primary risk factors involved in this ESA technology development and/or flight demonstration. Describe any design features or analyses have been done to address operations in space. 6. Cost: Provide a rough order of magnitude estimate of both the NRE cost to develop a flight qualifiable model ESA and the recurring cost of flight model ESA in small quantities (e.g. 10 or less). Describe any possible cost sharing partners or customers and their expressed interest in sharing the cost of the development or flight demonstration. Technical Questions and Comments may be forwarded via electronic transmission to: Name: Charles Niederhaus E-mail: charles.niederhaus@nasa.gov Mark all responses: RFI, Ka-band ESA
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/NASA/GRC/OPDC20220/NNC18MSC0CENRFI/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: NASA Glenn Research Center, MS 60-1, 21000 Brookpark Road, Cleveland, Ohio, 44135, United States
- Zip Code: 44135
- Zip Code: 44135
- Record
- SN05013849-W 20180802/180731231118-2b256d24a33df24f5256ed08e260a653 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
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