Phillips Laboratory, Chief Scientist Office (PL/CA), 3550 Aberdeen Ave SE, Kirtland AFB NM 87117-5776

A -- BROAD AGENCE ANNOUNCEMENT (BAA) FOR SPACE DEFENCE RESEARCH BY HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES/MINORITY STITUTIONS (HBCU/MIS). POC Debbie Chisenhall, Contract Specialist, 505/846-1326. Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for Space Defense Research by Historically Black Colleges and Universities/Minority Institutions (HBCU/MIs) Part One of Four. Space and missiles technology, rocket propulsion, lasers & imaging, advanced weapons & survivability, and geophysics. Contracting Point of Contact (POC): Debbie Chisenhall, Buyer 505-846-1326, Technical POC: varies, as shown, for each requirement area below. The Phillips Laboratory (PL) is interested in receiving proposals on research to advance its capability in space and missiles technology, rocket propulsion, lasers & imaging, advanced weapons & survivability, and geophysics. This BAA is not intended to provide ''infrastructure assistance'' as defined in 10 U.S.C. 2323(c)(3). Proposals (technical and cost) should reflect research efforts in the areas described below. HOWEVER, ANY POTENTIAL OFFEROR SHOULD BE AWARE THAT PL'S BUDGET IS FLUCTUATING AND CAN CHANGE IN ANY OR ALL AREAS WITH LITTLE OR NO NOTICE. THEREFORE, IT IS CRITICAL THAT EACH POTENTIAL OFFEROR CONTACT THE APPLICABLE TECHNICAL POINT OF CONTACT PRIOR TO COMMITTING RESOURCES TO THE PROPOSAL WRITING PROCESS TO CHECK THE LATEST FUNDING AVAILABILITY INFORMATION AND NEED FOR THE TYPE OF EFFORT TO BE PROPOSED. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AUTHORIZATION TO BEGIN WORK PRIOR TO CONTRACT AWARD. 1. REQUIREMENTS: (a) Space and Missiles Technology: BAA Contact Point: Dr. R. Wick, PL/VT, 505-846-2603. Anticipated funding is $50K per year. The areas of interest for PL/VT are: (1) Computer designs and research including radiation hardening and three-dimensional stacking for lightweight/compact space applications. (2) Radiation Effects in Infrared (IR) Focal Plane Components. Program to research, analyze, design, fabricate and test radiation-hardened infrared detectors, readout circuitry, and device processes for space sensors. (3) Basic and Applied Research into Radiation-Hardened Microelectronics for Space and Missile Systems. Research areas of interest include basic radiation effects in electronic devices and advanced devices that are or can be hardened for the space environment. Research areas of interest include total dose, dose rate, and single event effects in electronics, optoelectronic devices, and fiber optic systems. (4) Space Subsystems Technology. Exploration and technologies development for next-generation space-based radar. Goal is to develop advanced transmit/receive (T/R) modules, lightweight antennas, photonics, power and energy storage systems, and signal/data-processing subsystems. (5) Space Crosslink Applications. Research hardware for space crosslink applications. The link will be capable of handling low-to-high-data rates. (6) Cryocooler development, low weight, long life, low vibration, and high reliability are key characteristics. (7) Advance high efficiency, high sensitivity IR sensor research and detector development in the 12-25 micrometer wavelength regime. Research and develop multispectral focal plane arrays and novel readout concepts. (8) Satellite Control Software. Software research into low cost, hardware independent, and flexible intelligent ground control systems and autonomous satellite operations that make use of artificial intelligence techniques such as expert systems, neural nets, and model-based reasoning, to produce systems that reduce acquisition costs, maintenance costs, and manpower skill levels and numbers. This requirement, like all others in this announcement, includes ONLY efforts which involve basic and/or applied research and that part of development NOT related to the development of a specific system or hardware procurement...(see FAR 35.016(a)). (9) Active Space Sensors. Develop key supporting technologies for space-based broad area surveillance in the areas of phenomenology database development, modeling and simulation, signal processing algorithms, and large antenna development. (10) Smart structure research. Exploration of new techniques and technologies to sense and dampen vibrations of structural members of space platforms and antenna. (b) Rocket Propulsion. BAA Contact Point: Dr. R. Corley, PL/RK, 805-275-5620. Anticipated funding is $50K per year. The specific areas of interest for PL/RK are: (1) Application of Advanced Materials. Investigate the use of advanced materials in rocket motor components to provide improvements in thermal capability (e.g., in nozzles), wear resistance (e.g., in turbo pumps), weight (e.g., composite structures), and cost (e.g., plastic processing/structural parts). (2) High Energy Density Materials. Investigate new chemical approaches to high energy propellant ingredients. These investigations may be theoretical (determining possible new chemical structures, spectroscopic properties, molecular dynamics, etc.) or experimental (synthesis, physical property measurements, etc.). (3) Environmental. Investigate ways to phase-stabilize ammonium nitrate and to increase its burning rate in solid propellants. Develop mobile EPA-approved ways to dispose of scrap solid propellant. (4) Thermophysics. Investigate non-equilibrium rarefied gas dynamics to characterize rocket plumes and their effect on spacecraft. Investigate spray technology and supercritical combustion, apply that knowledge to determine fundamental mechanisms of rocket engine operation, and develop accurate models which may be incorporated into design codes. (c) Lasers and Imaging. BAA Contact Point: Dr. C.B. Hogge, PL/LI, 505-846-4738. Anticipated funding is $20K per year. The specific areas of interest for PL/LI are: (1) Advanced Imaging Efforts. Investigate methods to remove distortion from images of objects in adverse environments. These methods include computer post-processing techniques such as speckle and hybrid imaging and pre-processing approaches with adaptive optical systems. These techniques should be applicable to atmospheric-compensated satellite imaging, as well as other dual-use imaging applications. (2) Solid-State Laser Technology. Investigate advanced technologies related to Diode and Diode pumped Solid-State Lasers, including methods to enhance laser performance (better efficiency, increased tunability, improved optical quality), to develop novel pumping mechanisms, and to coherently couple multiple laser devices. These improvements might be made by identifying better materials or fabrication techniques, or by improving on the laser system design. (3) Applied Nonlinear Optics (NLO) technology. Research into laser beam cleanup of system-induced distortions, correction of aberrations due to optical system imperfections and medium distortion effects for imaging applications, specific frequency generation of high energy laser systems, laser device scaling through coherent coupling of multiple devices, and novel nonlinear optical processing techniques for automatic target recognition, related tactical system applications, or for dual-use technology application. This investigation might include identification of better NLO materials or improvements to existing NLO systems. (d) Advanced Weapons & Survivability, BAA Contact Point: Mr. Leonard Contreras, PL/WS, 505-846-4041. If funding becomes available, WS anticipates funding $20-$50K per year. The specific areas of interest for PL/WS are: (1) Electromagnetic Effects. Conduct basic research in the interaction of electromagnetic waves with electronic devices. We seek new and innovative approaches in planning and conducting experiments to better understand the coupling mechanisms and predict the upset/burnout levels of electronic systems operating in an electromagnetic environment. Exploration of basic failure mechanisms are required for state-of-the-art, large-scale, integrated circuitry and other sophisticated electronics. We also seek innovative computational approaches for predicting electromagnetic penetration into large bodies and interaction with internal components. (2) Satellite Assessment. Research is directed towards computationally assessing survivability/vulnerability of space assets against all threats, current and emerging. This includes lasers, nuclear threats, non-laser directed energy weapons, as well as natural space debris and background radiation environments. Research interests include modeling methodologies developed from first principles and from empirical data, active and passive imaging simulation methods and techniques, and parallel processing for simulated/actual imaging correlation. Other interests include laser effects modeling and experiment, including laser/material interactions. (3) Electromagnetic Applications. Research is sought for the application of electromagnetic technology to aircraft self protection, suppression of enemy air defense, and other applications which involve degradation, disruption, or damage of electronic components. We also desire to understand and evaluate the electromagnetic effects on systems and to incorporate these effects into simulations used to assess mission effectiveness. (4) Space Systems Survivability. We seek research proposals for new and innovative experimental designs to measure RF/HPM signal power levels received on orbiting space platforms. These experiments will aid assessing disruption, degradation, and damage to critical electronic components. Experimental payloads should be designed to fly aboard Phillips Lab MightySat vehicles or other small, rapid development programs. We also seek research proposals relating to Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) hydrocodes, including: Equation-of-State (EOS) and strength models of materials, new models which describe basic material behavior, and improved formulations of SPH hydrocodes. We seek proposals in the area of tools and algorithms for evaluating the growth of the space debris environment and the risk of impact for orbit insertion launches. Also, we seek research in determining particle mass and velocity distribution during breakup. Proposals to study spacecraft signature control and interpretation through evaluation of space environment - effluent interaction chemistry are also sought. (This CBD Synopsis is Continued) (0123)

Loren Data Corp. http://www.ld.com (SYN# 0002 19960503\A-0002.SOL)