TRANSITION OF NASA'S EXPENDABLE LAUNCH VEHICLE INDEPENDENT ANALYSIS CAPABILITY TO THE U.S. PRIVATE SECTOR POC Karen Poniatowski, (202) 358-2331. NASA is seeking to enter into one or more Space Act Agreement(s) to transfer technology and expertise to the U.S. private sector in the areas of mission design for current and future applications of operational Expendable Launch Vehicles (ELV's), Lewis Research Center's (LeRC's) ELV independent validation and verification (IV&V) and LeRC's advanced propulsion mission analysis. Successful expansion of the commercial space sector will be facilitated through transition of unique NASA skills/services to a private entity. The purpose of the Agreement(s) will be to identify the optimum means to transfer this expertise to the private sector for support to the commercial community while assuring a commercial source(s) to meet NASA needs. Potential Agreement partner(s) must demonstrate: 1) significant space engineering capability to readily utilize the analysis expertise and/or analytical tools which are currently resident within NASA, 2) the capability to identify and verify, through the performance of actual studies and analyses, potential compatible markets to support the continued availability of this expertise as a private sector activity, and 3) financial commitment and capability to support the effort and their responsibilities under the Agreement(s). NASA has extensive IV&V mission design analysis skills which have both government and commercial applications. These capabilities include verification of loads, software, control dynamics, etc. In the mission design area the skills include both launch vehicle trajectory optimization and advanced propulsion application/trade studies. These capabilities have supported numerous launches, including many unique NASA applications such as lunar/planetary missions. NASA has also developed valuable ties to a variety of Russian launch vehicle manufacturers, including development of both interface and technical data. In addition, NASA possesses demonstrated capabilities in low thrust and electric propulsion mission analysis for primary and auxiliary satellite propulsion applications. NASA has identified these skills as important assets and desires to preserve them through the transfer of these assets to the private sector. In addition, transfer of these NASA capabilities serves to further the goals of sections (c) and (d) (5) of the Space Act, (42 U.S.C. sections 2450, 2541), preserving U.S. leadership in the area of ELV IV&V and mission design by enabling U.S. commercial space entities to acquire and exercise these skills. To achieve this goal, NASA intends to enter into one or more reimbursable Space Act Agreements with non-Government U.S. entities. The term of the Agreement(s) is negotiable, however, NASA currently contemplates that any such Agreement will not extend beyond FY 1999. During the term of the Agreement(s), NASA will make available a negotiated level of technical expertise to transfer this capability and/or to perform these ELV IV&V and mission design analysis services. It will be the Agreement partner's(s') responsibility to effectively utilize that expertise consistent with assuring its continued commercial availability to meet NASA and other U.S. needs at the conclusion of the Agreement(s). This specifically includes identifying and establishing arrangements with customers representing potentially compatible non-NASA markets to support the continued commercial availability of NASA's ELV IV&V and mission design expertise. NASA will supply technical data, but will not otherwise participate in activities associated with the identification of potential non-NASA customers. The Agreement partner(s) will be responsible for facilitating arrangements for jointly-providing analysis services to customers identified during the performance of the Agreement(s), however, any such arrangements will be subject to approval by NASA. NASA and its Agreement partner(s) will each use their own resources to meet their respective responsibilities under the Agreement(s), however, NASA will be reimbursed on a full cost recovery basis for services performed pursuant to the Agreement(s). Interested parties should contact Karen Poniatowski at (202) 358-2331 to express interest no later than December 10, 1996. A meeting will be held at NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC, in mid December 1996 to provide further background on NASA's objectives and additional information on the NASA technical capabilities.

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