NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Acquisition Management Office, Mail Stop: D-1044/A, P.O. Box 273, Edwards, CA 93523-0273

17 -- PEGASUS LAUNCH SERVICES FOR THE HYPER-X SOL RFP4-97003-LLB POC POC: Linda L. Bonham, Contracting Officer, Phone (805) 258-3344, Fax (805) 258-2904, Email Linda_Bonham@qmgate.dfrc.nasa.gov WEB: Dryden Flight Research Center Procurement Home Page, http://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/Procure. NASA/DFRC plans to issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) for modifications to and launch services of the Pegasus air-launched Space Launch Vehicle to support the Hyper-X Research Vehicle Flight Test series. The Hyper-X flight vehicle is a small, autonomous research vehicle powered by an experimental air-breathing, dual mode scramjet module. The vehicle must be rocket boosted to test conditions from Mach 5 to Mach 10 at about 100,000 feet by air launch from a NASA Dryden B-52 aircraft in a horizontal launch mode at a nominal drop altitude of 40,000 feet and 0.8 Mach number. Booster requirements include adequate performance margin to accelerate an approximately 3,000 pound payload, which includes the research vehicle and interstage adapter, to between Mach 5 and 10 at a dynamic pressure of 1,000 pounds/square foot. It must be air launchable in a horizontal drop mode within an acceptable B-52 flight envelope and be able to sustain such cold soak conditions at altitude. The research vehicle-booster stack configuration must be inherently aerodynamically stable at launch and through the boost phase, have sufficient control authority to be controllable through a pull-up and pushover maneuver to aim flight conditions, and able to eject the research vehicle for test at the end test conditions. NASA/DFRC intends to purchase the items from Orbital Sciences Corporation/Launch Systems Group. As the developer and operator of the Pegasus Space Launch Vehicle and sole owner of proprietary Pegasus design, OSC is the only known source with the production and operational information required for this program. The Government does not intend to acquire a commercial item using FAR Part 12. See Numbered Note 26. RFP will be released on or about 15 days after publication of this synopsis on the NAIS. Firm date for receipt of proposals will be stated in the RFP. All responsible sources may submit an proposal which shall be considered by the agency. See Number Note 22. Any referenced numbered notes can be viewed at the following URL:http://genesis.gsfc.nasa.gov/nnotes.htm (0344)

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