Space and Missle Systems Center/TELS, 3550 Aberdeen Ave SE Kirtland AFB NM 87117-5776

A -- A-SPACECRAFT/GROUND STATIONS/EXPERIMENT INTEGRATION/LAUNCH SUPPORT/ON-ORBIT SUPPORT POC Odette Denman, 505/846/9147/Contracting Officer. Notice of Contract Action (NOCA). The Space Test Program (STP)at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, under the Foreign Comparative Testing (FCT) Program, anticipates release of an RFP under FCT to provide a low-cost, quick response, spaceflight mission to fly multiple DoD space experiments on a non-developmental, proven micro-satellite spacecraft bus. The Space Test Program intends to solicit this effort under FCT from Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) on a sole-source basis. A Sources Sought Synopsis was released 13 Dec 95. SSTL was the only qualified foreign firm identified who could meet the stated requirements. Domestic firms are advised that funding is contingent upon the FCT program under which the contractor must be a foreign firm. The launch vehicle, however, may be subcontracted through a domestic firm or may be provided by the government. The formal RFP will be released on or about 29 January 1997 with the date for receipt of proposals 30 days after issue. This mission will provide all spaceflight hardware and services to include the spacecraft bus, all launcher interfaces and spacecraft deployment mechanisms, experiment integration services, mission planning services, launch, on-orbit operations, and data retrieval. The payloads and operational requirements would be provided by the government. Specific requirements for this type of project include: (1) A non-developmental, proven spacecraft bus capable of supporting the following payload requirements: (a) 30-kg minimum payload mass, (b) minimum payload power of 20 Watts average and 50 Watts peak, (c ) earth pointing capability, (d) 1 year on-orbit design life, and (e) ability to carry multiple experiments, (2) Schedule: 12-18 months from ATP to ILC, (3) Low cost: less than $3M for spacecraft, experiment integration, launch integration to a US launch vehicle (Government provided or sub-contracted) and one year of on-orbit operations, (4) Flight hardware with successful spaceflight heritage, and (5) A contractor with significant experience with on-orbit operation, and data retrieval for other customers. Send responses to: SMC/TEKL, Attn: Odette Denman, 3550 Aberdeen Ave SE, Kirtland AFB, NM 87117-5776. Verbal requests for a copy of the solicitation will not be honored. This effort is not classified. For technical issues please contact the Project Manager, Capt Gary Haag, (505)846-8705. For contracting issues, please contact the Contracting Officer, Odette Denman, (505) 846-9147. (0014)

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