JPL, Attn: Thomas May, Mail Stop 190-205, 4800 Oak Grove Dr., Pasadena, CA 91109-8099

A -- JPL LIGHTSAR RADAR INSTRUMENT TECHNOLOGIES SOL 98/7 DUE 040798 POC Ed Kieckhefer (818) 354-1293 WEB: LightSAR, http://lightsar.jpl.nasa.gov/lightsar. E-MAIL: JPL LightSAR, edward.h.kieckhefer@jpl.nasa.gov. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory/California Institute of Technology (JPL/CIT), operating under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), is soliciting proposals for technologies that will enhance the performance and reduce the mass and cost of an advanced L-Band synthetic aperture radar (SAR). This SAR will be the core payload of a new Earth observing satellite mission called LightSAR, which is to be accomplished under a partnership arrangement between NASA and Industry. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) will manage the LightSAR Program and lead the L-band radar development. The industry partner will furnish the remaining LightSAR flight and ground system elements and provide any additional payload capability that may be required by commercial users. NASA and Industry will share the technical and financial risks. The opportunity to participate in these portions of the LightSAR mission will be announced separately. The subject of this solicitation is technology appropriate for an L-Band phased array synthetic aperture radar instrument. This opportunity is open to U. S. Industry (including small businesses), academia, and non-profit organizations. Selected proposers will join the LightSAR Payload Technology Alliance, which will provide early risk mitigation and validation for candidate technologies suitable for a lightweight, low-cost, high-performance SAR. Key technology needs which the Payload Technology Alliance will address include: (a) Efficient, lightweight, transmit/receive (T/R) modules for an L-Band phased array; (b) Lightweight, robust, planar array deployment/support structures; (c) Lightweight, phased array antenna design, development and test; and (d) Any other suitable technologies which can reduce the mass and cost and/or enhance the performance of the LightSAR payload. Members of the alliance will be selected based on an evaluation of their proposed technologies for the core LightSAR radar payload and their ability to reliably provide these technologies in time for the design and fabrication of the flight payload. These technologies should be at a sufficient level of maturity to be ready for launch late in the year 2001. High-payoff technologies that are at a lower level of maturity, but that can be reliably made ready for launch in late 2002 may also be considered. As part of the technology risk mitigation approach, there will be three (3) phases in the development of the L-Band payload for LightSAR. First, the candidate technology design study phase will last six months and is the subject of this solicitation. The second, the candidate technology design validation phase, will follow and last 6-12 months. A flight hardware development phase will follow for the final technologies down-selected from the candidates with duration to be determined. Selection for membership of the Payload Technology Alliance for the candidate technology design study phase does not guarantee that the member's proposed technology will be selected for follow-on phases, including for the final flight instrument. JPL/NASA reserves the right to add members to the alliance at a later date. A three (3) week response period will be provided for the submittal of technology proposals. Solicitations will be available on the LightSAR Web site at URL: http://lightsar.jpl.nasa.gov/lightsar Specific instructions for this solicitation are also available via e-mail request to: edward.h.kieckhefer@jpl.nasa.gov This is not a Request for Proposal (RFP). (0072)

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