NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 214.4, Greenbelt, MD 20771

A -- ADVANCE TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR SPACE SCIENCE MISSIONS SOL RFP5-52295-502 DUE 092498 POC James Debelius, Contract Specialist, Phone (301)286-0055, Fax (301)286-0341, Email James.M.Debelius.1@gsfc.nasa.gov -- Thomas Russell, Contracting Officer, Phone (301)286-2885, Fax (301)286-0341, Email Thomas.S.Russell.1@gsfc.nasa.gov WEB: Click here for the latest information about this notice, http://nais.nasa.gov/EPS/GSFC/date.html#RFP5-52295-502. E-MAIL: James Debelius, James.M.Debelius.1@gsfc.nasa.gov. This is a notice to award a contract on a sole source basis to the Johns Hopkins University/Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL) for an Advance Technology Development (ATD) program focussed on specific initiatives supporting NASA's Office of Space Science (OSS) mission. The two-year ATD program will support the OSS Sun-Earth Connections, Structure and Evolution of the Universe, Solar System Exploration, and Astronomical Search for Origins science themes, and other OSS long term ATD goals. The program will focus on specific Technology Thrust Areas (TTA) including highly integrated electronics, spacecraft miniaturization, spacecraft communication, new spacecraft architectures, instrument-enabling technologies, mission autonomy, and virtual spacecraft. The overall goals of the program are to significantly increase the use of all varieties of highly integrated, radiation resistant chips on OSS missions through the development of specific foundry manufactured chips which have broad applicability in spacecraft; to provide significant reductions in spacecraft size and weight to reduce launch costs and to enable missions with high delta-v requirements; to increase the bit rate per watt achieved in OSS space science missions; to produce more effective and efficient spacecraft architectures; to enable new space science instruments with significant improvements in size, weight, and performance; to achieve greater spacecraft autonomy by optimally designing end-to-end mission elements as an integrated system; and to develop a unified approach to high-fidelity spacecraft modeling. The statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition is 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(3), to maintain an essential engineering, research and development capability to be provided by an educational or other nonprofit institution. Essential engineering, research and development capabilities related to NASA's needs were previously maintained at JHU/APL through contracts with the Department of the Navy. Currently, the Navy no longer allows NASA to procure efforts through its contracts, but NASA continues to require maintenance of the NASA-related essential capabilities. NASA requires and JHU/APL possesses the capability to perform research and technology development and to provide diverse technical and programmatic staff skills, management skills, extensive corporate memory, access to JHU's pool of experts, broad industry interactions, substantial supporting facilities, extensive experience with NASA programs, and independent evaluations required by NASA while at the same time working closely with industry, including the transition of the technology to industry. Interested firms have 15 days from the publication of this synopsis to submit in writing to the identified point of contact, their qualifications/capabilities. Such qualifications/capabilities will be used solely for the purpose of determining whether or not to conduct this procurement on a competitive basis. Responses received after the 15 days or without the required information will be considered nonresponsive to the synopsis and will not be considered. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed effort on a full and open competitive basis, based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. An Ombudsman has been appointed. See Internet Note "B". All qualified responsible sources may submit a proposal which shall be considered by the agency. See Number Note 22. Any referenced notes can be viewed at the following URL: http://genesis.gsfc.nasa.gov/nnotes.htm. Posted 09/11/98 (D-SN248481). (0254)

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