NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 214.1, Greenbelt, MD 20771

A -- NEXT GENERATION SPACE TELESCOPE (NGST) OBSERVATORY -- PHASE 1 OF PHASED ACQUISITION USING PROGRESSIVE COMPETITION DOWN-SELECTION PROCEDURES SOL RFP5-03275-352 POC Gifford P. Moak, Contracting Officer, Phone (301)286-8237, Fax (301)286-1670, Email Gifford.P.Moak.1@gsfc.nasa.gov -- Michael E. McGrath, Contracting Officer, Phone (301)286-3318, Fax (301)286-1773, Email Michael.E.McGrath.1@gsfc.nasa.gov WEB: Click here for the latest information about this notice, http://nais.nasa.gov/EPS/GSFC/date.html#RFP5-03275-352. E-MAIL: Gifford P. Moak, Gifford.P.Moak.1@gsfc.nasa.gov. NASA/GSFC plans to conduct a progressive competition to define, design, develop, and commission the Next Generation Space Telescope (NGST) Observatory. The NGST is anticipated to be an 8 meter aperture class passively cooled telescope, instrumented for imaging and spectroscopy, covering 0.6 to 10 microns but with capability to support longer wavelength instrumentation desired, orbiting L2 and required to operate for 5 years with a goal of 10 years. General information on the NGST program can be found on the NGST Web Page at http://www.ngst.nasa.gov This effort will be a full and open competition and will be acquired in two distinct phases -- Phase 1: Definition, requiring a preliminary system design of the NGST and Phase 2: Design and Development, requiring the detailed design, fabrication and delivery to orbit of the NGST. Two or more Phase 1 awards are anticipated, culminating in a single Phase 2 award. A progressive competition strategy will be used with down-selection of sources between Phases 1and 2. To be eligible for Phase 1 award, offerors must demonstrate the experience and capability, or ability to acquire the capability, to perform both Phases 1 and 2. The competition for Phase 2 will build upon the results of Phase 1 and the award criteria for Phase 2 will include successful completion of specified Phase 1 requirements. Accordingly, NASA anticipates that only the Phase 1 contractors will be capable of successfully competing for Phase 2. NASA will synopsize the Phase 2 competition in accordance with FAR 5.201 and 5.203, but does not plan to issue a new, formal solicitation. Instead, proposals will be requested from the Phase 1 contractors by letter that will include detailed proposal preparation instructions and evaluation criteria. Although a new, formal solicitation will not be issued, any responsible source may submit a proposal for Phase 2, and these proposals will be considered by the agency. Prospective offerors for Phase 2, other than the Phase 1 contractors, will be provided all the material furnished to the preceding phase contractors necessary to submit a proposal. To be considered for Phase 2 award, offerors must demonstrate a design maturity equivalent to that of the Phase 1 contractors; such demonstration to include any Phase 1 deliverables upon which Phase 2 award may be based. Failure to fully and completely demonstrate the appropriate level of design maturity may render the proposal unacceptable with no further consideration for contract award. NASA anticipates releasing the draft solicitation for Phase 1 on or about March 15, 1999. Detailed Phase 1 requirements are to complete the necessary trade studies to develop a concept with a planned technology development approach that ensures successful completion of the core science requirements within a constrained life cycle cost (LCC) environment. The Phase 1 end product will be a single design concept incorporating technologies that have had the majority of their risk retired. The development plan must show the contractor's capability to fabricate, test and launch in approximately 2007 within the development portion of the LCC. Phase 1 will include two 3 month options for continued design effort and support to the NGST flight demonstration effort called Nexus. It is anticipated that Phase 2 will consist of the final design, fabrication, integration and test of the NGST as well as launch integration and on-orbit check-out (commissioning) and post launch sustaining engineering support. The Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM) will be provided to the contractor as Government Furnished Property (GFP) for integration into the Observatory. Phase 2 will also include assuming a major role in the Nexus flight demonstration project. Phase 2 may include the contractor's providing their own launch services. An ombudsman has been appointed -- See Note "B". The solicitation and any documents related to this procurement will be available over the Internet. These documents will be in ASCII or RTF format and will reside on a World-Wide Web (WWW) server, which may be accessed using a WWW browser application. The WWW address, or URL, of the NASA/GSFC Business Opportunities page is http://procurement.nasa.gov/EPS/GSFC/class.html. Prospective offerors shall notify this office of their intent to submit an offer. Prospective offerors are also requested to provide an Internet address for their program office and their small business advisor's office. These addresses will be used in "hot linking" the Government NGST web-site to the prospective offerors web-site(s) for contractors interested in subcontracting opportunities. It is the offeror's responsibility to monitor this site for the release of the solicitation and amendments (if any). Potential offerors will be responsible for downloading their own copy of the solicitation and amendments (if any). Hard copies may be obtained from the identified point of contact; however, the closing date for the hard copy received shall be the same as the solicitation, inclusive of any amendments, released on the Internet. Any referenced numbered notes can be viewed at the following URL: http://genesis.gsfc.nasa.gov/nasanote.html. Posted 02/25/99 (D-SN302296). (0056)

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