NASA/Langley Research Center, Mail Stop 144, Industry Assistance Office, Hampton, VA 23681-0001

A -- MARS AIRPLANE PACKAGE (MAP) SOL SS-306 DUE 062899 POC Richard J. Siebels, Contracting Officer, Phone (757)-864-2418, Fax (757) 864-6131, Email R.J.SIEBELS@larc.nasa.gov -- Mary Jane Yeager, Contracting Officer, Phone (757)-864-2473, Fax (757) 864-7898, Email M.J.YEAGER@larc.nasa.gov WEB: Click here for the latest information about this notice, http://nais.nasa.gov/EPS/LaRC/date.html#SS-306. E-MAIL: Richard J. Siebels, R.J.SIEBELS@larc.nasa.gov. NASA/LaRC is hereby soliciting information for potential sources for the design, development, build, integration, and test of the Mars Airplane Package. The goal of the Mars Airplane Package (MAP) Program is to demonstrate and validate the technologies and systems required to enable the use of airplanes as platforms for planetary research. Accomplishing this goal requires the development and flight of a Mars Airplane Package that includes the airplane, aeroshell and science package. A MAP will be installed in a Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)-developed spacecraft and launched on an Ariane 5 Launch Vehicle in 2002 for entry and flight in the Martian atmosphere in 2003. The objective of this contract is to design, fabricate, and integrate: one test MAP unit, two flight MAP units, and attendant support equipment, software, and documentation. The contractor shall be responsible for MAP system development from concept through delivery for integration with the spacecraft. The contractor will continue in a support role from integration with the spacecraft through flight in the Martian atmosphere. The contractor tasks include: 1.1 Design, fabricate, and integrate one complete test MAP unit that includes an airplane, aeroshell, and science package. The science package may include a camera system and a magnetometer. Each MAP is currently estimated to be constrained to a mass of no more than 45kg. The aeroshell that will contain the airplane is expected to be constrained to a diameter of approximately 70 cm and a height of approximately 35 cm. This article will be used for design and flight validation testing. Provide the systems engineering leadership required for the design, integration, test, and flight of all MAP systems. This includes tracking all requirements, including performance, interface, and planetary protection requirements. Design, fabricate and integrate two complete flight units including airplane, aeroshell, and science package. The science package may include a camera system, a magnetometer, and a spectrometer. These units will serve as flight and flight back-up hardware. 1.2 Perform system verification, validation, analysis and testing (including functional, environmental and performance) of all three MAP units. 1.3 Provide support necessary to integrate with technology development and testing activities at the Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC), Glenn Research Center (GRC), Ames Research Center (ARC), and Langley Research Center (LaRC) and supporting JPL to perform MAP-to-spacecraft integration and spacecraft-to-launch vehicle integration. 1.4 Provide engineering and technical services required for the support of the Mars Airplane Package from delivery through spacecraft integration, launch, deployment and flight in the Martian atmosphere. 1.5 Provide a simulated MAP unit with the same mass distribution as the flight units for preliminary structural integration testing with the spacecraft. 1.6 Provide mechanical and electrical ground support equipment (GSE) for handling and control of MAP test units. Provide GSE for data acquisition and evaluation of test data. Responses to this sources sought synopses must include the following: (1) Name and address of firm, size of business; average annual revenue for past 3 years and number of employees; ownership; whether they are large, small, small disadvantaged 8 (a), and or woman owned; number of years in business; affiliate information: parent company, joint venture partners, potential teaming partners, prime contractor (if potential sub) or subcontractors (if potential prime). (2) A 5 page technical capability statement including a description of relevant experience and past performance (list of customers covering the past five years, highlight relevant work performed, contract numbers, contract type, dollar value of each procurement; and point of contact -- address and phone number), a description of design, build, and test facilities available for this effort and, and the availability of the necessary personnel either in-house or subcontracted. Technical questions should be directed to Ed Graber at Edwin.J.Graber@lerc.nasa.gov . Procurement related questions should be directed to: Richard J. Siebels at r.j.siebels@larc.nasa.gov Due to the diverse technologies required to accomplish this mission, NASA anticipates teaming. In order to facilitate teaming, NASA LaRC will establish an Internet based electronic bidder's library in the near future. The bidder's library will contain relevant technical and program information along with a webpage for "Firms interested in teaming". Interested offerors may add their company information to a list of firms interested in teaming on this effort. This webpage is solely for the use of offerors to locate teaming partners. NASA will not guarantee the accuracy of information posted on the "Firms interested in teaming" webpage. While this request is seeking information and capabilities from all interested parties, NASA is also seeking capabilities from small and small disadvantaged businesses (which includes Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Other Minority Institutions and women owned small businesses) for the purposes of determining the appropriate level of competition and/or small and small disadvantaged business subcontracting goals. A draft RFP is planned to be released in early July 1999. A final solicitation will be synopsized in the Commerce Business Daily and on the NASA Acquisition Internet Service. It is the potential offerors responsibility to monitor these sites for the release of any solicitation or synopsis. Please advise if the requirement is considered to be a commercial or commercial-type product. A commercial item is defined in Internet "Note A". [INTERNET ONLY (commercial product definition)] This synopsis is for information and planning purposes and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government nor will the Government pay for information solicited. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation. Respondents deemed fully qualified will be considered in any resultant solicitation for the requirement. The Standard Industrial Classification code for this procurement is 8731 and the size standard is 1500 employees. The Government reserves the right to consider a small business or 8(a) set-aside based on responses hereto. All responses shall be submitted electronically to Richard J. Siebels at r.j.siebels@larc.nasa.gov or facsimile number (757) 864-6131 no later than June 28, 1999. In responding, refer to Mars Airplane Package procurement (SS-306). Any referenced notes can be viewed at the following URL: http://cbdnet.access.gpo.gov/num-note.html and http://genesis.gsfc.nasa.gov/nasanote.html Posted 06/14/99 (D-SN342539). (0165)

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