NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 214.2, Greenbelt, MD 20771

A -- ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY MICROWAVE SOUNDER (ATMS) SOL RFP5-00653-433 POC Chris D. Whyte, Contract Specialist, Phone (301)286-3230, Fax (301)286-1699, Email cwhyte@pop200.gsfc.nasa.gov -- John Baniszewski, Contracting Officer, Phone (301)286-9841, Fax (301)286-1699, Email John.D.Baniszewski.1@gsfc.nasa.gov WEB: Click here for the latest information about this notice, http://nais.nasa.gov/EPS/GSFC/date.html#RFP5-00653-433. E-MAIL: Chris D. Whyte, cwhyte@pop200.gsfc.nasa.gov. NASA/ Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) plans to conduct a progressive competition to define, design, develop, and produce the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) instrument. This effort will be a full and open competition and will be acquired in two distinct phases -- Formulation Phase, requiring preliminary system design of the ATMS and Implementation Phase, requiring the detailed design, fabrication and delivery of the ATMS. No more than two Formulation Phase awards are anticipated leading to a single Implementation Phase award. A progressive competition strategy will be used with down-selection of sources between the Formulation Phase and Implementation Phase. To be eligible for the Formulation Phase award, offerors must demonstrate the experience and capability, or ability to acquire the capability, to perform both the Formulation and Implementation Phases. The competition for Implementation Phase will build on the results of the Formulation Phase, and the award criteria for the Implementation Phase will include successful completion of specified the Formulation Phase requirements. Accordingly, NASA anticipates that only the Formulation Phase contractors will be capable of successfully competing for the Implementation Phase. NASA will synopsize the Implementation Phase 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 Formulation Phase contractors by a 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 the Implementation Phase, and these proposals will be considered by the agency. Prospective offerors for the Implementation Phase, other than the Formulation Phase contractors will be provided all the material furnished to the preceding phase contractors necessary to submit a proposal. To be considered for the Implementation Phase award, offerors must demonstrate a design maturity equivalent to that of the Formulation Phase contractors, such demonstration to include any Formulation Phase deliverables upon which the Implementation Phase 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/GSFC is releasing the ATMS draft RFP for your consideration and comment. The Draft RFP will be posted on the NASA Acquisition Internet Service Web site at http://genesis.gsfc.nasa.gov/procure.htm. This draft RFP is for information and planning purposes. No proposal is requested, and no contract will be awarded as a result of this draft RFP. Potential Offerors are invited to comment on all aspects of the solicitation, including the requirements, proposal instructions, and evaluation approach. If your comments include recommendations for revisions, you must provide your rationale for such revisions. Those potential offerors that submitted Qualification Statements as a result of the CBD synopsis dated June 03, 1999, will be invited to meet with the GSFC one-on-one to discuss their comments on the draft RFP. The National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) is a tri-agency (NOAA, DOD, NASA) program which converges current civilian and military polar-orbiting weather satellite systems into a single polar-orbiting system. NPOESS is managed by the tri-agency Integrated Program Office (IPO). The NASA role in the NPOESS program is technology development in support of NPOESS. In this connection, NASA has entered into an agreement with the IPO whereby NASA will develop the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) instrument in direct support of the system requirements of NPOESS. The ATMS instrument is a passive microwave sounder instrument that provides observations which, when combined with observations from an infrared sounder, provides global atmospheric temperature, moisture, and pressure profiles. TheATMS instrument will fly on the NPOESS spacecraft. In addition, an earlier flight of ATMS is under consideration as part of a proposed joint NASA-IPO mission called the NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP) with a five year mission duration. NASA anticipates issuance of the final Request for Proposals (RFP) in August, 1999, for the acquisition of the ATMS. NASA anticipates a phased acquisition approach involving the award of two parallel firm fixed price Formulation Phase contracts with a down-selection for a single CPIF/AF/FPI Implementation Phase contract. Contract management will be transferred from NASA to the IPO after delivery of the Protoflight model. Please submit your comments to the draft RFP, via electronic mail, by July 29, 1999, to: Christopher.D.Whyte.1@gsfc.nasa.gov We have appreciated your support in providing useful ideas and comments during our market research phase and we encourage your continued participation. We look forward to receiving your comments on this draft RFP. If you have any questions, you may contact the contract specialist, Chris Whyte at 301-286-3230, or the Contracting Officer, John Baniszewski at 301-286-9841. Posted 07/22/99 (D-SN357650). (0203)

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