NASA/George C. Marshall Space Flight Center, Procurement Office, Marshall Space Flight Center, AL 35812

18 -- REQUEST FOR INFORMATION FOR INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION PROPULSION MODULE DUE 062900 POC George E. Pendley, Contracting Officer, Phone (256) 544-2949, Fax (256) 544-2812, Email george.pendley@msfc.nasa.gov -- Mark R. Stiles, Contracting Officer, Phone (256) 544-0381, Fax (256) 544- 2812, Email mark.stiles@msfc.nasa.gov WEB: Click here for the latest information about this notice, http://nais.msfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/EPS/bizops.cgi?gr=D&pin=62#RFI-6-15- 2000. E-MAIL: George E. Pendley, george.pendley@msfc.nasa.gov. SUBJECT: Request for Information (RFI) for International Space Station (ISS) Propulsion Module The National Aeronautics Space Administration (NASA) has a requirement to provide additional on-orbit re-boost and attitude control for the International Space Station. The ISS Propulsion Module will provide U. S. redundancy to Russian propulsion systems. The agency is reviewing designs and approaches and a potential exists that a procurement will be conducted later in the summer of 2000 in order to meet the agency's needs. Therefore, NASA is issuing this RFI to gain information on potential vendors that will best meet the agency's requirements. I. Technical Background The following information regarding the Propulsion Module's known requirements are: (1) Delivery is anticipated to be no more than three years from Authority to Proceed (ATP) to launch (2) Overall expected period of performance is to provide propulsion capability for 10 years beyond ISS assembly completion (currently scheduled for September 2005) (3) Operations support will be required for the life of the program. (4) Provide ISS attitude control on demand to include: -Attitude maneuvers & hold -Visiting vehicle proximity ops and dockings -Attitude recovery from free-drift -Provide for Control Moment Gyroscope (CMG) reset/desaturation (5) Provide ISS orbit maneuver control on demand -- Altitude maintenance -- Debris avoidance -- Reboost attitude shall be in +Xvv or -Xvv orientation -- Provide attitude control (auto pilot) capability given attitude information from the ISS (6)Ground operations support will be required for refueling and maintenance (7) Shall be located on United States (US) segment of ISS: -No interference: -With Russian segment build -Progress vehicle operations -Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) operations -Maintain existing ISS interfaces and resource transfer capabilities -Configuration shall not prevent access through any docking port (8) Launched, deployed, and returned by the Space Shuttle Orbiter (9) Shall meetall safety, performance/integration requirements of ISS and Space Shuttle Program (SSP) (10) Shall be two fault tolerant for catastrophic hazards -No combination of two failures, two operator errors or one of each can result in a disabling or fatal personnel injury or loss of the Orbiter or on-orbit Space Station -No single failure or single operator error can result in a nondisabling personnel injury, severe occupational illness, loss of an on-orbit Space Station major element, loss of an on-orbit Space Station life sustaining function or emergency system, or involves damage to the Orbiter. -Shall contain a minimum of three mechanically independent flow control devices in series to prevent engine firing, or expulsion of propellant through the thrust chamber. -Shall be two fault tolerant to prevent leakage into the payload bay past seals, seats, etc., if the leak has a flow path to the storage vessel. -Propellant leakage from an isolated segment of the distribution systems shall be controlled by dual seals. (11) Shall be one fault tolerant system level tolerance for function -- Two fault system level tolerance for function achieved by presence of a second vehicle e.g. (Service Module) (12) Returnable element(s) must be: -- Two fault tolerant for safety during Shuttle return -- Ground serviceable for refueling and maintenance II. Response Requirements A response is required for each of the items outlined in the following paragraphs: 1. Provide corporate information with respect to your firm's: a) Organizational Structure b) Number of Employees c) Scope of Services 2. Provide customer points of contact from a maximum of three flight hardware contracts of similar complexity. Please use the format provided by Attachment A in completing this response. 3. Describe how the experience gained in the referenced contracts are applicable in qualifying and preparing your company to capably and successfully execute the ISS Propulsion Module Program within an expedited timeframe. You should specifically address experience related with: -- Space Flight storable propulsion systems -- Large space structures -- Space Flight avionics -- Propellant loading for large propulsion systems -- Development of major payloads flown on the Space Shuttle -- Development of human rated propulsion systems -- Overall safety program including experience with NASA's Safety Review Panel 4. Identify the Key Personnel who would be assigned to this program. Include their experience, qualifications, and the amount of time they would be dedicated over the life of the program. III. Submittal Instructions The vendor shall address each of the items in the order that they are listed in Section II. In addition customer references are required using Attachment B. The entire RFI is to be forwarded to all the customer references (the same as you identify in Attachment A). The customers shall be given instructions to complete Attachment B with separate inputs from both the customer's Contracting Officer and Program Manager. The customers must be advised to submit the completed Attachment B, directly to the address given on the form, no later than 4:00 PM CST on June 29, 2000. Vendor responses shall not exceed twenty (20) pages, including Attachment A (Customer Surveys submitted on Attachment B are not included in the 20 page limit). One (1) original and ten (10) copies of this submission are required in response to this RFI. Written submissions shall be submitted no later that 4:00 PM CST on June 29, 2000, to the attention of Earl Pendley, PS52-A, Building 4203, Room 2138, George C. Marshall Space Flight Center, Marshall Space Flight Center, AL 35812. Questions regarding this RFI may be directed to Earl Pendley at (256)544-2949 or via e-mail to george.pendley@msfc.nasa.gov. Based on the input received, a response will be sent to each respondent stating either that it will be invited to participate in the resultant acquisition or that it is unlikely to be a viable competitor. This response will take into consideration the respondents' relevantpast performance, key personnel and their availability, and capabilities. This synopsis is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government, nor will the Government pay for the information solicited. Any questions regarding this announcement should be directed to the identified point of contact. An ombudsman has been appointed -- See NASA Specific Note "B". In the event a solicitation is issued, then any documents related to this procurement will be available over the Internet. These documents will be in Microsoft Office Suite (Word 6.0, Excel 5.0, or PowerPoint 4.0) format and will reside on a World Wide Web (WWW) server, which may be accessed using a WWW browser application. The Internet site, or URL, for the NASA/MSFC Business Opportunities home page is http://genesis.gsfc.nasa.gov/nasanote.html Posted 06/15/00 (D-SN465070). (0167)

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