A -- EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE PATHFINDER

Notice Date

September 19, 2000

Contracting Office

NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA Headquarters Acquisition Branch, Code 210.H, Greenbelt, MD 20771

ZIP Code

20771

Solicitation Number

ESSP-AO-1

Point of Contact

Michael J Crison, Formulation Manager, Phone (202) 358-4718, Fax (202) 358-2769, Email mcrison@mail.hq.nasa.gov

E-Mail Address

Michael J Crison (mcrison@mail.hq.nasa.gov)

Description

Dear Colleague: Previously we announced our tentative programmatic milestones for the third Announcement of Opportunity (AO) for the Earth System Science Pathfinder (ESSP). Based on comments we have received and due to our desire to involve the community in the development of the AO, we have decided to amend our schedule and allow time for a release and review of a draft AO. The revised programmatic milestones are tentatively: Draft AO release early October 2000 Draft AO comments due mid November 2000 AO release mid December 2000 Pre-proposal Conference mid January 2001 Notices of Intent due late January 2001 Step-One Proposals due early March 2001 Announcement of Step-One ratings mid April 2001 Step-Two Proposals due mid July 2001 Announcement of Step-Two selections mid October 2001 Mission Confirmation Reviews October 2002 Within the Draft AO, we will more fully discuss the cost caps, as well as introduce some changes about which we would like your comments. A few of the changes that we are contemplating: 1. Transferring launch services responsibility from the Principal Investigator (PI) to NASA. In order to allow the PI to focus on the mission as much as possible, we would like to remove the risks associated with the launch vehicle from the PI's responsibility. The classes of launch services will be included in the AO. 2. Awarding three or four primary missions and down-selecting to two after the completion of the preliminary design and the Mission Confirmation Review (MCR). In the past, we have selected two primary missions with an alternate. Our proposed strategy is to eliminate the alternate mission and select multiple primary missions at the end of Step-Two. In order to retire as much risk as possible, we intend to fund each mission until the completion of the MCR and then down-select the missions for final implementation and launch (nominally two missions). At MCR, it will be up to each PI to demonstrate how much risk has been retired and convince NASA that they are ready to proceed. 3. Restructuring how we present the cost caps. Our initial target for the cost cap is $125 million (excluding launch services) for each mission. Included in this $125 million is the amount that the PI should propose for the efforts through MCR necessary to retire technical and programmatic risks. It will be incumbent upon the PI to validate their initial proposed mission cost cap consistent with the content of their proposed program at MCR. Please note that while NASA will fund and provide the launch services separately, we intend to consider the launch services cost as part of the total NASA Earth Sciences Program cost. Therefore, it is suggested that PIs propose the most cost effective launch option (within the classes of launch services identified in the AO) necessary to support the mission. I look forward to your participation in the next NASA Earth Science Announcement of Opportunity and thank you for your interest in the program. You can stay informed of ESSP activities and access the upcoming Announcement of Opportunity by visiting the ESSP homepage at http://essp.gsfc.nasa.gov/ . Point of Contact: Michael Crison, Formulation Manager Phone: (202) 358-4718 Fax: (202) 358-2769 E-mail: mcrison@hq.nasa.gov Sincerely, Ghassem R. Asrar Associate Administrator for Earth Science

Web Link

Click here for the latest information about this notice (http://nais.msfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/EPS/bizops.cgi?gr=D&pin=04#ESSP-AO-1)

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20000921/ASOL006.HTM (D-263 SN498146)