A -- RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

Notice Date

December 14, 2001

Contracting Office

Office of Space Launch, SAF/SL, 2420 Vela Way, Suite 1467-A5, El Segundo, CA 90245-4659

ZIP Code

90245-4659

Solicitation Number

OSL BAA

Point of Contact

Merrill G. Huler, (310) 416-7497

E-Mail Address

click here to contact the contracting officer's representative (carla.coleman@osl.nro.mil)

Description

This is a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) from the National Reconnaissance Office, Office of Space Launch, Advanced Programs Division (OSL/APD). It is issued under the provisions of paragraph 6.102(d)(2) of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), which provides for the competitive selection of research proposals. Contracts awarded as a result of proposals submitted in response to this BAA are considered to be the result of competition to the maximum extent practicable. OSL may contract with educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, and private industry for research in those areas covered in this BAA. The intent of the Advanced Programs Division is to investigate and develop concepts and technologies that will enable the NRO to meet future launch needs. Our goal is to develop technologies that provide the best possible launch capabilities for our users when and where needed in the most cost-effective manner. Specific research interests and objectives covered by this BAA are found in Section 1. Proposed research should investigate truly new and unique approaches and techniques that lead to, or enable revolutionary and evolutionary improvements in capability, performance, and cost. Offerors may submit proposals on any topic either contained within this BAA or related to a BAA topic. Prior to submitting a proposal, offerors shall contact the Technical Points of Contact (POC), identified with the description of the corresponding research. The type of research effort contemplated should be understood and validated by the OSL technical representative prior to a potential Offeror expending extensive time and effort preparing a detailed technical proposal. In addition, Offerors shall identify on the cover page of their proposal which of the four (4) topic areas (by topic number and title) are addressed in their proposal. Offerors are reminded that this exchange of information in no way implies the Government will fund the concept once formally submitted in a proposal. Offerors are cautioned that only a Contracting Officer may obligate the Government to any agreement involving expenditure of Government funds. The period of performance for proposals submitted in response to this BAA may be up to a maximum of one (1) year. Proposals shall contain a brief summary of the work and a ceiling rough order of magnitude (CROM) price. It is the Government's intent to restrict the value of any contract awarded as a result of this BAA to a maximum price of $350K per contract. The Government anticipates award of contracts not later than 1 May 2002. Offerors shall submit proposals not later than 12 February 2002 with a stated effectivity through 1 May 2002. Offerors are cautioned that award of any contract(s) pursuant to this BAA is subject to the availability of funds. All written communications, including submission of proposals pursuant to this BAA, shall be forwarded to the OSL Contracting Office Point of Contact, Mr. Merrill Huler, Contracting Officer, who can be reached at (310) 416-7497. Please call Mr. Huler only if you have questions of a contractual nature. Technical questions/comments should be directed to the technical points of contact listed in Section 1 herein. Technical questions/comments should be directed to the technical points of contact listed in Section 1 herein. Topic 1: Launch Planning and Acquisition: Launch planning begins at a very early stage in the life of a space system. The premature assumption of launch vehicle capabilities and needs can have a significant negative impact on the total cost of launch, particularly if many mission unique modifications are required of the launch vehicle and/or if launch vehicle specific modifications are required of the spacecraft. The development of requirements, and the comparison of these requirements with the capabilities of existing launch systems characterize the planning and launch vehicle selection process. These planning activities start in early system concept development, proceed through acquisition strategy development, and culminate in the procurement of the launch service. Proposals need not be launch-centric, but Offerors should attempt to identify the potential benefits of their concepts to the launch planning/acquisition community. TECHNICAL POC: Mr. Dave Callen (703) 808-6502 Email: dave.callen@osl.nro.mil. Topic 2: Streamlined Design, Integration, and Operation: The primary goal of this BAA topic area is to obtain excellent, innovative ideas for streamlining and enhancing the integration of spacecraft to launch vehicles, or launch vehicles to the launch base. Proposals need not be launch-centric, but Offerers should attempt to identify the potential benefits of their concepts to the launch integration community. More generic approaches intended to enhance the management of complex system interfaces are also sought. Integration activities typically involve frequent interaction and data transfer between numerous disparate organizations; continuous tracking of action items and status; and continual development, documentation, and verification of requirements. All users need quick and cost effective processing on any given launch base. Examples of such operations for launch vehicles and spacecraft alike include transportation, processing, testing, training, launch, and on-orbit activities. Operations activities are typically characterized by the need for real-time collaboration among many mission partners, efficient allocation of resources, scheduling at many levels of detail, and reliable transmission of real-time telemetry data between disparate sources and users both for testing purposes and for the conducting of launches. Offerors are not expected to address the entirety of launch base operations, but should attempt to identify the potential benefits to the operations community. TECHNICAL POC: Mr. Jim Liller (703) 808-2334 Email: jim.liller@osl.nro.mil. Topic 3: Advanced Launch Vehicle Technologies: OSL is interested in examining advanced launch vehicle technologies that hold the potential for higher reliability, lower cost and better performance. Proposed technologies should be those that could be implemented within the next 15 years. Proposals should deal only with launch vehicle subsystems. Proposals examining whole vehicle systems will not be evaluated. Offerors should also include enough technical detail on the proposed technology to enable OSL to assess its technical maturity, feasibility and utility. Each approach should have a payoff in terms of schedule, cost and/or risk mitigation. Offerors should identify synergies with existing government and/or commercial advanced technology programs, such as NASA's 2nd Generation RLV program, the Integrated High Payoff Rocket Propulsion Technology Program or other advanced development programs. Recommendations should include "Technology Compatibility" with existing launch systems and infusion opportunities should be highlighted. TECHNICAL POC: Mr. Jason Shimshi (703) 808-6399 Email: jason.shimshi@osl.nro.mil. Topic 4: Risk Management, Standards, & Mission Assurance: OSL is interested in the development of technologies associated with risk management, development of industry-wide standards (to include mishap investigations), and new methods and/or technologies to enhance mission assurance. Risk mitigation is a key element in launch activities. Identification of risk and earlier development of mitigation plans has the potential for increasing reliability and decreasing total cost. Industry-wide standards appear to have a great deal of potential for all phases of launch. Based on experience, government directed and/or single supplier standards don't achieve this potential. The goal should be the development and adoption of industry-wide common standards or practices that can streamline the planning, integration, mishap investigation, and operations processes. Currently launch mishaps are handled IAW DoD and Air Force regulations. Mishap investigation boards are typically chaired by senior Air Force members and usually include Air Force, launch vehicle contractor, FFRDC, and safety and operations personnel. Clearly it is in the entire launch vehicle community's interests to quickly, and correctly determine the root cause, or causes, of a launch mishap and to return to operations. Of particular interest are improvements to the mishap process in the EELV era, for both Government and commercial payloads. The NRO's definition of "Mission Assurance" has four major parts; 1) Satellite Vehicle (SV) Certification, 2) Launch Vehicle (LV) Certification, 3) Mission Design and Analysis (including SV/LV interface) and 4) Independent Risk Assessment. Satellite Certification includes verification that the SV design meets the requirement and that the hardware & software produced meet the design (performed by the NRO SV SPO's independent agent). Launch Vehicle Certification includes verification that the LV design meets the requirement and that the hardware & software produced meet the design (performed by OSL using FFRDC and launch provider actions). Mission Design and Analysis includes verification via separate simulations or analyses of mission aspects and SV/LV interfaces that cannot be tested like they are flown (performed by OSL's FFRDC, LSIC or SETA contractors). Independent Risk Assessment is an independent team reviewing selected areas where a change, deviation or first time use occurs relative to an established technical baseline (performed by the Mission Assurance Team). Obviously, the entire Mission Assurance process begins early in the planning phase and continues through the construction, analysis, testing, and operations phases. TECHNICAL POC: Mr. Ryan Noguchi (310) 416-7231 Email: ryan.noguchi@osl.nro.mil***** The topics listed above are brief synopses of the actual study topics. Please see our web site at http: nro.gov "What's News" for the complete details of this Broad Agency Announcement. MERRILL G. HULER Contracting Officer

Web Link

Please see our web site link "What's News" for the (http://nro.gov)

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20011218/ASOL012.HTM (W-348 SN515290)