NASA Teaming Opportunity to Develop and Validate Active Electrostatic Shielding for Human Space Missions
Synopsis – Mar 17, 2011
General Information
Solicitation Number: N/A
Reference Number: SS-RADSHIELD
Posted Date: Mar 17, 2011
FedBizOpps Posted Date: Mar 17, 2011
Recovery and Reinvestment Act Action: No
Original Response Date: Mar 31, 2011
Current Response Date: Mar 31, 2011
Classification Code: A — Research and Development
NAICS Code: 541712 – Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)
Contracting Office Address
NASA/Langley Research Center, Mail Stop 144, Industry Assistance Office, Hampton, VA 23681-0001
Description
This partnering synopsis solicits potential partners to participate in developing a proposal addressing the goals and objectives of NASA Research Announcement (NRA) NNH11ZUA001N, NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) and NASA Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) NNH11ZUA001K, Unique and Innovative Space Technology. The BAA and NRA can be accessed at: http://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/solicitations/solicitations.do?method=open&stack=push .
Participation in this partnering synopsis is open to all categories of U.S. and non-U.S. organizations, including educational institutions, industry, not-for-profit institutions, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, as well as NASA Centers and other U.S. Government Agencies. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Other Minority Universities (OMUs), small disadvantaged businesses (SDBs), veteran-owned small businesses, service disabled veteran-owned small businesses, HUBzone small businesses, and women-owned small businesses (WOSBs) are encouraged to apply. Participation by non-U.S. organizations is welcome but subject to NASAs policy of no exchange of funds, in which each government supports its own national participants and associated costs. Under the Unique and Innovative Space Technology BAA, the Game Changing Technology Division (GCT), within NASAs Office of the Chief Technologist (OCT) is soliciting executive summaries, white papers, and proposals for research and development (R&D) for technology that is innovative and unique and promises to enable revolutionary (game-changing) improvements to the efficiency and effectiveness of our countrys space capability. Novel (unique) capabilities are sought in any of the NASA Space Technology Grand Challenges or the NASA draft Space Technology Roadmaps. The Space Technology Grand Challenges can be found at: http://www.nasa.gov/offices/oct/strategic_integration/grand_challenges_detail.html . The Space Technology Roadmap (Draft) can be found at: http://www.nasa.gov/offices/oct/home/roadmaps/index.html .
Under the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC), the NRA solicits multiple studies, each of which will investigate an architecture, mission, or system concept that has the potential to change the possible in aeronautics or space. NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) is also part of the Office of Chief Technologist (OCT). Concepts proposed for NIAC Phase I studies must be innovative and visionary, technically substantiated, and very early in development (10+ years out; Technology Readiness Level 1, 2, or early 3). Focused technology maturation and incremental improvement are explicitly not of interest in this program. In response to the NASA Research Announcement (NRA) NNH11ZUA001N, NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) and Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) NNH11ZUA001K, Unique and Innovative Space Technology, partners are sought for efforts focused on developing and validating active electrostatic radiation shielding for protecting astronauts and habitat in long duration human space missions.
Current conventional radiation protection strategy based on materials shielding alone, referred to as passive radiation shielding, is maturing (has been worked on for about three decades) and any progress using the materials radiation shielding would only be evolutionary (incremental) at best. The overall situation is further augmented by the nonexistence of in vivo or in vitro data or studies about continuous long duration tissues exposure to a radiation and concomitant biological uncertainties. Material shielding would have only limited or no potential for avoiding continuous exposure to radiation. In addition, current material shielding alone for radiation protection for long duration/deep space safe human space missions is prohibitive due to pay load and cost penalties and is not a viable option. Out-of-the-box revolutionary technologies, while taking full advantage of advances in the state-of-the-art evolutionary material shielding are sought. Active radiation shielding has a tremendous benefit of stopping and diverting space radiation from the spacecraft.
Primary candidates for active shielding include but are not limited to: confined and unconfined magnetic fields requiring super-conducting magnets, plasma shields, and electrostatic shields. Recently, a journal publication (Adv. Space Res. 42 (2008) 1043) made a critical analysis and demonstrated why previous approaches of using electrostatic and magnetic radiation shielding were not feasible. Further it clearly established the feasibility proof-of-concept of electrostatic active shielding using the novel approach of quadruple configuration. The biggest advantage of active electrostatic radiation shielding is that by preventing ions from hitting the spacecraft, the unknown harmful biological effects of continuous long duration exposure to space radiation is significantly reduced (~ 70 %) for galactic cosmic rays (GCR) and for solar particle events (SPE), of great concern for radiation exposure, it is practically eliminated. It is believed that the best strategy for radiation protection and shielding for long duration human missions is to use electrostatic active radiation shielding while, in concert, taking the full advantage of the state-of-the-art evolutionary passive (material) shielding technologies for the much reduced and weaken radiation that may escape and hit the spacecraft.
In particular, NASA LaRC is seeking potential partners having demonstrated experience and expertise in; 1) modeling and simulation (physics and electricity and magnetism background is desired), 2) assessments of radiation exposure dose, 3) fabrication of expandable structures for space needs, and 4) working with charged ions and electrons accelerators. NASAs intended applications include but are not limited to radiation protection and shielding, radiation dose exposures, sensors, medical applications. Potential partners are requested to indicate which specific opportunity they are interested in partnering with NASA LaRC, the NIAC NRA or the Unique and Innovative Space Technology BAA Teaming with providers of and leveraging emerging technologies, such as current and recent Small Business Innovative Research awards (http://sbir.gsfc.nasa.fov/SBIR/awards.htm ), is of special interest.
If selected through this synopsis, it is expected that the selected partner(s) will work with NASA LaRC scientists and engineers to jointly develop the proposal. If the proposal is selected, NASA LaRC anticipates issuing contracts or other agreements to the selected partner(s) for performance of the proposed tasks. The goals of the partnerships are to; 1) develop and optimize electrostatic active radiation shielding configuration(s) and make simulation investigations, 2) assess radiation exposure for the configuration(s), 3) fabricate expandable structures, and 4) perform laboratory validation and tests of an expandable structure for its effectiveness for electrons and positively charged ions. This partnering opportunity does not guarantee selection for award of any contracts or other agreements, nor is it to be construed as a commitment by NASA to pay for the information solicited. It is expected that the partner(s) selected would provide (at no cost to NASA) conceptual designs, technical data, proposal input, project schedules, and cost estimates.
Partner selections will be made by LaRC based on the listed criteria in the following order of importance: (1) Relevant experience, past performance, technical capability, key personnel availability, and demonstration of work on any of the following: development of models and simulations, assessment of radiation doses exposures, fabrication of expandable structures of space needs, working with charged particles (electrons and/or ions) accelerator laboratories and proficiency in analysis. This criterion evaluates the proposers relevant recent experience, past performance in similar development activities, technical capability to perform the development, and key personnel available to support the development. Substantive evidence of successful participation in similar developments should be included. (2) Cost and schedule control. This criterion evaluates the proposers ability to control both cost and schedule. The proposer should provide evidence of successfully controlling cost and schedule for similar development programs and provide evidence of management processes in this area. (3) Facilities. This criterion evaluates the proposers facilities (development, testing, and analysis) to conduct the development or demonstration of the proposed task.
The proposer should discuss facility availability, access, and the ability to meet the proposed objectives. NASA will not reimburse organizations for the cost of submitting information in response to this synopsis. NASA will not pay for technical assessment or proposal preparation costs incurred by the team members.
RESPONSE INSTRUCTIONS: Responses to this partnering synopsis shall be limited to 8 pages in not less than 12-point font.
Responses must address the aforementioned evaluation criteria. All responses shall be submitted to LaRC electronically via email by 5:00pm EST on March 31, 2011 to Ram Tripathi (ram.k.tripathi@nasa.gov) and Brad Gardner (Robert.B.Gardner@nasa.gov). Technical and Programmatic questions should be directed to Ram Tripathi (ram.k.tripathi@nasa.gov). Procurement questions should be directed to Brad Gardner (Robert.B.Gardner@nasa.gov).
Point of Contact
Name: Robert B. Gardner
Title: Contracting Officer
Phone: 757-864-2525
Fax: 757-864-7898
Email: Robert.B.Gardner@nasa.gov
Name: Teresa M Hass
Title: Contracting Officer
Phone: 757-864-8496
Fax: 757-864-8863
Email: Teresa.M.Hass@nasa.gov
