NASA Opportunities for Payloads Requiring an Near-Zero or Reduced Gravity Environment

Crosscutting Technologies That Advance Multiple Future Space Missions to Flight Readiness Status

Synopsis – Dec 21, 2010

Modification 01 – Posted on Jan 28, 2011
Modification 02 – Posted on Feb 09, 2011
Modification 03 – Posted on Jun 06, 2011 New!
Announcement of Opportunity – Posted on Dec 21, 2010
Announcement of Flight Opportunities – Posted on Feb 09, 2011
Update to Announcement of Flight Opportunites – Posted on Jun 06, 2011 New!

General Information

Solicitation Number: NND11122110O
Posted Date: Dec 21, 2010
FedBizOpps Posted Date: Dec 21, 2010
Recovery and Reinvestment Act Action: No
Original Response Date: Feb 03, 2011
Current Response Date: Jun 28, 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/Dryden Flight Research Center, Code A, P.O. Box 273, Edwards, CA 93523-0273

Description

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC) is releasing a NASA Announcement of Opportunity (AO) titled: OPPORTUNITIES FOR PAYLOADS REQUIRING A NEAR-ZERO OR REDUCED GRAVITY ENVIRONMENT: MATURING CROSSCUTTING TECHNOLOGIES THAT ADVANCE MULTIPLE FUTURE SPACE MISSIONS TO FLIGHT READINESS STATUS. The AO is an attachment to this synopsis. This announcement results from establishment of the Flight Opportunities Program (FOP) by the Agency’s Office of the Chief Technologist (OCT).

The OCT Flight Opportunities Program combines the FY 2010 Facilitated Access to the Space environment for Technology (FAST) and Commercial Reusable Suborbital Research (CRuSR) efforts previously managed by the Innovative Partnership Program Office. The integration of these efforts allows for greater program management alignment and provides the technology community access to the microgravity environment via multiple platforms.

The program intends to mature to flight readiness status crosscutting technologies that advance multiple future space missions. The result of the AO would be a no-exchange-of-funds agreement between an organization that has technology payloads and the Flight Opportunities Program.

Payloads selected under this announcement will fly on aircraft that provide parabolic flight trajectories and on suborbital reusable launch vehicles (sRLVs) that are capable of flying to altitudes above 100 km, providing exposure to reduced gravity and near-zero gravity environments. In exchange for the opportunity to fly, the proposer will provide data, designs, processes, and other relevant information to help NASA accomplish its mission. NASA is presently not considering human-tended payloads to be flown on sRLVs, and there will not be any NASA sponsored participants on sRLV flights relating to this particular announcement. The payloads to be flown on sRLV flights must operate autonomously.

Participation in this Announcement is open to all categories of organizations (U.S. and non-U.S.), including educational institutions, industry, not-for-profit organizations, Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), NASA Centers, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and other Government agencies. This solicitation will be open through December 31, 2014. The AO will be issued competitively, pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.102(d)(2).

All proposers must read the AO carefully, and all proposals must comply with the requirements, constraints, and guidelines contained within the AO. This synopsis is published, as required by NASA FAR Supplement 1872.302(b)(1). Proposals received through February 3, 2011 will be considered for flight opportunities known at this time. NASA will engage in ongoing review of proposals as received prior to the Response Date of December 31, 2014. Future flight opportunities and the associated proposal cut-off dates will be communicated via an amendment to Section 8.0 of this Announcement. NASA reserves the right to amend or withdraw this Announcement at any time prior to the Response Date.

An ombudsman has been appointed — See NASA Specific Note “B”.

The AO and any documents related to this procurement will be available over the Internet. These documents 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/DFRC Business Opportunities home page is http://prod.nais.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/eps/bizops.cgi?gr=D&pin=24 .

Notwithstanding the posting of this opportunity at FedBizOpps.gov, Grants.gov, or at both sites, NASA reserves the right to determine the appropriate award instrument for each proposal selected pursuant to this announcement.

It is the offeror’s responsibility to monitor the Internet cite for the release of the solicitation and amendments (if any). Potential offerors will be responsible for downloading their own copy of the solicitation and amendments, if any.

The Government does not intend to acquire a commercial item using FAR Part 12.

Point of Contact

Name: Andrea C Basham
Title: Contract Specialist
Phone: 661-276-6126
Fax: 661-276-3374
Email: andrea.c.basham@nasa.gov

Name: Richard M Swanson
Title: Contracting Officer
Phone: 661-276-3337
Fax: 661-276-2904
Email: Richard.M.Swanson@nasa.gov