Amendment #5 to the SALMON-3 AO 2018 Heliophysics Technology Demonstration Mission of Opportunity
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announces the addition of Program Element Appendix (PEA) L to the omnibus NASA Announcement of Opportunity entitled Third Stand Alone Missions of Opportunity Notice (SALMON-3 NNH17ZDA004O). PEA L is the 2018 Heliophysics Technology Demonstration (TechDemo) Mission of Opportunity, a new opportunity to propose Principal Investigator (PI)-led investigations under a not-to-exceed cost cap. Evaluation and down selection for flight will be made through a two-step competitive process. It is anticipated that two or more TechDemo investigations will be selected for a nine-month, $400K Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 dollars, Phase A concept study through this AO. At the conclusion of these concept studies, it is planned that one or two TechDemo investigations will be selected to continue into Phase B and subsequent mission phases. A TechDemo investigation proposed PI-Managed Mission Cost (PIMMC), including all mission phases, is expected to range from $25M-$65M. Multiple missions may be down-selected if the sum of the cost of all of these missions remains below the overall PEA Cost Cap of $65M. TechDemo investigations will launch on the Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV). Accommodation on the EELV Secondary Payload Adapter (ESPA) Grande will be provided at no cost to proposers.
The TechDemo PEA solicits Small Complete Mission (SCM) proposals for spaceflight demonstration of innovative medium Technical Readiness Level (mid-TRL) technologies that enable significant advances in NASA’s Heliophysics Science Objectives and Goals as described in 2014 Science Plan for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate and Our Dynamic Space Environment: Heliophysics Science and Technology Roadmap for 2014-2033.
TechDemo investigations must be proposed for flight as a secondary payload with the IMAP mission. Up to two ports on an EELV Secondary Payload Adapter (ESPA) will be provided to accommodate each investigation. The ESPA is intended to be an unpowered, non-propulsive, ESPA Grande ring. TechDemo SCM releases will not occur until after the release of IMAP.
Proposal merit in this PEA will be determined by the magnitude of heliophysics science advancements enabled by the proposed TechDemo investigation. Initiation of a future mission achieving the science advancements enabled by the TechDemo investigation must be technically and scientifically feasible within the next 15 years. The TechDemo investigation might inform the mission recommendations of the next heliophysics decadal study by raising the TRL of a key technology to the point it is no longer considered a defining risk to those missions. However, significant science advancement is also possible within the TechDemo investigation itself. Whether the targeted science advancement is achieved during the TechDemo mission or during some future mission within the specified timeframe will not be a factor in the evaluation criteria.
This opportunity solicits proposals for investigations requiring the development and operation of space-based investigations. The projects are designated as Category 3 as defined in NPR 7120.5E, NASA Space Flight Program and Project Management Requirements. The payloads are designated as Streamlined Class D as defined in the new NASA Science Mission (SMD) Class-D Tailoring/Streamlining Decision Memorandum.
See https://soma.larc.nasa.gov/standardao/ClassD.html.
As NASA expects investigations proposed to this solicitation to require more development than in non-technology demonstration solicitations, proposals may spend up to 30% of the PIMMC prior to KDP-C. In each investigation, a 30% minimum unencumbered cost reserve on Phases A-D and a 20% minimum unencumbered cost reserve on Phases E-F will be required within the proposed PIMMC.
A Pre-proposal Web Conference for HPTDMO is scheduled for August 24, 2018. Forthcoming schedule updates, agenda, and logistical information can be found on the TechDemo MO PEA Acquisition Homepage https://soma.larc.nasa.gov/stp/tdmo/ .
Mandatory Notification Proposals due: 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on September 10, 2018
Last date for submission of questions: 14 days before proposal due date
Electronic full proposals due 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on November 5, 2018
Full proposal CD-ROMS due 4:30 p.m. on November 9, 2018
Target selection date for competitive Phase A studies July 3, 2019
Target Concept Study Reports due date May 4, 2020
Target Down-selection date November 2, 2020
Launch readiness date October 1, 2024
Further information and updates will be posted on the 2018 Heliophysics Technology Demonstration Mission of Opportunity Acquisition Homepage at https://soma.larc.nasa.gov/stp/tdmo/. Questions may be addressed to Dr. Roshanak Hakimzadeh, Heliophysics TechDemo MO Program Scientist, Science Mission Directorate, NASA, Washington, DC 20546; Email: hq-techdemo@mail.nasa.gov.
