CBD: NASA Request for Entrepreneurial Offers Related to the Commercial Development and Use of the International Space Station – no closing date

General Information

Solicitation Number:
N/A

Reference Number:
10-00010

NAIS Posted Date:
Apr 17, 2001

CBDNet Posted Date:
Apr 17, 2001

Response Date:
Apr 18, 2002

Classification Code:
A — Research and Development

Contracting Office Address

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

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) seeks offers from industry for the commercial development and/or use of the International Space Station (ISS). The content of these offers need not be limited to engineering or research endeavors and may encompass a wide range of viable products and services developed as a result of the unique characteristics of the ISS and its supporting infrastructure, including the Shuttle. Proposed products or services could include the augmentation of the existing baseline space station system.

Prospective agreements will not be contracts or other agreements involving the payment of NASA funds to the partner. Currently, no public funds have been or are anticipated to be appropriated to NASA for allocation to these public-private partnerships. NASA anticipates that the entrepreneurial offers and partnership arrangements will be unique, with the specific responsibilities of NASA and the partner to be negotiated in a Space Act Agreement. Successful partnership offers will involve the creation of new products and services related to the ISS flight or ground segments.

A wide range of partnership terms and conditions may be possible in cases where there is significant private investment and a clear public benefit. As both the need and situation warrants, NASA will provide selected partners the necessary access to NASA facilities, personnel and technical information. The commercial partner will be expected to bear the costs of transportation, on-orbit payload accommodations and resources. However, NASA has received statutory authority to waive all or part of these costs in the near term where there is strong potential that a particular commercial ISS activity will become self-sustaining.

Written offers will be evaluated and selected based on their overall value to the public, and to NASA, consistent with the evaluation factors found at the web site referenced below. Offerors will be responsible for financing their contributions to the partnership with NASA. To the extent proposed financing arrangements utilize innovative mechanisms, such as public service sponsorships, consideration of such offers may involve policy issues requiring review and concurrence of NASA and other Government entities. NASA intends to update and reissue this notice biannually. Therefore, there is no specific due date for offers associated with this broad announcement. NASA may conduct separate and parallel negotiations with multiple offerors. NASA may select none or one or more offers for a formal agreement. Submittal instructions and related information can be obtained at the following web site: “commercial.nasa.gov”.

Point of Contact Name: Mark Uhran Title: Director, Space Utilization and Product Dev. Div. Phone: (202) 358-2233 Fax: (202) 358-4166
Email: muhran@hq.nasa.gov

Point of Contact