CBD: Payload Space on GOES-R Series of Satellites
[Commerce Business Daily: Posted in CBDNet on August 16, 2001]
[Printed Issue Date: August 20, 2001]
From the Commerce Business Daily Online via GPO Access
PART: U.S. GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENTS
SUBPART: SERVICES
CLASSCOD: A–Research and Development–Potential Sources Sought
OFFADD: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 214.2, Greenbelt,
MD 20771
SUBJECT: A–GOES-R SERIES OF SATELLITES
SOL 433-GOES-R
DUE 091401
POC Barbara A. Hammond, Contract Specialist, Phone (301) 286-3230,
Fax (301) 286-1699, Email bhammond@pop200.gsfc.NASA.gov – John
Baniszewski, Contracting Officer, Phone (301)286-9841, Fax
(301)286-1699, Email John.D.Baniszewski.1@gsfc.NASA.gov
DESC: THIS IS NOT A NOTICE OF SOLICITATION ISSUANCE.
Opportunity
to respond to this Request For Information (RFI) is open to
government agencies, academic institutions, private sector
organizations, and other interested parties.
The National Oceanic
& Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) next series of Geostationary
Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) satellites (GOES-R
Series) are targeted to begin launching in 2010. Each carries
operational instruments for observing weather, monitoring the
solar-space environment, and relaying reports from remote environmental
platforms on Earth. Each is designed to carry ancillary “instruments
of opportunity” (IOOs) that may use the spacecraft’s existing
power, communications, and command and control subsystems.
NOAA is prepared to offer the use of this IOO space on its
GOES-R Series spacecraft for experimental payloads that are
related to its overall mission. Payload concepts need not be
limited to remote-sensing instrument prototypes and may include
any apparatus with general applicability to NOAA’s future geostationary
spacecraft operations or mission objectives.
In general, NOAA
would require that any potential payload must: (a) not add
risk to the operational GOES mission in any way (e.g., electromagnetic
interference, pointing accuracy degradation, thermal loading
beyond limits, etc.), (b) be delivered to NASA for integration
onto GOES-R no later than April 2008 for GOES-R (GOES-S and
beyond dates have not been defined), and (c) successfully complete
a payload test plan, approved by NASA and NOAA, prior to the
delivery date.
We are currently exploring the accommodations
for IOOs, and we need information to appropriately size the
IOOs allocations. To help us refine the IOO allocations we
need the following information based on potential instrument
concepts developed to date: (1) the maximum expected size (height,
width, and depth), power, and mass of the instrument module(s),
(2) the required spacecraft mounting orientation (and position
if critical) for the instrument module, (3) indication if there
is a preference as to where the electronics/power supply module(s)
(if separate from the sensor module) should be mounted in/on
the spacecraft, and (4) identifation of any deployables envisioned
that may extend beyond the instrument envelope when in the
stowed or deployed state.
It is understood that this information
is very preliminary, and there should be no concern if your
estimates ultimately turn out to be inaccurate. NASA will take
the information provided and compare it against our own estimates
and those of the other IOO instruments.
A consolidated maximum
estimate (probably including some margin and engineering judgment
of our own) will be provided to the spacecraft vendors. NOAA
and NASA will provide no funding for the design, fabrication,
or testing of the IOO.
NOAA will consider sharing costs of
integrating the IOO onto the GOES-R series spacecraft, under
an agreement to be negotiated with the IOO provider. NOAA will
provide launch, operations, and data acquisition for the experimental
payload and will deliver instrument telemetry and data to the
provider via the Internet or other pre-determined means. NOAA
assumes unrestricted rights to collect, analyze, and redistribute
the data. NOAA will not be held accountable for any loss incurred
by the payload provider associated with this project. This
includes, but is not limited to, any loss due to a failure
at any time of the satellite or the launch vehicle.
All information
received from this RFI will be compiled and used for planning
purposes. However, future potential IOOs may be identified
and procurement activities may result from this fact-finding
exercise. The results of this RFI may be reported outside NASA
and NOAA; therefore, any proprietary information submitted
should be marked appropriately.
Respondents are urged to describe
their instruments in sufficient detail to allow NASA and NOAA
to corroborate the ability of the respondent to meet the NOAA
requirements. Responses must include the name and address of
the firm or affiliation. Sources with information relevant
to this request are asked to respond by submitting a response
of no more than 20 pages of text (minimum font size: 10) and
5 pages of figures and/or tables. The response shall clearly
contain: (a) a general description of the purpose of the experimental
payload, (b) a statement describing the applicability of the
payload to NOAA’s space-based mission interests, (c) a general
engineering concept for the payload, (d) a statement declaring
the likelihood of the payload fitting into defined mission-of-opportunity
space on the GOES-R series, and (e) a top-level development
schedule. Responses that include a description of expected
costs and sources of funding (Internal R& D funds, grants,
etc.) would be beneficial to the reviewers.
A panel of NASA
and NOAA experts will review the information received in response
to this RFI. Technical questions should be directed to: Sandra
A. Cauffman at (301) 286-7607. Procurement-related questions
should be directed to Barbara Hammond at (301) 286-3230.
This
synopsis is for information and planning purposes and is not
to be construed as a commitment by the Government nor will
the Government pay for information solicited. Respondents will
not be notified of the results of the evaluation. Respondents
deemed fully qualified will be considered in any resultant
solicitation for the requirement. The Government reserves the
right to consider a small business or 8(a) set-aside based
on responses hereto. All responses shall be submitted to Barbara
Hammond at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 214.2, Greenbelt,
MD 20771 no later than September 14, 2001.
Comments may be
submitted via electronic transmission (bhammond@pop200.gsfc.NASA.gov)
or by facsimile transmission (301-286-1699). THIS IS A SOURCES
SOUGHT/RFI SYNOPSIS — NOT A NOTICE OF IFB, RFP, OR RFO ISSUANCE.
No solicitation exists; therefore, do not request a copy of
the solicitation. If a solicitation is released it will be
synopsized in the CBD and on the NASA Acquisition Internet
Service. It is the potential offerors responsibility to monitor
these sites for the release of any solicitation or synopsis.
An ombudsman has been appointed — See NASA Specific Note “B”.
The solicitation and any documents related to this procurement
will be available over the Internet. These documents will be
in Microsoft Office 97 format and 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/GSFC Business
Opportunities home page is: http://genesis.gsfc.NASA.gov/nasanote.html
LINKURL: http://nais.msfc.NASA.gov/cgi-bin/EPS/bizops.cgi?gr=D&pin=51#433-GOES-R
LINKDESC: Click here for the latest information about this notice
EMAILADD: bhammond@pop200.gsfc.NASA.gov
EMAILDESC: Barbara A. Hammond
CITE: (D-228 SN50V1R7)
