NASA and the ISS National Lab Request for Information in Advance of the 2019 Joint NASA/ISS National Lab Materials Science for ISS Workshop
RFI Number: NNH19ZTT001L
Release Date: May 3, 2019
Response Date: June 7, 2019
This is a Request for Information (RFI) only and does not constitute a commitment, implied or otherwise, that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) or the ISS U.S. National Lab (ISSNL) will take procurement action in this matter. The information gathered will be used by NASA and the ISSNL to help prepare for the Materials Science for ISS Workshop to be held July 29, 2019, in Atlanta, GA. Registration and additional information about the Workshop can be found at http://www.cvent.com/d/k6qdwt.
The full RFI and submission instructions can be found at https://tinyurl.com/NASA-RFI-
To respond to this RFI, answers to a series of specific questions must be submitted electronically using the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System (NSPIRES) website by opening the NASA Research Opportunities homepage at http://nspires.nasaprs.com, then clicking the links through the menu listings “Solicitations” to “Open Solicitations” and selecting this RFI.
Background
A series of Presidential Space Policy Directives issued by the Executive Office of the United States government in 2017 and 2018 affirm the nation’s commitment to human space exploration and the commercial use of space. Enacting Space Policy Directive 1—Reinvigorating America’s Human Space Exploration Program—will require new innovative materials in every aspect of space exploration from Earth launch to human habitation on the moon and Mars. Space Policy Directive 2—Streamlining Regulations on the Commercial Use of Space—is intended to stimulate American leadership in space commerce that will include the discovery, development, and manufacture of new beneficial materials in space for use on Earth.
Aligned primarily with Space Policy Directive 1, NASA’s Physical Sciences Research Program (PSRP) of the Space Life and Physical Sciences Research and Applications (SLPSRA) Division solicits and conducts research to understand how physical systems respond to space flight environments, particularly microgravity. With a research program complementing that of SLPSRA and aligned with Space Policy Directive 2, the ISSNL manages a broad portfolio encompassing the life and physical sciences, including materials R&D, for the benefit of the United States and life on Earth. The International Space Station provides researchers the ability to conduct long-duration experiments in low-Earth orbit, enabling scientists, engineers, and technologists to pursue innovations and discoveries not achievable by other means. Materials science encompasses a breadth of research areas made accessible in an environment where gravity-driven phenomena such as buoyancy-driven fluid flows and sedimentation are nearly negligible, allowing scientists to clarify the role of different effects on materials processes. SLPSRA is planning research and technology development to enable human spaceflight and scientific discovery beyond Earth orbit, and investigations into materials enabling exploration goals are of particular interest. The ISSNL focuses on research and technology development whose impact can range from fundamental discovery to significant commercial opportunity.
Information Sought
The purpose of this RFI is to help NASA and the ISSNL prepare for the Materials Science for ISS Workshop to be held July 29 in Atlanta, GA, during the 2019 ISS R&D conference. Potential topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:
· Advanced manufacturing for in-space fabrication and repairs, including additive manufacturing techniques and freeze casting
· Joining of materials, including brazing, soldering, and welding
· Metallic alloys for high-temperature and cryogenic applications, including multi-scale modeling and the use of data from directional solidification experiments
· Lunar habitat and infrastructure materials, including cementitious materials
· Functional materials for space and terrestrial uses, including semiconductors, polymers, ceramics and glasses
· Techniques for thermophysical measurements and microstructure assessment.
· Computational materials science, Including Machine Learning- and Artificial Intelligence-enabled materials discovery and development
The workshop participants will advise SLPSRA’s materials science discipline and the ISSNL on future research and technology development directions.
NASA Primary Point of Contact (POC):
Michael P. SanSoucie
Title: Project Scientist
NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
Email: michael.p.sansoucie@nasa.gov
Phone: (256) 544-5269
ISSNL Primary Point of Contact (POC):
Michael Roberts
ISS U.S. National Laboratory
Email: Mroberts@issnationallab.org
Phone: (321) 727-6127
