NASA Notice: Research and Development Sources Sought for Potential Development of a Drilling System for a Mars Mission

General Information

• Solicitation Number: N/A
• Reference Number: RFI2-38314SLK
• NAIS Posted Date: Sep 22, 2003
• FedBizOpps Posted Date: Sep 22, 2003
• Response Date: Oct 07, 2003
• Classification Code: A — Research and Development
• Internet Address:
• http://prod.nais.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/eps/bizops.cgi?gr=D&pin=21#107554

Contracting Office Address

NASA/Ames Research Center, JA:M/S 241-1, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

Description

SUBJECT: Research and Development Sources Sought for Potential Development
of a Drilling System for a Mars Mission

THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT ANNOUNCEMENT ONLY. This document is for
information and planning purposes only and will allow industry the
opportunity to verify the reasonableness and feasibility of the requirement
and to submit a capability statement. It does not constitute a Request for
Proposal, Invitation for Bid, or Request for Quotation, and it is not to be
construed as a commitment by the Government to enter into a contract.
Respondents will not be notified of the results of the review. It is not
known at this time if a solicitation will result from this request for
information (RFI). If a solicitation is issued, it will be posted on the
NASA Ames Business Opportunities website. System description and source
qualifications should be limited to ten pages and submitted in electronic
format by Email to Shari Kamm @ skamm@mail.arc.nasa.gov, by the response
date specified above. In responding, reference RFI2-38314 SLK.

NASA Ames Research Center (ARC) is hereby soliciting information from
industry to determine the existence of sources with the capability to
develop a working prototype of a drilling system for a Mars mission that
would be ready for integrated field testing at a field site in Oklahoma for
14 days in March 2005, and at a field site in southwestern Spain for 30 days
in June of 2005. Participation of the source in weekly team meetings and
project reviews, to be held approximately semi-annually, would also be
required. This prototype drilling system would be used in a NASA field
experiment in a Mars analog environment to demonstrate technology for
drilling on Mars. Due to cost and schedule constraints, modification of an
existing drilling system is considered to be the cost effective approach to
this requirement. The drilling system must be capable of meeting the
following requirements, and sources must demonstrate that they can meet
these requirements by providing data from an existing drill working in a relevant environment that: (1) does not utilize a drilling fluid (liquid or gas)
for cuttings transport; (2) has been demonstrated to drill to a depth of at
least 5 meters in dry consolidated materials; (3) has a development path
shown for depth capability of 20 meters or greater; (4) provides cores for
all depths drilled; (5) has a nominal borehole diameter of 2 inches; (6)
cuts off and retrieves dry consolidated cores; (7) retrieves unconsolidated
cores; (8) has demonstrated thermal disturbance of core less than ten
Celsius; (9) ensures hole stability in unconsolidated materials; (10)
handles transitions from unconsolidated to consolidated materials; (11)
requires operating power less than 100 watts average; (12) is capable of
drilling at least 3 meters per day in sandstone; (13) is capable of drilling
through a broad range of rock types including consolidated and
unconsolidated sandstone, shales, and basalt; (14) has been demonstrated in
the field as an integrated system; and (15) will be ready for a field deployment in Spring 2005. It is also highly desirable that most of the
functions of the drill (such as drilling, core breakoff, core retrieval, and
cuttings removal) be mechanized and/or computer controllable, so that
minimal human involvement is required.

Interested and qualified sources are requested to provide a statement of
current capability and past performance information. Sources must
demonstrate management and technical experience on similar acquisitions
specifically addressing the requirements specified in this synopsis and
demonstrate the ability to successfully compete for this requirement. The
following information should be provided:

1. A description of the respondent’s existing drill system that either
meets or could be modified to meet the requirements specified above, and
what has been demonstrated to date by this drill system in terms of mass,
power, depth, materials, and mechanization/automation. A detailed
description of the requisite modifications to the existing drill system to
meet the above-specified requirements. Specifically address each of the
requirements specified above.

2. An estimated schedule for modifying the drilling system to meet the
above-specified requirements.

3. A description of the respondent’s past experience in successfully
performing this type of contract, including a description of the contract
and name and phone number of the point of contact for the purchasing
organization.

4. Company name, point of contact, e-mail address, telephone and facsimile
numbers, and type and business size.

AGAIN, 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.

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

B. An ombudsman has been appointed to hear and facilitate the resolution of
concerns from offerors, potential offerors, and contractors during the
preaward and postaward phases of this acquisition. When requested, the
ombudsman will maintain strict confidentiality as to the source of the
concern. The existence of the ombudsman is not to diminish the authority of
the contracting officer, the Source Evaluation Board, or the selection
official. Further, the ombudsman does not participate in the evaluation of
proposals, the source selection process, or the adjudication of formal
contract disputes. Therefore, before consulting with any ombudsman,
interested parties must first address their concerns, issues, disagreements,
and/or recommendations to the contracting officer for resolution. If
resolution cannot be made by the contracting officer, interested parties may
contact the installation ombudsman.
Concerns, issues, disagreements, and recommendations which cannot be
resolved at the installation may be referred to the NASA ombudsman. Please
do not contact the ombudsman to request copies of the solicitation, verify
offer due date, or clarify technical requirements. Such inquiries shall be
directed to the contracting officer or as specified elsewhere in this
document.

The Ombudsmen for each of the NASA installations and for the agency and
their phone numbers are available at the following URL:
http://ec.msfc.nasa.gov/hq/library/Omb.html

Point of Contact

• Name: Barbara J. Young
• Title: Contracting Officer
• Phone: (650) 604-5773
• Fax: (650) 604-0912
• E-mail: Barbara.J.Young@nasa.gov