Status Report

NASA Solicitation: Teaming Opportunity for Atmosphere & Ocean Profiling LIDAR for Studying Aerosols & Ocean CO2 Flux at air/sea Surface

By SpaceRef Editor
January 12, 2011
Filed under , , ,

Synopsis – Jan 11, 2011

General Information
Solicitation Number: N/A
Reference Number: SS-AtmosphereandOceanProfilingLidar
Posted Date: Jan 11, 2011
FedBizOpps Posted Date: Jan 11, 2011
Recovery and Reinvestment Act Action: No
Original Response Date: Feb 01, 2011
Current Response Date: Feb 01, 2011
Classification Code: A — Research and Development
NAICS Code: 541712 – Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)

Contracting Office Address

NASA/Langley Research Center, Mail Stop 144, Industry Assistance Office, Hampton, VA 23681-0001

Description

This partnering synopsis solicits potential partners to participate in a proposal development activity that addresses the technical objectives and development of an instrument in response to an anticipated Earth Venture Class Investigation Announcement of Opportunity (AO) expected to be released in the Spring of 2011. Earth Venture is a Program element within the Earth System Science Pathfinder Program (ESSP) consisting of a series of new science-driven, competitively selected, low cost missions that will provide opportunity for investment in innovative Earth science to enhance our capability to better understand the current state of the Earth system and to enable continual improvement in the prediction of future changes. The focus of the investigations is to enable innovation in measurement and observation, demonstrate innovative ideas and higher-risk technologies, establish new research avenues, and demonstrate key application-oriented measurements. For additional information on the Venture Class program visit http://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/solicitations/summary.do?method=init&solId= {B94FE9A7-CF32-B056-A72B-6CF2C9C93931}&path=past.

Participation in this partnering synopsis is open to all categories of U.S. and non-U.S. organizations, including educational institutions, industry, not-for-profit institutions, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, as well as NASA Centers and other U.S. Government Agencies. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Other Minority Universities (OMUs), small disadvantaged businesses (SDBs), veteran-owned small businesses, service disabled veteran-owned small businesses, HUBzone small businesses, and women-owned small businesses (WOSBs) are encouraged to apply. Participation by non-U.S. organizations is welcome but subject to NASA’s policy of no exchange of funds, in which each government supports its own national participants and associated costs.

Partners are sought for conceptual planning efforts focused on demonstrating the feasibility of developing instruments using lidar for CO2 flux measurements at the air-sea interface.

In particular NASA LaRC is seeking potential partners having demonstrated experience with spaceborne cloud and aerosol lidars as well as expertise in fabrication, assembly, and testing of those instruments. This integrated team will focus on developing a proposal for the EV-I AO solicitation that includes a spaceborne lidar for measurements of ocean surface roughness, ocean subsurface extinction and backscatter, and aerosol/cloud extinction and backscatter. The ocean surface roughness measurements will lead to improved estimates of CO2 exchange between the ocean and atmosphere and the ocean subsurface measurements will contribute to those estimates as well as augment other ocean-color science applications. The aerosol/cloud extinction and backscatter measurements will be used to reduce uncertainties in aerosol affects on climate and the hydrological cycle and improve air quality forecasts. The planned proposal work will leverage the success of the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) backscatter lidar on the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) satellite and some of the measurements recently demonstrated with CALIOP. CALIPSO is a LaRC-led mission and more information can be found at http://science.larc.nasa.gov/hsrl/index.html ).

If selected through this synopsis, it is expected that the selected partner(s) will work with NASA LaRC scientists and engineers to jointly develop the proposal. If the proposal is selected, NASA LaRC anticipates issuing contracts or other agreements to the selected partner(s) for performance of the proposed tasks.

This partnering opportunity does not guarantee selection for award of any contracts or other agreements, nor is it to be construed as a commitment by NASA to pay for the information solicited. It is expected that the partner(s) selected would provide (at no cost to NASA) technical requirements, conceptual designs, technical data, proposal input, project schedules, and cost estimates for space-based instrument concepts. It is expected that the selected partner(s) will work with NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) scientists and engineers as a team to jointly develop the technical requirements for the proposed lidar; an instrument concept with sufficient detail to enable accurate mass, volume, power, telemetry requirements, cost, and schedule estimates for development, integration, and test of the proposed lidar; an assessment of areas of technical, cost, schedule risk and approaches for addressing those risks; and the technical and cost volumes of the proposal to the EV-I solicitation. If the proposal is selected, it is anticipated that the partner(s) will work with LaRC on design, development, integration, and testing of the instrument; development of ground support equipment (GSE); development of software for the instrument and GSE; and other potential mission specific elements.

Partner selections will be made by LaRC based on the listed criteria in the following order of importance:

(1) Relevant Experience, past performance. This criterion evaluates the proposers’ relevant recent experience, past performance in similar development activities. Substantive evidence of successful participation in similar developments should be included.

(2) Technical Capability and key personnel. This criterion evaluates technical capability to perform the development and key personnel available to support the development. Evidence of staffing estimates with available key personnel shall be included. Past successful programs and technical contributions shall be included.

(3) Facilities. This criterion evaluates the proposers’ facilities (development, testing, and analyses) to conduct the development or demonstration of the proposed task. Instrument facilities for testing of space hardware and prototype hardware are considered important to this opportunity. The proposer should discuss facility availability, access, and the ability to meet the proposed objectives.

(4) Cost and Schedule control. The proposer shall provide evidence of past performance of controls of cost and schedule on similar development and provide examples of management processes utilized to effect and track cost and schedule.

NASA will not reimburse organizations for the cost of submitting information in response to this synopsis. NASA will not pay for technical assessment or proposal preparation costs incurred by the team members.

RESPONSE INSTRUCTIONS: Responses to this partnering synopsis shall be limited to 10 pages in not less than 12-point font. Responses must address the aforementioned evaluation criteria. All responses shall be submitted to LaRC electronically via email by 5:00pm EST on February 1, 2011 to Chris Hostetler (Chris.A.Hostetler@nasa.gov) and Teresa Hass (Teresa.M.Hass@nasa.gov).

Technical and Programmatic questions should be directed Chris Hostetler at Chris.A.Hostetler@nasa.gov. Procurement questions should be directed to Teresa.M.Hass@nasa.gov.

Point of Contact

Name: Teresa M Hass
Title: Contracting Officer
Phone: 757-864-8496
Fax: 757-864-8863
Email: Teresa.M.Hass@nasa.gov

Name: Timothy P Cannella
Title: Contracting Officer
Phone: 757-864-5028
Fax: 757-864-9097
Email: Timothy.P.Cannella@nasa.gov

SpaceRef staff editor.