NASA Solicitations: Opportunities for Payloads Requiring a Near-Zero or Reduced Gravity Environment
OPPORTUNITIES FOR PAYLOADS REQUIRING A NEAR-ZERO OR REDUCED GRAVITY ENVIRONMENT: MATURING CROSSCUTTING TECHNOLOGIES THAT ADVANCE MULTIPLE FUTURE SPACE MISSIONS TO FLIGHT READINESS STATUS.
Synopsis – Dec 21, 2010
Modification 01 – Posted on Dec 21, 2010
General Information
Solicitation Number: NND11366916O
Posted Date: Dec 21, 2010
FedBizOpps Posted Date: Dec 21, 2010
Recovery and Reinvestment Act Action: No
FedGrants Posted Date: Dec 21, 2010
Application Due Date Explanation: Date proposals are due.
Classification Code: A — Research and Development
NAICS Code: 541712 – Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)
Grant Specific Information
Funding Instrument Type: Other
CFDA Number: 43.009
Cost Sharing or Matching Required: No
Estimated Total Program Funding: not available
Expected Number of Awards: not available
Ceiling Amount: none
Floor Amount: none
Funding Activity: Science and Technology and other Research and Development (ST)
Eligible Applicants: 99 – Unrestricted
Participation in this Announcement is open to all categories of organizations
Link to Full Announcement: http://prod.nais.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/eps/bizops.cgi?gr=D&pin=24
Contracting Office Address
NASA/Dryden Flight Research Center, Code A, P.O. Box 273, Edwards, CA 93523-0273
Description
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC) is releasing a NASA Announcement of Opportunity (AO) titled: OPPORTUNITIES FOR PAYLOADS REQUIRING A NEAR-ZERO OR REDUCED GRAVITY ENVIRONMENT: MATURING CROSSCUTTING TECHNOLOGIES THAT ADVANCE MULTIPLE FUTURE SPACE MISSIONS TO FLIGHT READINESS STATUS. The AO is an attachment to this synopsis. This announcement results from establishment of the Flight Opportunities Program (FOP) by the Agency’s Office of the Chief Technologist (OCT).
The OCT Flight Opportunities Program combines the FY 2010 Facilitated Access to the Space environment for Technology (FAST) and Commercial Reusable Suborbital Research (CRuSR) efforts previously managed by the Innovative Partnership Program Office. The integration of these efforts allows for greater program management alignment and provides the technology community access to the microgravity environment via multiple platforms. The program intends to mature to flight readiness status crosscutting technologies that advance multiple future space missions. The result of the AO would be a no-exchange-of-funds agreement between an organization that has technology payloads and the Flight Opportunities Program.
Payloads selected under this announcement will fly on aircraft that provide parabolic flight trajectories and on suborbital reusable launch vehicles (sRLVs) that are capable of flying to altitudes above 100 km, providing exposure to reduced gravity and near-zero gravity environments. In exchange for the opportunity to fly, the proposer will provide data, designs, processes, and other relevant information to help NASA accomplish its mission. NASA is presently not considering human-tended payloads to be flown on sRLVs, and there will not be any NASA sponsored participants on sRLV flights relating to this particular announcement. The payloads to be flown on sRLV flights must operate autonomously.
Participation in this Announcement is open to all categories of organizations (U.S. and non-U.S.), including educational institutions, industry, not-for-profit organizations, Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), NASA Centers, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and other Government agencies. This solicitation will be open through December 31, 2014. The AO will be issued competitively, pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.102(d)(2).
All proposers must read the AO carefully, and all proposals must comply with the requirements, constraints, and guidelines contained within the AO. This synopsis is published, as required by NASA FAR Supplement 1872.302(b)(1). Proposals received through February 3, 2011 will be considered for flight opportunities known at this time. NASA will engage in ongoing review of proposals as received prior to the Response Date of December 31, 2014. Future flight opportunities and the associated proposal cut-off dates will be communicated via an amendment to Section 8.0 of this Announcement. NASA reserves the right to amend or withdraw this Announcement at any time prior to the Response Date.
An ombudsman has been appointed — See NASA Specific Note “B”.
The AO and any documents related to this procurement will be available over the Internet. These documents 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/DFRC Business Opportunities home page is http://prod.nais.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/eps/bizops.cgi?gr=D&pin=24 .
Notwithstanding the posting of this opportunity at FedBizOpps.gov, Grants.gov, or at both sites, NASA reserves the right to determine the appropriate award instrument for each proposal selected pursuant to this announcement.
It is the offeror’s responsibility to monitor the Internet cite for the release of the solicitation and amendments (if any). Potential offerors will be responsible for downloading their own copy of the solicitation and amendments, if any.
Point of Contact
Name: Richard M Swanson
Title: Contracting Officer
Phone: 661-276-3337
Fax: 661-276-2904
Email: Richard.M.Swanson@nasa.gov
Name: Andrea C Basham
Title: Contract Specialist
Phone: 661-276-6126
Fax: 661-276-3374
Email: andrea.c.basham@nasa.gov
OPPORTUNITIES FOR SUBORBITAL REUSABLE LAUNCH VEHICLES AND PAYLOAD INTEGRATION SERVICES FOR MATURING CROSSCUTTING TECHNOLOGIES THAT ADVANCE MULTIPLE FUTURE SPACE MISSIONS TO FLIGHT READINESS STATUS
Synopsis – Dec 21, 2010
Modification 01 – Posted on Dec 21, 2010 New!
General Information
Solicitation Number: NND11Z98765L
Posted Date: Dec 21, 2010
FedBizOpps Posted Date: Dec 21, 2010
Recovery and Reinvestment Act Action: No
Original Response Date: Jan 20, 2011
Current Response Date: Jan 20, 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/Dryden Flight Research Center, Code A, P.O. Box 273, Edwards, CA 93523-0273
Description
This Request for Information (RFI) is issued by the NASA/DFRC to post a potential Government requirement via the internet and solicit responses from interested parties. This document is for information and planning purposes and to allow industry the opportunity to verify reasonableness and feasibility of the requirement, as well as promote competition. Prospective offerors are invited to submit written comments or questions to the primary point of contact, Andrea Basham, no later than January 7, 2011. When responding reference NND11Z56789L.
1.0 Introduction
The NASA Office of the Chief Technologist (OCT) Flight Opportunities Program (hereafter “the Program”) combines the FY 2010 Facilitated Access to the Space environment for Technology (FAST) and Commercial Reusable Suborbital Research (CRuSR) efforts previously managed by the Innovative Partnership Program Office. The integration of these efforts allows for greater program management alignment and provides the technology community access to the microgravity environment via multiple platforms.
The Program intends to mature to flight readiness status crosscutting technologies that advance multiple future space missions. To this end, the Program will provide frequent flight opportunities for technology payloads to fly on both parabolic aircraft and suborbital reusable launch vehicles (sRLVs) that are capable of flying to altitudes above 100 km. This Request for Information (RFI) only pertains to sRLVs. Payloads may fly in any part of the sRLV flight envelope. NASA is presently not considering human-tended payloads to be flown on sRLVs, and there will not be any NASA sponsored participants on sRLV flights relating to this particular announcement. The payloads to be flown on sRLV flights must operate autonomously.
The Program intends to acquire the services of commercial sRLV providers and commercial payload integrators to fly technology payloads on missions that help the Program achieve the goals of the OCT. The technology payloads are being solicited under a separate Announcement of Opportunity (AO) issued by the Program [ref]. The Program foresees the following two scenarios to fly these payloads: 1) the flight provider provides the flight as well as payload integration services (either in-house or subcontracted); or, 2) the payload integrator procures the flight service and integrates the payload. In both cases, the Program intends to procure as a single procurement both the payload integration service and the flight service.
The Program will hold an Industry Meeting at the Dryden Flight Research Center on January 25, 2011, to discuss the subject RFI and a future solicitation for flight and payload integration services. An open question and answer forum between the Program and the industry will be held at the Industry Meeting. Additional information, including an agenda, will be provided at the Program website: http://flightopportunities.nasa.gov .
2.0 Request for Information
The Program seeks to ascertain from the sRLV industry how it will provide flight and payload integration services to fly missions for Program-provided payloads. The Program intends to use the responses to this RFI to develop a solicitation for sRLV flights and payload integration services. This RFI does not pertain to parabolic aircraft, only to sRLVs.
2.1 Flight Service Provision
Flight service provision is defined as the service that delivers an integrated payload to a desired environment aboard an sRLV. An example of such a service is an sRLV flying to 100km and providing 3-4 min of reduced gravity to the payload. Flight services include, but are not limited to:
– Flight operations, including operation of the payload – Flight and ground safety – Coordination of launch license with the FAA – Vehicle airworthiness – Payload recovery – Mishap planning and response
2.2 Integration Service Provision
Integration service provision is defined as integration of a payload to the flight vehicle, while ensuring that the interfaces to other payloads and to the flight vehicle are compatible and that the mission requirements of the payload investigator are met. Integration services may include, but are not limited to:
– Ensuring that the payload can meet the environmental requirements (e.g., vibration, pressure, and thermal requirements) specified by the flight service provider – Establishing the payload operational and mission performance requirements and the mission exit criteria with the payload investigator – Developing and coordinating the payload interface control documents (ICDs—mechanical, electrical, data) with flight service provider – Verifying the payload against the ICDs and environmental requirements, including system-to-system interactions with other payloads and the flight vehicle – Providing engineering and system safety analyses to inform the Mission Risk Assessment
The Program may elect to fly payloads from foreign countries or payloads with export-sensitive technologies (i.e., that fall under ITAR regulations). The Provider should describe how they would handle such payloads.
2.3 Standard Service
The Program would like to ascertain from the sRLV industry the standard services that could be procured on a fixed-price basis. The Provider should describe standard interfaces (mechanical, electrical, data, command and control, etc.), standard flight profiles, the standard operating range(s), etc., that are part of the standard service provision.
2.4 Non-Standard Service
It is likely that some of the Program-provided payloads will not conform to a standard service provision offered by the Provider. In such cases, the Program would like to ascertain how such non-standard payloads could be accommodated. In particular, the Program would like to understand the processes, and to the extent possible the cost-basis, for accommodating non-standard payloads.
2.5 History of Service
The Program would like to understand the Provider’s history providing payload integration and/or flight services. The Provider should describe payload integrations, flight and ground operations, or other expertise that are relevant to flying technology payloads on sRLVs. The Provider should describe experience working with specific launch facilities.
2.6 Quality Standards
The Provider should describe the quality standards and standard processes that are employed to ensure that the Program receives a quality product. The Provider should describe any rationale that promotes confidence to the Program that the Provider can deliver a quality product.
2.7 Educational Outcomes
NASA’s mission is to “Drive advances in science, technology, and exploration to enhance knowledge, education, innovation, economic vitality, and stewardship of the Earth”. The Program’s educational vision is to “Create Opportunities for the public, and especially the STEM education community, to engage in NASA’s space technology mission and the emerging commercial space industry. To this end, Every Flight is an Opportunity”. The Provider should describe how flying missions for the Program would enhance education and help to realize the Program’s educational vision. The Provider should describe how flying technology missions for the Program helps to further the Provider’s own education and outreach goals.
3.0 Who Should Respond?
U.S. and U.S.-affiliated companies are welcome to respond to this Request for Information. Only companies that can offer both integration and flight services, either directly or through agreement with another organization, should respond.
4.0 Submission Requirements
Respondents should address the areas outlined in Sec. 2.0, Request for Information. Responses should be submitted in Adobe PDF or Microsoft Word format. Hard copies will not be accepted.
Responses are due midnight Pacific Standard Time January 20, 2011. Responses and question to this RFI should be submitted via email to the Point(s) of Contact listed below.
This is a request for information only and does not constitute a commitment, implied or otherwise, that NASA Dryden will take procurement action in this matter. Further, neither NASA Dryden nor the Government will be responsible for any cost incurred in furnishing this information. No solicitation exists; therefore, please do not request a copy of a solicitation. When a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized in FedBizOpps https://www.fbo.gov/ and on NSPIRES http://prod.nais.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/nais/index.cgi (Requests for Proposals). It is the offeror’s responsibility to monitor the Internet site for the release of the solicitation and amendments (if any). Potential offerors will be responsible for downloading their own copy of the solicitation and amendments, if any.
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 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/DFRC Business Opportunities home page is http://prod.nais.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/eps/bizops.cgi?gr=D&pin=24 It is the offeror’s responsibility to monitor the Internet cite for the release of the solicitation and amendments (if any). Potential offerors will be responsible for downloading their own copy of the solicitation and amendments, if any.
Any referenced notes may be viewed at the following URLs linked below.
Point of Contact
Name: Andrea C Basham
Title: Contract Specialist
Phone: 661-276-6126
Fax: 661-276-3374
Email: andrea.c.basham@nasa.gov
Name: Richard M Swanson
Title: Contracting Officer
Phone: 661-276-3337
Fax: 661-276-2904
Email: Richard.M.Swanson@nasa.gov
OPPORTUNITIES FOR PAYLOADS REQUIRING A NEAR-ZERO OR REDUCED GRAVITY ENVIRONMENT: MATURING CROSSCUTTING TECHNOLOGIES THAT ADVANCE MULTIPLE FUTURE SPACE MISSIONS TO FLIGHT READINESS STATUS.
Synopsis – Dec 21, 2010
Announcement of Opportunity – Posted on Dec 21, 2010 New!
General Information
Solicitation Number: NND11122110O
Posted Date: Dec 21, 2010
FedBizOpps Posted Date: Dec 21, 2010
Recovery and Reinvestment Act Action: No
Original Response Date: Feb 03, 2011
Current Response Date: Feb 03, 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/Dryden Flight Research Center, Code A, P.O. Box 273, Edwards, CA 93523-0273
Description
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC) is releasing a NASA Announcement of Opportunity (AO) titled: OPPORTUNITIES FOR PAYLOADS REQUIRING A NEAR-ZERO OR REDUCED GRAVITY ENVIRONMENT: MATURING CROSSCUTTING TECHNOLOGIES THAT ADVANCE MULTIPLE FUTURE SPACE MISSIONS TO FLIGHT READINESS STATUS. The AO is an attachment to this synopsis. This announcement results from establishment of the Flight Opportunities Program (FOP) by the Agency’s Office of the Chief Technologist (OCT).
The OCT Flight Opportunities Program combines the FY 2010 Facilitated Access to the Space environment for Technology (FAST) and Commercial Reusable Suborbital Research (CRuSR) efforts previously managed by the Innovative Partnership Program Office. The integration of these efforts allows for greater program management alignment and provides the technology community access to the microgravity environment via multiple platforms.
The program intends to mature to flight readiness status crosscutting technologies that advance multiple future space missions. The result of the AO would be a no-exchange-of-funds agreement between an organization that has technology payloads and the Flight Opportunities Program.
Payloads selected under this announcement will fly on aircraft that provide parabolic flight trajectories and on suborbital reusable launch vehicles (sRLVs) that are capable of flying to altitudes above 100 km, providing exposure to reduced gravity and near-zero gravity environments. In exchange for the opportunity to fly, the proposer will provide data, designs, processes, and other relevant information to help NASA accomplish its mission. NASA is presently not considering human-tended payloads to be flown on sRLVs, and there will not be any NASA sponsored participants on sRLV flights relating to this particular announcement. The payloads to be flown on sRLV flights must operate autonomously.
Participation in this Announcement is open to all categories of organizations (U.S. and non-U.S.), including educational institutions, industry, not-for-profit organizations, Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), NASA Centers, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and other Government agencies. This solicitation will be open through December 31, 2014. The AO will be issued competitively, pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.102(d)(2).
All proposers must read the AO carefully, and all proposals must comply with the requirements, constraints, and guidelines contained within the AO. This synopsis is published, as required by NASA FAR Supplement 1872.302(b)(1). Proposals received through February 3, 2011 will be considered for flight opportunities known at this time. NASA will engage in ongoing review of proposals as received prior to the Response Date of December 31, 2014. Future flight opportunities and the associated proposal cut-off dates will be communicated via an amendment to Section 8.0 of this Announcement. NASA reserves the right to amend or withdraw this Announcement at any time prior to the Response Date.
An ombudsman has been appointed — See NASA Specific Note “B”.
The AO and any documents related to this procurement will be available over the Internet. These documents 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/DFRC Business Opportunities home page is http://prod.nais.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/eps/bizops.cgi?gr=D&pin=24 .
Notwithstanding the posting of this opportunity at FedBizOpps.gov, Grants.gov, or at both sites, NASA reserves the right to determine the appropriate award instrument for each proposal selected pursuant to this announcement.
It is the offeror’s responsibility to monitor the Internet cite for the release of the solicitation and amendments (if any). Potential offerors will be responsible for downloading their own copy of the solicitation and amendments, if any.
The Government does not intend to acquire a commercial item using FAR Part 12.
Point of Contact
Name: Andrea C Basham
Title: Contract Specialist
Phone: 661-276-6126
Fax: 661-276-3374
Email: andrea.c.basham@nasa.gov
Name: Richard M Swanson
Title: Contracting Officer
Phone: 661-276-3337
Fax: 661-276-2904
Email: Richard.M.Swanson@nasa.gov
OMB Approval Number 2700-0085
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
Washington, DC 20546
ANNOUNCEMENT OF OPPORTUNITY
A0 No. OCT-1-10 (December 21, 2010) Opportunities For Payloads Requiring A Near-Zero Or Reduced Gravity Environment:Maturing Crosscutting Technologies That Advance Multiple Future Space Missions To Flight Readiness Status
I. Description of the Opportunity.
The NASA Office of the Chief Technologist (OCT) Flight Opportunities Program intends to mature to flight readiness status crosscutting technologies that advance multiple future space missions. The result of this Announcement of Opportunity (AO) is to create a no-exchange-of –funds agreement between an organization that has technology payloads and the Flight Opportunities Program. To this end, the Program will provide frequent flight opportunities for technology payloads to be exposed to a near-zero or reduced gravity environment by flying on aircraft that provide parabolic flight trajectories and on suborbital reusable launch vehicles (sRLVs) that are capable of flying to altitudes above 100 km. Several sRLV providers have not yet achieved flight to 100 km, but are targeting to fly to that altitude by the end of calendar year 2011. In the meantime, pathfinder opportunities exist for proposers to fly payloads below 100 km utilizing the providers’ evolving commercial capabilities. NASA is presently not considering human-tended payloads to be flown on sRLVs, and there will not be any NASA sponsored participants on sRLV flights relating to this particular announcement.
The parabolic and sRLV platforms provide reduced-gravity and near-zero gravity environments. Parabolic aircraft can provide a range of gravities – e.g., lunar (0.16g), Mars (0.38g), and near-zero – for about 25 sec during each parabolic path, with multiple parabolas flown during a single flight providing over 20 min of cumulative reduced gravity time. The sRLVs can provide 3-4 minutes of near-zero gravity on a single flight. The sRLVs also provide opportunities for technology payloads to fly in any area of interest across the vehicle’s flight envelope. For instance, the sRLV may provide a payload the opportunity to perform atmospheric sensing above 100 km, or may provide an opportunity to mature technologies of interest at lower altitudes. Flights on both platform types can be turned around quickly, allowing multiple flight opportunities in a short period of time for a given technology development campaign. Refer to the following website for additional details: http://flightopportunities.nasa.gov
This announcement provides opportunities to fly technology payloads on the aforementioned vehicle types, including the necessary payload integration and flight operations. It is recognized that many of the payloads may not be ready to utilize these new platforms. In certain instances where the proposals are highly rated, but where they are not ready for flight, NASA may choose to provide for adaptation of those payloads to the flight platform, subject to availability of NASA resources. Payload adaptation is defined as the transformation of an experiment into a payload that meets the volumetric, environmental, and operational constraints of the flight vehicle, as well as meeting the workmanship requirements of the flight service provider.
The number of flight opportunities selected via this announcement is subject to availability of funds and flights. Highly rated proposals not selected for a given flight opportunity may be considered for future flight opportunities. For the future, it is the intention of the Flight Opportunities Program to consider new platforms that would expand the capability to provide zero gravity environment for an extended period of time. This announcement solicits interest from all categories of organizations (U.S. and non-U.S.), including educational institutions, industry, not-for-profit organizations, Federally Funded Research and Development Centers, NASA Centers, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), other Government agencies, and partnerships between such entities. This announcement does not constitute an obligation for the Government to carry the effort to completion. It is anticipated that awards to private entities under this announcement will be in the form of Space Act Agreements, executed under the authority of 42 U.S.C. 2473(c)(5). A Space Act Agreement template is available upon request. Awards made to NASA organizations or other public entities will be made under appropriate agreement structures.
II. NASA’s Safety Priority.
Safety is the freedom from those conditions that can cause death, injury, occupational illness, damage to or loss of equipment or property, or damage to the environment. NASA’s safety priority is to protect:
(1) the public,
(2) astronauts and pilots,
(3) the NASA workforce (including NASA employees working under NASA instruments), and
(4) high-value equipment and property.
III. AO Objectives.
OCT’s crosscutting capabilities mission focuses on maturation to flight readiness crosscutting capabilities that advance multiple future space missions, including flight projects where in-space demonstration is needed before the capability can transition to direct mission application. The crosscutting capabilities mission matures to flight readiness status a small number of technologies that benefit multiple customers through projects that perform relevant environment testing. Although the Flight Opportunities Program is focused on maturation of space technology, it is also committed to advancing NASA’s education goals. As the United States begins the second century of flight, the Nation must maintain its commitment to excellence in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education to ensure that the next generation of Americans can accept the full measure of their roles and responsibilities in shaping the future. Every flight activity and payload flown under the Flight Opportunities Program offers an enormous opportunity for the education community at-large—from K-12 to graduate and postdoctoral programs—and the public to engage in NASA’s space technology mission and the emerging commercial space industry.
It is NASA’s mission to provide for the widest practicable dissemination of information. The Program encourages the participants to make flight data available to NASA and to the broadest applicable community. Video recording and photography of all flight activities may be conducted by NASA. These photographs and video recordings will be posted on public websites and in other publications. Project teams are responsible for ensuring the protection of any proprietary aspects of their payload. For all selected proposals, NASA will publish information regarding the selected payload, including the abstract provided in the proposal, and may use photographs and video recordings of related flight test activity in public briefings and publications. Further use of the payload data will be negotiated with the participants on a case-by-case basis.
IV. Background.
The NASA OCT Flight Opportunities Program combines the FY 2010 Facilitated Access to the Space environment for Technology (FAST) and Commercial Reusable Suborbital Research (CRuSR) efforts previously managed by the Innovative Partnership Program Office. The integration of these efforts allows for greater program management alignment and provides the technology community access to the microgravity environment via multiple platforms.
OCT has created a taxonomy of technology areas as part of the process to create and maintain NASA’s integrated technology roadmap. This roadmap, which includes both “pull” and “push” technology strategies, considers a wide range of pathways to advance the nation’s current capabilities in space. Fourteen Space Technology Area Roadmaps comprise the overall integrated map. NASA developed the set of draft roadmaps for use by the National Research Council (NRC) as an initial point of departure for mapping NASA’s future investments in technology. Additional details on the roadmap process are available at the website: http://www.nasa.gov/offices/oct/home/roadmaps/index.html.
V. Proposal Opportunity Period.
Proposals may be submitted at any time before the response date of December 31, 2014. Electronic Proposals for the flight opportunities listed below must be received by the specified cutoff date, 4:30 P.M. EST via email to andrea.c.basham@nasa.gov.
Opportunity- Zero-g Aircraft
Gravity Level- Lunar, Mars, and near-zero
Flight Date – No Earlier than May 2011
Proposals Due – February 3, 2011
Selection Announcement – No Earlier than April 2011
On Aug. 30, 2010, NASA awarded $475,000 to Masten Space Systems and Armadillo Aerospace for test flight demonstrations to 5 km for a total of seven flights and contract options for additional flights. Masten is planning to fly up to 30 km, and Armadillo up to 40 km, under these contracts during the first two quarters of 2011. Proposers interested in utilizing these flight opportunities should submit their proposals by February 3, 2011.
NASA plans to conduct periodic review of proposals, and these evaluations will be tied to specific parabolic and suborbital flight opportunities as they become available. See table above for flight opportunities known at this time and the associated proposal cut-off date and expected selection date. Future flight opportunities and the associated proposal cut-off dates will be communicated via an amendment to Section V. Proposal Opportunity Period of this announcement. NASA reserves the right to amend or withdraw this announcement at any time prior to the response date.
VI. Requirements and Constraints.
NASA reserves the right to deny flights to any payloads that do not pass a safety review. Payloads selected for testing aboard parabolic vehicle and sRLVs must meet the requirements determined by the Flight Opportunities Program office. Proposers of selected payloads must submit information for technical and safety reviews by this office. Personnel will be permitted on parabolic flights in accordance with the requirements governing such participants. There will not be any NASA sponsored participants on sRLV flights relating to this particular announcement. The payloads to be flown on sRLV flights must operate autonomously.
Parabolic Flights
For those seeking to fly technology payloads on parabolic aircraft, selected project teams will be provided flight time in a reduced/near-zero gravity environment through access to parabolic aircraft flights. Each flight includes approximately 40 parabolic trajectories and each parabolic trajectory provides approximately 25 seconds of reduced-gravity time. Reduced/near-zero gravity conditions such as lunar gravity (.16 g) or Mars gravity (.38 g) as well as other partial gravity levels can be created. The aircraft and its payload will experience increased gravity levels (~ 2 g) in between parabolas. More details on the parabolic platform can be found at: http://flightopportunities.nasa.gov/platforms
Technologies selected for reduced-gravity environment testing aboard the parabolic aircraft flights must meet equipment design requirements as determined by the NASA Reduced Gravity Office. Proposers should refer to “NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) Reduced Gravity Program User’s Guide” and “Experiment Design Requirements and Guidelines” which can be found at: http://jsc-aircraftops.jsc.nasa.gov/Reduced_Gravity /guides.html
Suborbital Reusable Launch Vehicle Flights
The sRLV providers are part of a nascent commercial space industry. The sRLVs that are being developed by companies in this industry have different capabilities, and proposers are encouraged to investigate the different options. Vehicle capabilities can be found at: http://flightopportunities.nasa.gov/platforms
This platforms website will be updated over time to reflect the current state of capability in the industry.
There are multiple sRLV providers capable of flying payloads. Some of these vehicles can conduct flights from multiple spaceports although most providers have designated a single primary spaceport. Proposers are encouraged to review all of the available capabilities in the U.S. With sufficient justification, proposers may request a specific flight service provider, although NASA reserves the right to select the flight service provider for the proposer.
Although there will likely be exceptions, proposers wishing to fly payloads on sRLVs should anticipate that multiple payloads will occupy the vehicle’s payload compartment. Operations personnel will participate in loading, securing and unloading project hardware. Project teams are responsible for ensuring the protection of any proprietary aspects of their payload.
Documentation and Reporting Requirements
All Project Teams are required to deliver reports as described below. Reports should reiterate the value of the NASA-provided flight opportunity to the technology’s readiness level and the value to OCT’s crosscutting capabilities mission objectives. All reports must include a separate publicly releasable summary of the project team’s activities related to this announcement and any awarded flights under this announcement. Failure to provide required reports may disqualify the project team and/or team members from participation in any future NASA Flight Opportunities solicitations.
Pre-flight Documentation: Awardee, in conjunction with Flight Opportunities Program, should provide flight objectives and mission success criteria documentation. The awardee, in conjunction with Flight Opportunities Program, should also provide a list of deliverables to NASA. Deliverables include data, designs, processes, and other relevant information to help NASA accomplish its crosscutting capabilities mission. Acceptance of this documentation by Flight Opportunities Program is a prerequisite for flight.
Preliminary Report (5 pages or less, not including photographs, data or video): The awardee should provide a brief, publicly releasable summary of the activity including available photographs, video recordings, and quick-look flight data analysis. Due: No more than five business days after the final flight day.
Final Report: The final report should include the deliverables and address how the mission success criteria were met. If success criteria were not met, a description of problems encountered and how those problems might be overcome in future testing. Address the plan for peer-reviewed publication or publication at an industry group or professional society conference of mission results and considerations for further development. It is the intent of NASA to make available all data received in a machine-readable format available to the broadest applicable community. The report should also address the plan for STEM education outreach. Due: No more than 90 calendar days after the final flight day.
The Technology Readiness Level (TRL) describes the stage of maturity in the development process from observation of basic principals through final product operation. The exit criteria for each level documents that principles, concepts, applications or performance have been satisfactorily demonstrated in the appropriate environment required for that level. A relevant environment is a subset of the operational environment that is expected to have a dominant impact on operational performance. Thus, reduced-gravity may be only one of the operational environments in which the technology must be demonstrated or validated in order to advance to the next TRL.* See Appendix B for additional details.
