SpaceTech-REDDI-2016 Appendix F1: NASA Flight Opportunities Now Open
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Headquarters has released a solicitation, titled “NASA Flight Opportunities (FO): Technology Advancement Utilizing Suborbital Flight Opportunities” as an Appendix to the Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) NASA Research Announcement (NRA), titled “Space Technology Research, Development, Demonstration, and Infusion 2016 (SpaceTech-REDDI-2016).”
Applications are due on or before March 8, 2016, and selections will be announced in June 2016 (target). The solicitation is available by opening the NASA Research Opportunities homepage at http://nspires.nasaprs.com , selecting “Solicitations,” then selecting “Open Solicitations,” and, selecting “NASA Flight Opportunities (FO).” To go directly to the solicitation page, visit http://tinyurl.com/NASA-16FO-F1.
The Flight Opportunities Program will conduct two Q&A sessions to provide an overview of the solicitation and to answer questions about the proposal process. The first session will be held on January 20 at 8:30 am PST and the second session on January 22 at 11:30 am PST. See the solicitation page on NSPIRES for more details on the Q&A sessions.
The Program strategically invests in the growth of the commercial spaceflight market while helping advance technologies that will enable future space missions for science and exploration. The Program achieves these self-reinforcing objectives by selecting promising technologies from industry, academia, and government to test on commercial suborbital launch vehicles, reduced gravity aircraft and high-altitude balloon flights. Through investment in tests that take technologies from the laboratory to a relevant flight environment, the Program facilitates technology maturation that validates the feasibility and reduces the technical risks for infusion of key space technologies into multiple future space missions.
The purpose of this Appendix is to provide funding for the testing or demonstration of crosscutting space technologies in relevant environments through flights on reusable suborbital launch vehicles, reduced gravity aircraft, and high-altitude balloons. These flight tests should fit into an overall technology maturation plan as a bridge between laboratory testing and demonstration in Earth orbit or beyond. The proposer’s organization will directly purchase the proposed flight(s) on currently available U.S. commercial platforms of their choice.
Proposals must be submitted electronically using NASA’s proposal data system, NSPIRES (http://nspires.nasaprs.com). Potential proposers and proposing organizations are urged to access the electronic proposal system well in advance of the proposal due date to familiarize themselves with its structure and enter the requested information. Every organization that intends to submit a proposal in response to this Appendix must be registered with NSPIRES. Registration must identify the authorized organizational representative(s) who will submit the electronic proposal.
Technical, programmatic, and procurement comments and questions may be addressed by e-mail to HQ-STMD-FO@nasaprs.com. Responses to inquiries will be answered by e-mail and may also be included in the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document located on the NSPIRES page associated with the Appendix; anonymity of persons/institutions who submit questions will be preserved.
