Teaming Opportunity For Advanced Component Technology For Risk Reduction on Three-dimensional Winds Fromm Space-based LIDAR
Synopsis – Jun 05, 2008
General Information Solicitation Number: SS-NNL08ACT-3DWINDS
Posted Date: Jun 05, 2008
FedBizOpps Posted Date: Jun 05, 2008
Original Response Date: Jun 19, 2008
Current Response Date: Jun 19, 2008
Classification Code: A — Research and Development
NAICS Code: 541712 – Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology) Set-Aside Code:
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 developing a proposal addressing the goals and objectives of NASA Research Announcement (NRA) NNH08ZDA001N-ACT Appendix A.21 Advanced Component Technologies. The NRA, Appendix A.21 can be accessed at http://esto.nasa.gov/obs_technologies.html .
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.
The objectives of the ACT Program are to research, develop, and demonstrate component- and subsystem-level technology developments that:
* Reduce the risk, cost, size, volume, mass, and development time of Earth observing instrument and platforms, and
* Enable new Earth observation measurements. This segment of the overall ESTO program advances core component technologies to a technology readiness level (TRL) that enables them to “graduate” to other programs, such as the Instrument Incubator Program, or to directly infuse them into a mission.
This opportunity focuses on advancing the components and subsystem technologies necessary to implement the measurements that are described in the National Research Council’s Decadal Survey (Reference: Earth Science and Applications from Space: National Imperatives for the Next Decade and Beyond, ISBN: 0-309-66900-6 (2007) or access a free pdf download from http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11820.html ). Measurements called for in the Decadal Survey have been assembled into fourteen (14) mission concepts with start dates ranging from 2010 to 2020 for implementation by NASA.
The favored sensor for the 3-D Winds mission is a pulsed, hybrid, Doppler lidar system in earth orbit. A hybrid Doppler lidar consists of both a coherent-detection and direct-detection Doppler lidar subsystems. The long ranges from orbit to the atmosphere create the requirement for a large diameter beam expanding telescope, relative to ground-based applications.
Specifically, LaRC is seeking potential partner(s) with capabilities in the following areas:
1. Development of optical engineering software capable of modeling a space-based coherent Doppler lidar system. The software must allow many kinds of optics to be modeled including beam splitters and optical coatings. Modeling of the transmitter and local oscillator laser beams is required. It must include coherent beam propagation and light field phase and polarization effects. It must include calculation of the far-field transmitted and back propagated local oscillator fields. Calculation of the heterodyne efficiency of the coherent lidar system is required, which uses the two far-field optical fields. It must have a WYSIWYG display and user interface that permits any optical component to be specified to have any chosen level of any aberration type.
2. Space mission optics design, specification, procurement, and fabrication for optics up to 50 cm in diameter. Optical design for coherent lidar systems. Expertise in the area of all types of optical aberrations. Understanding of the procurement of space optics with diameters up to 50 cm, and the tradeoffs between specified aberrations levels of the different types of aberrations, the cost, the risk, the delivery time, and the number of available sources.
It is expected that selected partner(s) will work with NASA Langley Research Center scientists and engineers to jointly develop the proposal and perform the proposed tasks if the proposal is selected.
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) conceptual designs, technical data, proposal input, project schedules and cost estimates. Partner selections will be made by LaRC based on the listed criteria in the following order of importance: (1) Relevant experience, past performance, technical capability, and availability of key personnel. This criterion evaluates the proposers’ relevant recent experience, past performance in similar development activities, technical capability to perform the development and key personnel available to support the development. Substantive evidence of successful participation in similar developments should be included. (2) Cost and schedule control. This criterion evaluates the proposers’ ability to control both cost and schedule. The ability of the proposer to complete projects on time and within the modest, fixed budgets that are characteristic of Advanced Component Technology is key. The proposer should provide evidence of successfully controlling cost and schedule for similar development programs and provide evidence of management processes in this area. RESPONSE INSTRUCTIONS: Responses to this partnering synopsis shall be limited to eight (8) pages in not less than 12-point font. Responses must address each of the aforementioned evaluation criteria. All responses shall be submitted to LaRC via e-mail by 5:00 PM EST on June 19, 2008 to: Rosemary.R.Baize@nasa.gov.
Technical and Programmatic questions should be directed to: Rosemary Baize at Rosemary.R.Baize@nasa.gov. Procurement questions should be directed to: Liliana.j.Richwine@nasa.gov.
Point of Contact
Name: Liliana J Richwine
Title: Contract Specialist/Contracting Officer
Phone: 757-864-2478
Fax: 757-864-7709
Email: Liliana.J.Richwine@nasa.gov
Name: Nancy M Sessoms
Title: Contracting Officer
Phone: 757-864-2471
Fax: 757-864-7709
Email: Nancy.M.Sessoms@nasa.gov
