Teaming Opportunity for NASA Instrument Incubator Active Airborne Carbon Dioxide Measurements
Synopsis – May 23, 2013
Table 1 – Transmitter Performance Goals – Posted on May 23, 2013
General Information
Solicitation Number: SS-CarbonDioxideMeasurements
Posted Date: May 23, 2013
FedBizOpps Posted Date: May 23, 2013
Recovery and Reinvestment Act Action: No
Original Response Date: Jun 04, 2013
Current Response Date: Jun 04, 2013
Classification Code: A — Research and Development
NAICS Code: 541712
Contracting Office Address
NASA/Langley Research Center, Mail Stop 12, Industry Assistance Office, Hampton, VA 23681-0001
Description
This partnering synopsis solicits potential partners to participate in a proposal development activity addressing the goals and objectives in response to the NASA Science Mission Directorate Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) Announcement of Opportunity (AO) found at: (http://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/solicitations/summary.do?method=init&solId= {01BFD3EE-87EF-FC55-1F52-EB37A9F139F0}) and specifically the Earth Science Program Instrument Incubator Program (IIP) opportunity found at: (http://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/solicitations/summary.do?method=init&solId= {723C54D4-23B3-6FA5-47CE-CE2DB72060EB}).
The IIP solicits technologies that target any Earth science question or issue in order to advance the strategic goals, questions, and research objectives outlined in Appendix 1 of the 2010 Science Plan for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (hereafter the 2010 Science Plan; available at http://science.nasa.gov/about-us/science-strategy/ ). Instrument Incubator Program investigations will be led by a Principal Investigator and will be comprised of scientists in partnerships, potentially involving NASA Centers, academia, and industry.
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.
This partnering synopsis solicits potential partners to participate in the development of the technical concept, proposal, and implementation of the optical transmitter design, build, and testing needed for a high-altitude airborne sensor used, in part, as a proof-of-concept for the ASCENDS (Active Sensing of CO2 Emissions over Nights, Days, and Seasons) mission. In particular NASA LaRC is seeking potential partners to develop and provide transmitter components, in particular fiber amplifiers, to be used within the ASCENDS IIP laser transmitter. Of particular interest are laser amplifiers and components that enable ASCENDS measurements at wavelengths across the 2-micrometer Carbon Dioxide (CO2) absorption band.
The IIP is focused on technology development of laser transmitters to be used with an Intensity-Modulated Continuous-Wave (IMCW) Laser Absorption Spectrometer (LAS) for satellite-based carbon dioxide measurements from the ASCENDS mission. ASCENDS will make an active, laser-based measurement of CO2 number density in the column of air beneath the satellite and provide improved ability to predict and model long-term changes in the climate cycle based both on the understanding of the natural processes driving the variability of natural carbon sources and sinks, and on the transport of carbon through the atmosphere.
NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) has demonstrated the feasibility to make atmospheric CO2 column measurements using a 1.57-micrometer and 1.26-micrometer IM-CW LAS on both ground test ranges and from aircraft platforms. For this opportunity, LaRC is especially interested in extending the CO2 measurements to wavelengths near 2.05-micrometer. The current airborne instrument simultaneously measures CO2 and O2 needed to convert CO2 concentration to CO2 mixing ratio (XCO2). For ASCENDS, the mixing ratio needs to be measured to a precision of 0.5 percent of background (less than 2 ppm) at 100-km horizontal scales over land and at 200-km scales over open oceans. The primary purpose of the ASCENDS measurement is to provide full seasonal sampling to high latitudes, day-night sampling, and some ability to resolve (or weight) the altitude distribution of the CO2-column measurement, particularly across the middle to lower troposphere. CO2 lines are available in the 1.57- and 2.06- micrometer bands, which minimize the effects of temperature and water vapor errors. Lines near 1.57 micrometers are identified by the NRC as potential candidates because of their relative insensitivity to temperature errors, relative freedom from interfering water-vapor bands, good weighting functions for column measurements across the lower troposphere, and the high technology readiness of lasers. Lines near 2.05-m are available and have greater measurement sensitivity near the surface, but lasers at this wavelength have technology readiness levels that are less mature. Atmospheric pressure and density effects on deriving the mixing ratio of CO2 columns can be addressed with a combination of simultaneous CO2 and O2 column density measurements down to the Earth’s surface or cloud tops. Concurrent active O2 measurements can be based on measurements that use O2 absorption lines in the 0.76- or 1.26- micrometer band. Such measurements require a polar orbit at an altitude of about 350-450 km. A lifetime in orbit of at least 3 years is required. There are no strict requirements for specific temporal revisit or map revisit times, because the data will be assimilated on each pass and the large-scale nature of the surface sources and sinks will emerge from the geographic gradients of the column integrals. The important coverage is day and night measurements at nearly all latitudes and surfaces to separate the effects of photosynthesis and respiration. Swath size would be about <=200 m. Key attributes of the fiber amplifier include the ability to amplify intensity-modulated, continuous-wave signals around CO2 and O2 spectral lines in the 2.06-, 1.57-, and 1.26-um regions. High efficiency (> 10% wall-plug) while amplifying signals with bandwidths from 100 to 2000 kHz with minimal gain and phase distortion is of interest. Multiple amplifier modules can be employed to achieve the power aperture product required for the ASCENDS mission (see sections 4.2.1 and 4.3 of Active Sensing of CO2 Emissions over Nights, Days, and Seasons (ASCENDS) Mission NASA Science Definition and Planning Workshop Report available at http://decadal.gsfc.nasa.gov/documents/12-30-08-ASCENDS_Workshop.pdf for more information). Additional information describing the IMCW LAS measurement concept can be found in http://www.opticsinfobase.org/ao/abstract.cfm?uri=ao-52-12-2874 . Preliminary requirements for transmitters of interest can be found in Table 1, Transmitter Performance Goals, linked to this synopsis.
Partner selections will be made by LaRC based on the following criteria:
(1) Relevant Experience and Past Performance: This criterion evaluates the Proposer’s relevant technical experience and past performance in similar development activities. Provide a description of relevant technical experience including a summary of significant achievements and technical performance. The Proposer shall specifically discuss the relevance of their experience in reference to the design and development of transmitter components for active remotes sensing systems. All responses provided should have demonstrated heritage in transmitter component development.
(2) Cost and Schedule Control: This criterion evaluates the Proposer’s ability to control both cost and schedule. The Proposer should provide evidence of successfully controlling cost and schedule for similar development programs and provide evidence of management processes in this area.
(3) Technical Capability, Key Personnel and Facilities: This criterion evaluates the Proposer’s technical capability to perform the development proposed, the availability and adequacy of key personnel, and the availability and adequacy of facilities. The Proposer shall describe the technical capability, facilities and key personnel available to support the proposal and mission development.
This partnering opportunity does not guarantee selection for award of any contracts, nor is it to be construed as a commitment by NASA to pay for the information solicited.
It is expected that the selected partners will participate actively in the proposal process and that selection of the proposal for implementation would result in contract(s) for the selected providers. It is expected that partner(s) selected would provide (no cost to NASA), conceptual designs, technical data, proposal inputs, schedule, and cost estimates consistent with the NASA Earth Science guidelines as described in the Announcement of Opportunity. LaRC will also require each selected partner to submit a detailed letter of commitment outlining their contribution, which will be included in the proposal. If the proposal is subsequently selected, LaRC anticipates issuing contracts or other agreements to the selected partner(s) for the performance of the proposed tasks.
RESPONSE INSTRUCTIONS: Responses to this partnering synopsis shall be limited to 5 pages in not less than 12-point font. Responses shall address each of the aforementioned evaluation criteria. Resumes of key personnel and cover page that clearly identifies the area or areas of interest addressed by the response do not count towards the total allocated page count.
All responses shall be submitted to LaRC electronically via e-mail by 5:00 PM Eastern Standard Time on June 4, 2013 to: Michael Obland at Michael.D.Obland@nasa.gov and Teresa Hass at Teresa.M.Hass@nasa.gov.
Technical and programmatic questions should be directed to: Michael Obland at (757) 864-1078 or Michael.D.Obland@nasa.gov. Procurement questions should be directed to: Teresa Hass at (757) 864-8496 or 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: Robert B. Gardner
Title: Contracting Officer
Phone: 757-864-2525
Fax: 757-864-7898
Email: Robert.B.Gardner@nasa.gov
