SPECIAL NOTICE
A -- TEAMING OPPORTUNITY FOR AEROCAPTURE FLIGHT VALIDATION FOR THE NEW MILLENNIUM PROGRAM'S SPACE TECHNOLOGY-9 (ST9)
- Notice Date
- 7/19/2005
- Notice Type
- Special Notice
- NAICS
- 541710
— Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences
- Contracting Office
- NASA/George C. Marshall Space Flight Center, Procurement Office, Marshall Space Flight Center, AL 35812
- ZIP Code
- 35812
- Solicitation Number
- NASA-SNOTE-050719-001
- Archive Date
- 7/19/2006
- Description
- NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is performing a technical assessment of high technology readiness level (TRL) aeroshell and thermal protection system (TPS) capabilities to form the basis of a proposal for the NASA Science Mission Directorate?s New Millennium ST9 opportunity. This proposal will be focused on validating an aerocapture maneuver in Earth?s atmosphere in 2010. The purpose of this announcement is to enable MSFC to obtain a teaming partner to participate in the development of the Phase A technical concept and proposal in response to the upcoming kickoff of the ST9 Phase A/Concept Definition studies. Aerocapture is one of five technology concepts competing for the ST9 flight opportunity. Specifically, MSFC is seeking a partner to design and fabricate the flight aeroshell structure and TPS for an Earth Aerocapture vehicle. A flight validation is viewed as critical to maturing the Aerocapture maneuver for science mission use, since the combined flight environment and execution of the hypersonic maneuver cannot be simulated on the ground. Aerocapture will benefit spacecraft sent to orbit other planets, by allowing atmospheric drag to slow the spacecraft to low orbital velocities, saving significant amounts of propellant mass. The New Millennium Program is chartered to advance technologies from at least TRL 3 to TRL6, and to provide the space technology validation necessary for science mission infusion. (TRL definitions may be found on the NMP website, at http://nmp.jpl.nasa.gov/JOIN/docs.html ) The NMP provides value to other programs by providing enabling or significantly enhancing capabilities that these programs could not afford to develop within their own funding allocations. The NMP is strongly focused on the validation of ground-based models to predict the performance of the system in other environments following the flight, not simply a ?pass/fail? demonstration. The Aerocapture technology concept team is led by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, with participation from 4 NASA centers. Component and subsystem technologies will be provided by partners selected through the NMP ST9 NASA Research Announcement (NRA NNH04ZSS002N, available for reference at http://research.hq.nasa.gov/code_s/closed.cfm ). The ST9 Phase A/Concept Definition kickoff is expected to occur in approximately August 2005, with proposals due approximately 1 year later. One technology concept will be selected for Phase B/Formulation Refinement, to begin in October 2006. A launch date in early 2010 is planned. MSFC is seeking a partner to provide a blunt-body (60-degree sphere cone) flight aeroshell and TPS, including backshell, 1.1 meters in diameter, that can withstand heat rates and loads commensurate with a 10 km/s entry into Earth?s atmosphere. The vehicle?s total mass will be approximately 185 kg. The aeroshell/TPS system must provide vehicle protection, and maintain the outer aerodynamic shape to enable hypersonic maneuvering through a flight corridor, to achieve a target apogee, for perigee raise and data downlink after atmospheric exit. Currently the aeroshell is not to be jettisoned following the aerocapture maneuver, but concepts should remain flexible if later designs require separation. The aeroshell and TPS must accommodate, at minimum risk, up to six (6) TPS coupons of 8-15 cm diameter, as solicited in the NMP NRA NNH04ZSS002N. These coupons may be located in the forebody or afterbody of the vehicle. The heatshield system must also accommodate aerothermal and TPS performance instrumentation for post-flight model validation, provided by partners selected through the NMP NRA NNH04ZSS002N. Proposed concepts must meet the NMP requirement of being at TRL 5 by the Confirmation Assessment, which occurs approximately one year from the start of Phase B/Formulation Refinement. Upon submission of this response, the responder?s concept must meet all conditions of at least TRL 4, as specified in the NMP Technology Readiness Level Definitions document, dated May 22, 2003 (available at the above referenced website). Funds will not be available for advancing technology during the Phase A/Concept Definition phase. Responses are solicited from all U.S. industries, academia, non-profit organizations, national laboratories, other government agencies, and Federally-Funded Research and Development Centers. If selected through this synopsis, the partner is expected to become a full member of the technical assessment, proposal development, and mission implementation team. MSFC and JPL will require the selected partner to provide a letter of commitment. MSFC anticipates issuing a Phase B contract to the aeroshell provider, provided the Aerocapture technology concept is selected for implementation by the New Millennium Program?s independent assessment process. Interested organizations shall provide a short response (not to exceed 15 pages, 12-point font, 1-inch margins), addressing the criteria listed below. The final page of the response must be a cost summary, by year, of the total estimated cost of the system concept, through launch. Responses shall be submitted electronically in Microsoft Word or RTF format, via e-mail, by 5:00 PM (Central), August 9, 2005, to: Bryan Williford at: Hervie.B.Williford@nasa.gov. Technical questions should be directed to: Michelle Munk at Michelle.M.Munk@nasa.gov. Procurement questions should be directed to: Bryan Williford at: Hervie.B.Williford@nasa.gov. Responses will be evaluated and a partner selected based on the listed criteria. Suggested page allocations are noted in parentheses, within each criterion description. The criteria are defined as follows: (1) Technology Readiness Level and demonstrated suitability of the proposed technical approach: This criterion evaluates the responder?s prior developments and current modeling maturity of the system proposed, including the amount of relevant component testing and characterization completed (specifying the number and size of samples, test conditions and facilities, and instrumentation methods used), manufacturability demonstrations completed, and the existence of a high-fidelity material response model. Concepts must have a TRL of at least 4 at the time of response. This criterion also evaluates the ability of the proposed technical approach to meet all of the system requirements, and remain flexible to changes during the early design phase. Responses shall include the development and integration approach for the flight aeroshell, and shall include a risk assessment of the proposed approach. (Suggest 8 pages) (2) Relevant Experience and Past Performance: This criterion evaluates the responder?s relevant technical experience and past performance in similar development activities including manufacturing, and control of cost and schedule. Provide a description of no more than three relevant technical experiences including a summary of significant achievements and technical, cost, and schedule performance. Responders shall specifically discuss the relevance of their experience in reference to the design and development of space composite structures and thermal protection systems. (Suggest 3 pages) (3) Technical Capability, Key Personnel and Facilities: This criterion evaluates the responder?s technical capability to perform the development proposed, the availability and adequacy of key personnel, and the availability and adequacy of facilities. The responder shall describe the technical capability, facilities and no more than three key personnel available to support the proposal and mission development. (Suggest 3 pages.) (4) Estimated Total Cost of the proposed concept, by year, through launch: This criterion evaluates the affordability of the concept, and the credibility of the estimated cost as it relates to the technical approach. Estimates shall include costs in the categories of Structure, Thermal Protection System, Subsystem and Subsystem Test (including facilities usage), Subsystem and System Integration, and Other Costs (including travel, systems engineering, and other management functions.) Responders must clearly identify costing assumptions and areas of highest cost uncertainty. (One page) Responses will be evaluated by a panel of independent experts. If considered necessary to clarify an element(s) of the response, responders may be asked to make an oral presentation to the evaluation panel. Final partner selection will be made within 60 days of receipt of responses by the Manager, In-Space Propulsion Technology Projects Office. NASA will not reimburse organizations for the cost of submitting information in response to this synopsis. This synopsis teaming opportunity does not represent a guarantee for selection or award of any contracts, nor is it to be construed as a commitment by NASA to pay for the information solicited. It is anticipated that partner selection would result in a Phase A contract under which the partner will participate actively in the ST9 Phase A Concept Definition proposal process. Under the Phase A contract, it is expected that the partner selected would provide conceptual designs, technical data, proposal inputs, schedule and cost estimates consistent with the NASA NMP guidelines as described in forthcoming NMP proposal preparation instructions. It is further anticipated that selection of the proposal for the ST9 mission implementation would result in a Phase B contract for the selected partner.
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