SOURCES SOUGHT
A -- TEAMING OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP AN AUTOMONOUS RENDEZVOUS AND DOCKINGTECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATION MISSION
- Notice Date
- 3/23/2011
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541712
— Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)
- Contracting Office
- NASA/Langley Research Center, Mail Stop 144, Industry Assistance Office, Hampton,VA 23681-0001
- ZIP Code
- 23681-0001
- Solicitation Number
- SS-DOCKING
- Response Due
- 4/8/2011
- Archive Date
- 3/23/2012
- Point of Contact
- Robert B. Gardner, Contracting Officer, Phone 757-864-2525, Fax 757-864-7898, Email Robert.B.Gardner@nasa.gov - Teresa M Hass, Contracting Officer, Phone 757-864-8496, Fax 757-864-8863, Email Teresa.M.Hass@nasa.gov
- E-Mail Address
-
Robert B. Gardner
(Robert.B.Gardner@nasa.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- This partnering synopsis solicits potential partners to participate indeveloping a proposal addressing the goals and objectives of Broad Agency Announcement(BAA) NNM11ZDA001K, Technology Demonstration Missions (TDM) Program. The BAA can beaccessed at: http://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/solicitations/solicitations.do?method=open&stack=push. Participation in this partnering synopsis is open to all categories of U.S. andnon-U.S. organizations, including educational institutions, industry, not-for-profitinstitutions, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, as well as NASA Centers and other U.S.Government Agencies. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), OtherMinority Universities (OMUs), small disadvantaged businesses (SDBs), veteran-owned smallbusinesses, service disabled veteran-owned small businesses, HUBzone small businesses,and women-owned small businesses (WOSBs) are encouraged to apply. Participation bynon-U.S. organizations is welcome but subject to NASAs policy of no exchange of funds,in which each government supports its own national participants and associated costs. The Office of the Chief Technologist (OCT) has established the TechnologyDemonstration Missions (TDM) Program within the Crosscutting Capability Demonstrations(CCD) Division to mature advanced space technologies that are of benefit to multiplecustomers through flight readiness and mission infusion. This BAA solicits proposals forthe demonstration of space technologies that provide new system-level technologicalcapabilities. OCT TDM is seeking to identify candidate crosscutting, system-leveltechnologies to be demonstrated in the relevant environment such as ground, air,suborbital or orbital regimes. A key requirement in this program is that the technologyunder consideration must clearly be crosscutting. Crosscutting is defined as a technologywith potential to benefit more than one customer, where a customer can be a NASA MissionDirectorate, another government agency, academia, or the aerospace industry.Specifically, system-level technologies implies an integrated system with missioncapability and not component-level demonstrations. OCT is seeking new capabilitydemonstrations that advance the technology readiness of the selected systems, providetangible, innovative technology products, are cost effective, and capture significantpublic interest and awareness. The candidate technology must be mature, at leastTechnology Readiness Level (TRL) 5 at the time of the proposal submission (see BAA,Appendix A, TRL Definitions), and the proposed demonstration must raise the technologyreadiness of the new capability, to TRL 7 or higher, such that it may be infused into thecritical path for future missions. In response to the Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) NNM11ZDA001K, partners are soughtfor the development of a proposal that is focused on the design, development, andexecution of a technology demonstration mission to improve the technology readiness forreliable and autonomous rendezvous and docking (AR&D). The ability of space assets to reliably and autonomously rendezvous and dock enableshuman and science exploration, as well as satellite servicing/rescue, and is an essentialcapability for the future of human and robotic missions. One of the challenges forautonomous rendezvous and docking is proximity operations. Proximity operations totargets such as spacecraft, space telescopes or Near Earth Objects (NEOs) will requireadvanced autonomous rendezvous and coupling technologies. Objects like NEOs that lackdocking infrastructure, and may also be tumbling, are particularly challenging. Thistechnology demonstration will improve the technology readiness of full autonomy andautomation of rendezvous, docking, close proximity operations and formation flying thatwould provide future missions with a ready-to-fly capability that is reliable, versatile,cost-effective, and could be utilized in either low Earth orbit or deep space. The goal of the technology demonstration is to help develop and demonstrate a robustAR&D capability suite that can be confidently utilized on human spaceflight and roboticvehicles over a variety of design reference missions. This technology demonstrationrequires five significant elements in order to be fully successful, including;(1)Relative Navigation and Mapping Sensors: Design, development, test, andintegration of relative navigation and mapping sensors (including associated processingsoftware and electronics) which provide bearing, range, and relative attitude as well asthe capability to map the surface of a target in all lighting conditions.(2)Real-Time, Autonomous GN&C Flight Software: Design, development, test, andintegration of automated/ autonomous algorithms into real-time flight software operatingsystems, using the feedbacks from the relative navigation sensors.(3)Satellite Bus:Satellite bus design, development, test, and integration as wellas the integration of the technology demonstration payload(s) and docking mechanism. Other potential support includes; integrated satellite (bus, payload, and dockingmechanism) functional testing, performance and environmental testing, shipment to thelaunch site, support of launch operations, and on-orbit performance verification.(4)Mission Operations: On-orbit command and control of the satellite bus and thetechnology demonstration payload(s); including a mission operation center as well as theoperational staffing, training, implementation, and maintenance to provide missionoperations throughout the lifetime (TBD) of the technology demonstration. (5)Launch Vehicle/Launch Services: All services associated with placing thetechnology demonstration satellite into its proper (TBD) orbit, including but not limitedto; integration of the technology demonstration satellite with the launch vehicle, launchoperations and range services.Ride share possibilities are of interest. Potential partners are requested to indicate specifically their interest in partneringwith NASA LaRC on the Technology Demonstration BAA, NNM11ZDA001K. LaRC will consider partners with the proven capability to support any one or more of the required missionelements described above. Partnership responses shall be divided into a separate sectionfor each of the five mission elements to which the response is addressing. In addition to addressing one or more of the five identified mission elements,identification of potential solutions to meet the cost-sharing requirements identifiedwithin the BAA (Section 3.0, Item 6.) is of special interest. If selected through this synopsis, it is expected that the selected partner(s) willwork with NASA LaRC scientists and engineers to jointly develop the proposal. If theproposal is selected, NASA LaRC anticipates issuing contracts or other agreements to theselected partner(s) for performance of the proposed tasks. This partnering opportunity does not guarantee selection for award of any contracts orother agreements, nor is it to be construed as a commitment by NASA to pay for theinformation solicited.It is expected that the partner(s) selected would provide (at nocost to NASA) conceptual designs, technical data, proposal input, project schedules, andcost estimates. Partner selections will be made by LaRC based on the listed criteria, in the followingorder of importance:(1) Relevant experience, past performance, technical capability, and key personnelavailability to design, develop, and execute low-cost, low-risk space technologydemonstrations (for one or more of the required mission elements described above). Thiscriterion evaluates the proposers relevant recent experience, past performance insimilar development activities, technical capability to perform the development, and keypersonnel available to support the development. Substantive evidence of successfulparticipation in similar developments should be included.(2) Cost and schedule control.This criterion evaluates the proposers ability to fitwithin the cost constraint of the BAA and to control both cost and schedule. Theproposer should provide evidence of successfully controlling cost and schedule forsimilar development programs and provide evidence of management processes in this area. Given the cost constraint and guidance on cost-sharing for this technology demonstration,the ability of the proposer to provide low-cost, innovative solutions for the missionelements and to facilitate potential cost-sharing approaches are of special interest.(3) Facilities. This criterion evaluates the proposers facilities (development,testing, analysis, and operations) to conduct the development or demonstration of theproposed task.The proposer should discuss facility availability, access, and theability to meet the proposed objectives. NASA will not reimburse organizations for the cost of submitting information inresponse to this synopsis. NASA will not pay for technical assessment or proposalpreparation costs incurred by the team members.RESPONSE INSTRUCTIONS: LaRC will host a telecon with all interested parties at 1:00-3:00 PM (EDT) on March29, 2011. In order to participate in this telecon, interested parties shall submit namesof two points of contact (with contact information) to LaRC electronically via email by5:00pm EDT on March 28, 2011 to Brad Gardner (robert.b.gardner@nasa.gov). Responses to this partnering synopsis shall be divided into separate sections for eachof the mission elements described above. The response for each element shall be limitedto 8 pages in not less than 12-point font. Responses must address the aforementionedevaluation criteria. All responses shall be submitted to LaRC electronically via email by 5:00pm EDT onApril 8, 2011 to Brad Gardner (robert.b.gardner@nasa.gov) and James Corliss(james.m.corliss@nasa.gov). Technical and programmatic questions should be directed toJames Corliss (james.m.corliss@nasa.gov) and procurement questions should be directed toBrad Gardner (robert.b.gardner@nasa.gov).
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