MODIFICATION
A -- NRO, Office of Space Launch, Broad Agency Announcement for FY2005
- Notice Date
- 10/4/2004
- Notice Type
- Modification
- NAICS
- 927110
— Space Research and Technology
- Contracting Office
- Other Defense Agencies, National Reconnaissance Office, OSL Contracts, 2420 Vela Way Suite 1467-A5, El Segundo, CA, 90245
- ZIP Code
- 90245
- Solicitation Number
- Reference-Number-OSLBAA2005
- Response Due
- 11/29/2004
- Archive Date
- 12/14/2004
- Point of Contact
- Rojan Quarles, Program Manager, Phone 703-808-4230, Fax 703-808-2574, - Rojan Quarles, Program Manager, Phone 703-808-4230, Fax 703-808-2574,
- E-Mail Address
-
quarlesr@nro.mil, quarlesr@nro.mil
- Description
- INTRODUCTION This is a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) from the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), Office of Space Launch (OSL), Advanced Programs Division (APD). It is issued under the provisions of Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) paragraph 6.102(d)(2) which provides for the competitive selection of research proposals. Contracts awarded as a result of proposals submitted in response to this BAA are considered to be the result of competition to the maximum extent practicable. The NRO may contract with educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, and private industry for research in those areas covered in this BAA. The intent of the Advanced Programs Division is to investigate and develop concepts and technologies that will enable the NRO to meet future launch needs. Our goal is to develop technologies that provide the best possible launch capabilities for our users when and where needed in the most cost-effective manner. Specific research interests and objectives covered by this BAA are found in Section 1. Proposed research should investigate truly new and unique approaches and techniques that lead to, or enable revolutionary and evolutionary improvements in capability, performance, and cost. Offerors may submit proposals on any topic either contained within this BAA or related to a BAA topic. Prior to submitting a proposal, offerors shall contact the Technical Points of Contact (POC), identified with the description of the corresponding research. The type of research effort contemplated should be understood and validated by the OSL technical representative prior to a potential Offeror expending extensive time and effort preparing a detailed technical proposal. Proposals submitted that have not been pre-coordinated with the appropriate technical POC shall not be evaluated or otherwise be considered for contract award. In addition, Offerors shall identify on the cover page of their proposal which of the three (3) topic areas (by topic number and title) is/are addressed in their proposal. Offerors are reminded that this exchange of information in no way implies the Government will fund the concept once formally submitted in a proposal. Offerors are cautioned that only a Contracting Officer may obligate the Government to any agreement involving expenditure of Government funds. The period of performance for proposals submitted in response to this BAA may be up to a maximum of one (1) year. Proposals shall contain a brief summary of the work and a ceiling rough order of magnitude (CROM) price. It is the Government?s intent to restrict the value of any contract awarded as a result of this BAA to a maximum price of $350K per contract. The Government anticipates award of contracts not later than 1 Mar 2005. Offerors shall submit proposals not later than 29 November 2004 with a proposal validity date through 1 April 2005. Offerors are cautioned that award of any contract(s) pursuant to this BAA is subject to the availability of funds. All written communications, including submission of proposals pursuant to this BAA, shall be forwarded to the OSL Contracting Office Point of Contact, Ms. Debra Hawkins, Contracting Officer, who can be reached at (310) 416-7453. Please call Ms. Hawkins only if you have questions of a contractual nature. Technical questions/comments should be directed to the technical points of contact listed in Section 1 herein. SECTION 1 - RESEARCH INTERESTS: Specific technology areas of interest for this BAA are listed below: Topic 1: Parts Certification and Qualification: The primary goal of this BAA topic area is to seek new, improved and/or innovative methods for providing high confidence that all of the parts, components and flight hardware for launch vehicles (boosters, solid rocket motors, upper stages, etc.) are accurately built to the correct specification and will perform as intended. This is directly related to OSL?s Mission Assurance process. Recent NRO experience with both boosters as well as spacecraft programs has demonstrated that problems down to the piece part level are being discovered late in the processing cycle and result in unforeseen program delays. This, in turn, results in schedule slips, higher program costs, and perturbations to master program schedules. These parts problems often have the unintended consequence of crossing over to other booster or satellite programs and result in negative impacts. The root cause for recent parts problems is unknown. Some speculation points to an aging work force giving way to a younger inexperienced work force. While determining the root cause with any degree of confidence may be unachievable, the overall focus on parts reliability remains our focus. Offerors should address the entire parts production process to include, but not limited to, the following: manufacturing, testing, quality control, screening, certification, qualification, standardization, re-work, configuration control and reliability. We are also interested in commercially produced parts that have both space and non-space applications and understanding the differences in the production processes but not to the exclusion of satellite vehicle production processes. Offerors should attempt to identify the potential benefits of their concepts to the launch integration community specifically focusing on the mission assurance process. Offerors are discouraged from submitting proposals that require the creation of new software or databases. TECHNICAL POC: Mr. Rob Spicer (703) 808-3055 Email: rob.spicer@osl.nro.mil Topic 2: Advanced Launch Vehicle Technologies for Operationally Responsive Space Launch: Several initiatives external to the NRO are underway that focus on a responsive space launch capability. For example, the Chief of Staff, Air Force (CSAF) has embraced a new concept called Joint Warfighting Space (JWS) to rapidly launch satellites in direct support of a joint force commander. The AF Scientific Advisory Board is just completing a study on Operationalizing Space Launch. This study focused on launching a 1000 lb satellite within 48 hours. Similarly, OSL is interested in a responsive launch capability. OSL is interested in improvements, innovative methods, technologies, unique ideas, etc. that would render existing launch systems more responsive. Additionally, OSL is interested in new launch systems that provide a more responsive launch capability. This new launch system should address smaller satellites (1000 kg) and focus on simplified methods for payload integration, test, checkout and launch. Each approach should have a payoff in terms of schedule, cost and risk mitigation that is consistent with the established OSL mission assurance process. The primary purpose of this topic is to focus on launch capabilities for technical demonstration satellites. The NRO is developing a plan to launch at least one tech demo satellite per year. The OSL mission includes being able to provide a launch service for each of these tech demo satellites and ensure that the overall mission integration process for each of these satellites can be accomplished in an efficient manner. Offerors should include enough technical detail on the proposed system to enable OSL to assess its technical maturity and feasibility. The tech demo satellite program will not be successful if the associated launch services cannot support the annual launch timeline. Offerors are discouraged from submitting proposals that require the creation of new software or databases. TECHNICAL POC: Mr. Steve Wojcicki (703) 808-0528 Email: stephen.wojcicki@osl.nro.mil Topic 3: New Approaches for Secondary Payloads: OSL is interested in approaches for secondary payloads that will not complicate the integration of the prime satellite with the boost vehicle. Unique payload adaptors, below the prime satellite, complicate the integration process to an extent that the primes are reluctant to entertain ride sharing. These special adaptors reduce available payload fairing volume for the prime and complicate loads analyses by moving the prime satellite forward in the payload fairing envelope. The ideal ride share approach would provide the small satellite to the prime early in the schedule so that it could be included in all systems level tests performed by the prime. The required analyses would be so benign that no additional effort would have to be performed by the prime. Typical objections of prime satellites to ride sharing are: - The sub-satellite/adaptor creates a unique loads case, which increases the complexity of the prime?s analyses - The sub-satellite is not available early in the prime?s build schedule and, therefore, cannot be integrated in the systems level tests - There is added risk to environments e.g. contamination, thermal, shock, acoustics, vibration, etc. - The sub-satellite characteristics (weight, volume, etc.) are not available until late in the schedule - The sub-satellites typically are on a very small and tight budget and cannot be flexible enough to support to prime?s schedule changes Offerors are discouraged from submitting proposals that provide lengthened adaptors for the purpose of carrying small satellites below the prime satellite. The offerors are encouraged to provide unique approaches that will not be objectionable to primary missions. Any approach that encourages the primes to seek sub-satellites as a ride share would be of special interest. TECHNICAL POC: Mr. Rick Mears (703) 808-6314 Email: richard.mears@osl.nro.mil Please see our web site at http://osl.westfields.net for the complete details of this Broad Agency Announcement
- Record
- SN00688715-W 20041006/041004212116 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps.gov Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
| FSG Index | This Issue's Index | Today's FBO Daily Index Page |