NASA/John F. Kennedy Space Center, Procurement, Kennedy Space Center, FL 32899

V -- NEXT GENERATION LAUNCH SERVICES (NGLS) ACQUISITION DUE 092499 POC Thomas D. Tokmenko, Contracting Officer, Phone (407) 867-8350, Fax (407) 867-8351, Email Thomas.Tokmenko-1@ksc.nasa.gov -- Sharon L. White, Contracting Officer, Phone 407-867-8340, Fax 407-867-8341, Email Sharon.White-1@ksc.nasa.gov WEB: Click here for the latest information about this notice, http://nais.nasa.gov/EPS/KSC/date.html#NGLS. E-MAIL: Thomas D. Tokmenko, Thomas.Tokmenko-1@ksc.nasa.gov. THIS IS NOT A NOTICE OF SOLICITATION ISSUANCE. NASA Kennedy Space Center is hereby soliciting information for potential sources for the following: Next Generation Launch Services (NGLS) Acquisition This Request for Information (RFI) is being issued by NASA Kennedy Space Center, NASA's Lead Center for the Acquisition and Management of Expendable Launch Vehicle (ELV) Launch Services. This RFI seeks comments/statements of interest in a Next Generation Launch Services Acquisition. In January 1999, the NASA Administrator signed the NASA Launch Services Risk Mitigation Policy for NASA owned, NASA sponsored payloads (NASA Policy Directive 8610.7). Under this policy, NASA has established three tiers of risk for NASA payloads based upon launch vehicle demonstrated flight history. The categories are defined as: Category 1: launch vehicles with no demonstrated flight history Category 2: launch vehicles that have demonstrated at least one successful launch Category 3: launch vehicles with a demonstrated 95% reliability @ 50% confidence level (14 consecutive successful launches) In October 1998, NASA Kennedy Space Center awarded contracts for launch services for vehicles in the Category 2 risk category under the Small Expendable Launch Vehicle Services -- Kennedy Space Center (SELVS-KSC) Acquisition. The NASA Launch Services (NLS) acquisition currently underway (Draft Request For Proposals (DRFP) 10-99-0021) is focused on Category 2 and Category 3 launch vehicle services. This notice is to seek industry comments/statements about NASA's possible acquisition of launch services for Category 1 vehicles, those with no prior demonstrated flights. NASA's recent Space Transportation Architect Studies provided the Agency greater insight into the plans of emerging next generation launch systems. NASA is seeking information about the feasibility of establishing a contractual mechanism to take advantage of new domestic services as they become available. Accordingly, NASA is considering the possibility of soliciting proposals from industry in early calendar year 2000 for launch services of NASA sponsored Category 1 payloads. NASA has a series of university class explorers, university earth science missions and small technology payloads that might be suitable for the risk associated with first flight of a new launch system. It is possible that many launch systems may offer greater performance than NASA requires, resulting in NASA payloads flying as a secondary or co-manifested basis with other commercial and/or government payloads. Vehicles completing a successful launch under the NGLS acquisition approach might then potentially be eligible to participate under other NASA Category 2 launch services contract vehicles. NASA is interested in determining how many potential participants there may be, and what concerns or performance issues potential participants might want NASA to consider. Please send all comments/statements of interest to this notice by September 24, 1999 to Mr. Tom Tokmenko at the following address: NASA, Kennedy SpaceCenter Mailcode SEB-NLS Kennedy Space Center, FL 32899 Telephone: (407) 867-8350 Fax: (407) 867-8351 E-Mail: Thomas.Tokmenko-1@ksc.nasa.gov An ombudsman has been appointed -- See Internet Note "B". The solicitation and any documents related to this procurement will be available over the Internet. These documents will be in Microsoft Office Suite (Word 6.0, Excel 5.0, or PowerPoint 4.0) format and will reside on a World Wide Web (WWW) server, which may be accessed using a WWW browser application. The Internet site, or URL, for the NASA/KSC Business Opportunities home page is http://www.procurement.nasa.gov/EPS/KSC/class.html. It is the offeror's responsibility to monitor the Internet cite for the release of the solicitation and amendments (if any). Potential offerors will be responsible for downloading their own copy of the solicitation and amendments, if any. Any referenced notes can be viewed at the following URL: http://genesis.gsfc.nasa.gov/nasanote.html Posted 09/08/99 (D-SN377984). (0251)

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