United States - TSIS-2 / SSTP NRHO Demo Sources Sought

Description

Added: Aug 07, 2019 11:44 am
Modified: Aug 07, 2019 4:12 pmTrack Changes

TSIS-2 / SSTP NRHO DEMO SOURCES SOUGHT

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Kennedy Space Center (KSC) is hereby soliciting information about potential sources for dedicated or rideshare launch services for two separate potential missions:

• Total Solar Irradiance Spectral Solar Irradiance 2 (TSIS-2). The TSIS-2 mission will provide absolute measurements of the total solar irradiance (TSI) and spectral solar irradiance (SSI), necessary for accurate scientific models of climate change and solar variability.

• Small Spacecraft Technology Program Near Rectilinear Halo Orbits (SSTP NRHO Demo), which is a 12U spacecraft requiring a Trans Lunar Injection orbit to support NASA's mission to the moon.

NASA/KSC is seeking information regarding various approaches in order to determine the appropriate balance of cost, schedule, and technical risk for each potential mission.
REQUIREMENTS
Mission specific:
The TSIS-2 launch service requires delivery of the total payload mass of 142kg to an orbital altitude of 600km at a launch inclination of 98.2. The spacecraft will require a 15-inch separation interface provided by the launch provider. The spacecraft will not have a propulsion system. The launch for TSIS-2 is anticipated to occur in the fiscal year 2023. For rideshare opportunities, TSIS-2 shall be the primary payload meaning it shall retain control of the launch date.
The SSTP NRHO Demo 12U spacecraft launch service requires delivery of the total payload mass of 25kg to a Trans Lunar Injection orbit with a C3 of -0.6 km2/s2 no later than December 2020. For rideshare opportunities, SSTP NHRO shall be the primary payload meaning it shall retain control of the launch date.
Applicable to both the TSIS-2 and/ SSTP NRHO Demo 12U spacecraft missions:
The launch service shall be capable of delivering a Class D risk category spacecraft, per NASA Procedural Requirements (NPR) 8705.4, Risk Classification for NASA Payloads (https://nodis3.gsfc.nasa.gov/displayDir.cfm?t=NPR&c=8705&s=4) certified to NASA Category 1 (CAT 1) Certification Requirements per NASA Policy Directive (NPD) 8610.7D, Launch Services Risk Mitigation Policy (https://nodis3.gsfc.nasa.gov/displayDir.cfm?t=NPD&c=8610&s=7D) and LSP document LSP-PLN-324.01 Launch Vehicle Certification (attached to this sources sought).
NASA LSP intends to certify the launch vehicle to the Category 1 level, per NPD 8610.7, Launch Services Risk Mitigation Policy for NASA-Owned and/or NASA-Sponsored Payloads/Missions. Per NPD 8610.7, a Category 1 level launch vehicle certification allows NASA to perform a high-level review of commercial provider processes and qualification results. Category 1 is a risk assessment, not an approach that will mitigate risks unless those risks are unreasonably high. NASA is willing to accept the risk of being the first flight. The scope of the qualification assessment, if NASA is on the first flight of a new vehicle, is as follows:
- A Qualification Data Review (~2 days duration) to provide NASA confidence in the launch service contractor's (LSC's) ability to successfully deliver the service
     • The LSC will present rationale to the LSP showing that most components and subsystems are "qualified" to contractor's satisfaction
     • Qualification to be accomplished against the Contractor's internal standards and is subject to the LSP review; however
     • This review does not require or constitute NASA verification or agreement that the qualification meets NASA's definition
     • NASA Recognizes that fleets live with qualification exceptions
     • Includes suppliers flight data assessment process
     • LSP may withhold CAT 1 Cert only if the suppliers defined success criteria has not been met or if there is other reasonable evidence to suggest the qualification test of a defined major/key item is unsuccessful
The launch service provider will be responsible for obtaining a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) license and securing any necessary Range assets for the launch.
Milestones will be established to ensure vehicle and mission are progressing. NPD 8610.23C, Launch Vehicle Technical Oversight Policy (https://nodis3.gsfc.nasa.gov/displayDir.cfm?t=NPD&c=8610&s=23C) Attachment C: Class D Mission Launch Vehicle Modified Technical Oversight is intended to be fully employed. NASA recognizes that taking more risk for Class D missions is permissible to utilize a larger array of emerging launch providers that will lower the cost of launch for these missions. NASA will use a limited combination of specified approvals and targeted insight in order to manage the mission integration technical requirements. NASA's technical oversight approach seeks to enable the use of commercially accepted mission management practices while still understanding the schedule and most significant technical risks of the launch services used for NASA missions. Therefore, consistent with accepting probability of launch success for non-U.S. Government missions, NASA will not retain control, as it does for Class A, B and C missions, of the launch through its modified technical oversight approach.
Specific areas requiring Government Approval are:
     1. Spacecraft-to-launch vehicle interface control documents (ICD)/drawings and requirement waivers.
     2. Decisions/resolutions of action items as determined by joint NASA/contractor mission integration teams.
     3. Spacecraft launch commit criteria.
     4. Spacecraft handling procedures and deviations.
     5. Integrated spacecraft/vehicle mate, test, and closeout procedures and planned or real-time deviations, impacting the spacecraft (e.g., handling, spacecraft power-on, or mission-unique requirements).
     6. Launch countdown procedures and planned or real-time deviations that affect spacecraft interface in the ICD.
     7. Anomaly resolutions that affect the spacecraft interface in the ICD.
     8. Spacecraft Launch Readiness Go/No-Go.
Specific areas to be open to Government Insight are:
     1. Baseline vehicle configuration to confirm the common launch vehicle
configuration as defined in NPD 8610.7.
     2. NASA mission production program reviews, plans, and schedules.
     3. NASA mission pre-ship reviews.
     4. Major/critical problems affecting the NASA mission's production or launch schedule and their resolutions.
     5. NASA mission launch site support work schedules and plans.
     6. Conduct of contractor-chaired NASA Mission, Launch, and Flight Readiness Reviews.
     7. Post flight anomaly, as defined by the launch service provider, investigations/closeouts.
     8. Mission-unique hardware design, analysis, manufacture, and test.
     9. Mission-unique software design, analysis, and test.
     10. Contractor's spacecraft-to-launch vehicle ICD verification matrix development and closeout.
     11. Baseline and changes to contractor's risk management, safety and health, and quality management plan/approach.
Please note: NASA will not assist in providing access to Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) as part of a commercial launch system or launch site.
RESPONSE INSTRUCTIONS
Interested offerors/vendors having the required specialized capabilities to meet the above requirement, for either one or both of the missions, should submit a capability statement of 10 pages or less as a single PDF file, for each mission, indicating the ability to perform all aspects of the effort described herein. It is not sufficient to provide only general brochures or generic information.
Responses must include the following:
1) Company name and address;
2) Business size classification (Small, Small Disadvantaged (SDB), 8(a), Woman-owned (WOSB), Veteran Owned (VOSB), Service Disabled Veteran Owned (SD-VOSB), Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) businesses, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU)/Minority Institutions (MI) including the number of employees and the number of years in business;
3) Provide information demonstrating your technical capability to meet the requirements described above and the details of the development, test, and flight experience (if any) of each significant system planned for use in your launch vehicle (e.g., avionics, structures, ground systems). Specifically, if the launch vehicle planned has not yet flown, include status of propulsion system (engine and stage level) development and/or qualification tests by providing % of full thrust and mission duration achieved to date in development tests, and/or milestone schedule of qualification testing with remaining qualification tests specifically identified. Provide information about payload processing facility capability.
4) Submit a maximum of 5 government or commercial contracts in the last five years demonstrating your relevant experience to include contract numbers, contract type, a dollar value of each procurement, and point of contact - email address and phone number.
5) Include Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) estimates for the following:
     a) The fixed price for any or all of the launch service approaches to launch TSIS-2 and/or SSTP NRHO Demo 12U spacecraft. In addition, include an overview of the basis of estimate for each ROM, and if the launch vehicle has not yet flown, or a new stage is required, include any development costs already expended and your ability to self-fund the remaining development to enable commercial operations on or before the anticipated launch;
     b) A separate ROM estimate for any cost (if any) above the suppliers standard commercial fixed price launch service ROM, associated with suppliers compliance with NASA Insight & Approval per NPD 8610.23C, Launch Vehicle Technical Oversight Policy. Insight & Approval grants NASA access to some Contractor data, documentation, drawings, analytical models, and support services necessary to accommodate approvals of specific Contractor tasks and milestones to independently assure reasonable actions have been taken to ensure mission success. Identify significant cost drivers from the insight and/or approval elements that impact each ROM;
     c) A separate ROM estimate for any cost (if any) above the suppliers standard commercial fixed price launch service ROM, associated with supplier's compliance with NASA Category 1 Certification Requirements per NPD 8610.7D, Launch Services Risk Mitigation Policy, and LSP document LSP-PLN-324.01 Launch Vehicle Certification;
     d) If the launch service provider has payload processing capabilities, include ROM estimate for payload processing services.
6) Include a summary of commercial contract terms and conditions, including, but not limited to delays and payment schedule. Should the proposed solution be a rideshare mission, include any basic terms and conditions to include any rights TSIS-2 and/or SSTP NRHO Demo 12U spacecraft will have as the primary spacecraft on the mission (e.g. approval of the other payloads on the launch vehicle).
7) Provide a copy of the commercial provider's current launch manifest through 2023.
All responses shall be submitted via email to Jason Siewert at jason.r.siewert@nasa.gov and Mary Kiss at mary.kiss-2@nasa.gov no later than 30 days after the release of this sources sought. Please reference NNK19ZLS001L in any response.
MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION
NASA may use either the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code of 336414 (Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing) with a size standard of 1,250 employees or 481212 (Nonscheduled Chartered Freight Air Transportation) with a size standard of 1,500 employees for this procurement.
No solicitation exists; therefore, do not request a copy of the solicitation. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized in FedBizOpps. It is the potential offerors responsibility to monitor these sites for the release of any solicitation or synopsis.
NASA intends to evaluate all data received and respondents may be contacted with follow-up questions on an as needed basis. Please note, NASA as well as support contractors and/or their subcontractors working on behalf of the Government, may be reviewing the information. NASA may utilize the information provided in developing its acquisition strategy.
This requirement is considered to be a commercial item is defined in FAR 2.101. This sources sought is for information and planning purposes and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government nor will the Government pay for information solicited. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation.
It is anticipated that this procurement will consider domestic sources only as Public Law 105-303, 51 U.S.C 50131, et. seq., states that the Federal Government shall acquire space transportation services from United States commercial providers whenever such services are required in the course of its activities. Accordingly, it is anticipated that this procurement will consider domestic sources only.

Opportunity closing date

06 September 2019

Value of contract

to be confirmed