Discovery Program Acquisition.

Discovery 2010 Announcement of Opportunity(NNH10ZDA007O)

Subject: Discovery 2010 Announcement of Opportunity
 
NNH10ZDA007O
Release Date: June 7, 2010
Notice of Intent to propose Due: August 3, 2010
Proposals Due: September 3, 2010

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Science Mission Directorate (SMD) is releasing a NASA Announcement of Opportunity (NNH10ZDA007O), Discovery 2010. NASA expects to select up to three Discovery mission proposals for a 9 month Phase A study. Following evaluation of Phase A reports, NASA expects to approve one Discovery mission to proceed into Phase B and subsequent mission phases. Launch Readiness Date (LRD) is to occur no later than December 31, 2017. The proposed missions may target any body in the Solar System, including Mars and Earth’s Moon, but excluding the Earth and Sun.

Participation is open to all categories of organizations (U.S. and non-U.S), including educational institutions, industry, not-for-profit organizations, Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), NASA Centers, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and other Government agencies. This solicitation will be open from June 7, 2010, through September 3, 2010. Upon the release date, the full text of the AO and all appendices will be available electronically at http://nspires.nasaprs.com/. A preproposal conference will be held in late June or early July, in the Washington, DC, area; see http://discovery.larc.nasa.gov/ for details.

Proposers should be aware of the following major changes in this AO from the Draft Discovery Program AO (NNH10ZDA003J) released in December 2009:

• Launch vehicles in the “medium” and “high” performance classes with 4m fairings will be added as options. Costs to proposers for these options are currently being assessed.
• Proposed missions will be required to be compatible through PDR with three families of launch vehicles: Atlas V, Delta IV, and Falcon 9.
  
• The minimum requirements for taking advantage of technology-infusion cost cap incentives will be detailed in a new document in the Program Library entitled In-Space Propulsion Technologies Minimum Demonstration Requirements.
• The costs associated with NEPA, NLSA, and nuclear launch services for missions proposing to use ASRGs will be reduced to a firm, fixed cost of $20M (FY10).
• The justification for the use of X-band telecommunications for science data downlink will be clarified to explicitly follow Recommendation 23-1 of the Space Frequency Coordination Group: in deep-space X-band users will be limited to 12 MHz of bandwidth while at Mars X-band users will be limited to 8 MHz of bandwidth. Beyond these limits, missions will be required to use Ka-band. Aperture fees based on the standard formula will remain.
• Missions to the Martian surface will no longer be required to carry the Electra-lite UHF radio package. However, any UHF package used will be required to be interoperable with the current Mars UHF relay network.
• The latest allowable Launch Readiness Date (LRD) will be extended to December 31, 2017.

In addition to the listed major changes, this AO incorporates a large number of additional changes relative to the previous Discovery Program AO and the Draft Discovery Program AO, including both policy changes and changes to proposal submission requirements. All proposers must read this AO carefully, and all proposals must comply with the requirements, constraints, and guidelines contained within this AO.

Direct questions specifically regarding this solicitation to: Dr. Michael H. New, Discovery Program Scientist, Planetary Science Division, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC 20546; Tel.: (202) 358-1766; E-mail: Michael.H.New@nasa.gov (subject line to read "DISCOVERY AO").

This notice constitutes a NASA Research Announcement as contemplated in FAR 6.102(d)(2).

NASA Discovery Program Community Announcement (NNH10ZDA006J)

Subject: NASA Discovery Program Announcement of Opportunity
 
NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) intends to release an Announcement of Opportunity (AO) for Discovery Program missions no earlier than (NET) June 2010. The Discovery Program conducts Principal Investigator (PI)-led space science investigations in SMD’s planetary programs under a not-to-exceed cost cap. It is anticipated that approximately two to three Discovery investigations will be selected for 9-month Phase A concept studies through this AO. At the conclusion of these concept studies, it is planned that one Discovery investigation will be selected to continue into Phase B and subsequent mission phases. There will be no Missions of Opportunity (MO) solicited as part of this AO. All MO are now solicited through the Stand Alone Missions of Opportunity Notice (SALMON) AO.
 
The AO will differ in the following significant ways from the Draft Discovery Program AO (NNH10ZDA003J) released in December 2009:

• Launch vehicles in the “medium” and “high” performance classes with 4m fairings will be added as options. Costs to proposers for these options are currently being assessed.
• Proposed missions will be required to be compatible through PDR with three families of launch vehicles: Atlas V, Delta IV, and Falcon 9.
• The minimum requirements for taking advantage of technology-infusion cost cap incentives will be detailed in a new document in the Program Library entitled In-Space Propulsion Technologies Minimum Demonstration Requirements.
• The costs associated with NEPA, NLSA, and nuclear launch services for missions proposing to use ASRGs will be reduced to a firm, fixed cost of $20M (FY10).
• The justification for the use of X-band telecommunications for science data downlink will be clarified to explicitly follow Recommendation 23-1 of the Space Frequency Coordination Group: in deep-space X-band users will be limited to 12 MHz of bandwidth while at Mars X-band users will be limited to 8 MHz of bandwidth. Beyond these limits, missions will be required to use Ka-band. Aperture fees based on the standard formula will remain.
• Missions to the Martian surface will no longer be required to carry the Electra-lite UHF radio package. However, any UHF package used will be required to be interoperable with the current Mars UHF relay network.
• The latest allowable Launch Readiness Date (LRD) will be extended to December 31, 2017.

The schedule for the solicitation is intended to be:
 
The Draft Discovery AO is available by following the links at http://discovery.larc.nasa.gov/. Proposers should read the Discovery AO carefully when it is released.
 
NASA has not approved the issuance of the Discovery AO and this notification does not obligate NASA to issue the AO and solicit proposals. The release date is subject to ongoing budget formulation activities. Any costs incurred by prospective investigators in preparing submissions in response to this notification or the Draft Discovery AO are incurred completely at the submitter's own risk.
 
Further information will be posted on the Discovery Program Acquisition Page at http://discovery.larc.nasa.gov/ as it becomes available. Questions may be addressed to Dr. Michael New, Discovery Program Lead Scientist, Science Mission Directorate, NASA, Washington, DC 20546; Tel.: (202) 358-1766; Email: michael.h.new@nasa.gov.
 

Information Notice: Change in Comment Period for Discovery 2010 Draft Announcement of Opportunity (NNH10ZDA003J)

Release Date: December 7, 2009
Comments Due (extended date): January 15, 2010
Identification Number: NNH10ZDA003J
 
On December 7, 2009, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Science Mission Directorate is releasing a Draft Announcement of Opportunity (AO) for community review and comment for the next mission in the Discovery program (NNH10ZDA003J). The full text of the Discovery 2010 Draft AO and all appendices will be available at http://nspires.nasaprs.com/.
 
A Potential Bidders Conference will be held in January 2010 in the Washington, DC, area to provide an overview of the Discovery 2010 Draft AO and to address any questions. Information about the Conference is found in the Discovery 2010 Draft AO, Section 6.1.1, and will be made available on the Discovery Acquisition Additional Information Page at http://discovery.larc.nasa.gov/.
 
In order to better accommodate the Potential Bidders Conference, the end of the comment period for the Discovery 2010 Draft AO has been extended to January 15, 2010.
 
The issuance of this Discovery 2010 Draft AO does not obligate NASA to issue the Discovery 2010 AO and solicit proposals. Any costs incurred by prospective investigators in preparing submissions in response to this Discovery 2010 Draft AO are incurred completely at the submitter's own risk.
 
Send comments to Dr. Michael New; Lead Discovery Program Scientist; Planetary Science Division; Mail Suite 3X63; Science Mission Directorate; National Aeronautics and Space Administration; Washington, DC 20546-0001; TEL: (202) 358-1766; E-mail: michael.h.new@nasa.gov. Comments are preferred in writing and may be sent by E-mail; the character string "Discovery 2010 Draft AO" (without quotes) should be included in the subject line of all transmissions. The identity of those submitting comments will be held in confidence. Answers to questions about this Discovery 2010 Draft AO will be made available on the Discovery Acquisition Additional Information Page at http://discovery.larc.nasa.gov/.

A--"DRAFT" DISCOVERY 2010 ANNOUNCEMENT OF OPPORTUNITY - NNH10ZDA003J - RELEASEDFOR COMMUNITY COMMENT

Solicitation: NNH10ZDA003J
 
Synopsis:
Added: Dec 03, 2009 1:17 pm
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Science MissionDirectorate is releasing a Draft Announcement of Opportunity (AO) for community reviewand comment for the next mission in the Discovery program (NNH10ZDA003J). Discovery Program investigations must address NASAs planetary science goals.Investigations may focus on any body in the Solar System, excluding the Earth and theSun, and including Mars and the Moon. Investigations may not focus on extra-solarplanetary systems.Participation is open to all categories of organizations (U.S.), including educationalinstitutions, industry, not-for-profit organizations, Federally Funded Research andDevelopment Centers (FFRDCs), NASA Centers, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), AppliedPhysics Laboratory (APL), and other Government agencies. Upon the release date, the fulltext of the Draft Discovery 2010 AO and all appendices will be available at http://nspires.nasaprs.com/ . A Potential Bidders Conference will be held in early January 2010 in the Washington, DC, area to provide an overview of the Draft Discovery 2010 AO and to address any questions. Information about the Conference will be made available on the Discovery AcquisitionAdditional Information Page at http://discovery.larc.nasa.gov/ . The issuance of this Draft Discovery 2010 AO does not obligate NASA to issue theDiscovery 2010 AO and solicit proposals. Any costs incurred by prospective investigatorsin preparing submissions in response to this Draft Discovery 2010 AO are incurredcompletely at the submitter's own risk.Send comments to Dr. Michael New; Lead Discovery Program Scientist; Planetary ScienceDivision; Mail Suite 3X63; Science Mission Directorate; National Aeronautics and SpaceAdministration; Washington, DC 20546-0001; TEL: (202) 358-1766; E-mail:michael.h.new@nasa.gov. Comments are preferred in writing and may be sent by E-mail; thecharacter string "Discovery 2010 Draft AO" (without quotes) should be included in thesubject line of all transmissions. The identity of those submitting comments will beheld in confidence. Answers to questions about this Draft Discovery 2010 AO will be madeavailable on the Discovery Acquisition Additional Information Page at http://discovery.larc.nasa.gov/ .
 

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