Discovery Program Acquisition.
Two Columns
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Jan 4, 2017
RELEASE:17-003
NASA Selects Two Missions to Explore the Early Solar System
NASA has selected two missions that have the potential to open new windows on one of the earliest eras in the history of our solar system - a time less than 10 million years after the birth of our sun. The missions, known as Lucy and Psyche, were chosen from five finalists and will proceed to mission formulation, with the goal of launching in 2021 and 2023, respectively.
"Lucy will visit a target-rich environment of Jupiter's mysterious Trojan asteroids, while Psyche will study a unique metal asteroid that's never been visited before," said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. "This is what Discovery Program missions are all about - boldly going to places we've never been to enable groundbreaking science."
Lucy, a robotic spacecraft, is scheduled to launch in October 2021. It's slated to arrive at its first destination, a main belt asteroid, in 2025. From 2027 to 2033, Lucy will explore six Jupiter Trojan asteroids. These asteroids are trapped by Jupiter's gravity in two swarms that share the planet's orbit, one leading and one trailing Jupiter in its 12-year circuit around the sun. The Trojans are thought to be relics of a much earlier era in the history of the solar system, and may have formed far beyond Jupiter's current orbit.
"This is a unique opportunity," said Dr. Harold F. Levison, principal investigator of the Lucy mission from the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado. "Because the Trojans are remnants of the primordial material that formed the outer planets, they hold vital clues to deciphering the history of the solar system. Lucy, like the human fossil for which it is named, will revolutionize the understanding of our origins."
Lucy will build on the success of NASA's New Horizons mission to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt, using newer versions of the RALPH and LORRI science instruments that helped enable the mission's achievements. Several members of the Lucy mission team also are veterans of the New Horizons mission. Lucy also will build on the success of the OSIRIS-REx mission to asteroid Bennu, with the OTES instrument and several members of the OSIRIS-REx team.
The Psyche mission will explore one of the most intriguing targets in the main asteroid belt - a giant metal asteroid known as 16 Psyche that's about three times farther away from the sun than the Earth is. This asteroid measures about 130 miles (210 kilometers) in diameter and, unlike most other asteroids that are rocky or icy bodies, is thought to be comprised mostly of metallic iron and nickel, similar to Earth's core. Scientists wonder whether Psyche could be an exposed core of an early planet that could have been as large as Mars, but which lost its rocky outer layers due to a number of violent collisions billions of years ago.
The mission will help scientists understand how planets and other bodies separated into their layers - including cores, mantles and crusts - early in their histories.
"This is an opportunity to explore a new type of world - not one of rock or ice, but of metal," said Psyche Principal Investigator Lindy Elkins-Tanton of Arizona State University in Tempe. "16 Psyche is the only known object of its kind in the solar system, and this is the only way humans will ever visit a core. We learn about inner space by visiting outer space."
Psyche, also a robotic mission, is targeted to launch in October of 2023, arriving at the asteroid in 2030, following an Earth gravity assist spacecraft maneuver in 2024 and a Mars flyby in 2025.
In addition to selecting the Lucy and Psyche missions for formulation, the agency will extend funding for the Near Earth Object Camera (NEOCam) project for an additional year. The NEOCam space telescope is designed to survey regions of space closest to Earth's orbit, where potentially hazardous asteroids may be found.
"These are true missions of discovery that integrate into NASA's larger strategy of investigating how the solar system formed and evolved," said NASA's Planetary Science Director Jim Green. "We've explored terrestrial planets, gas giants, and a range of other bodies orbiting the sun. Lucy will observe primitive remnants from farther out in the solar system, while Psyche will directly observe the interior of a planetary body. These additional pieces of the puzzle will help us understand how the sun and its family of planets formed, changed over time, and became places where life could develop and be sustained - and what the future may hold."
Discovery Program class missions like these are relatively low-cost, their development capped at about $450 million. They are managed for NASA's Planetary Science Division by the Planetary Missions Program Office at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The missions are designed and led by a principal investigator, who assembles a team of scientists and engineers, to address key science questions about the solar system.
The Discovery Program portfolio includes 12 prior selections such as the MESSENGER mission to study Mercury, the Dawn mission to explore asteroids Vesta and Ceres, and the InSight Mars lander, scheduled to launch in May 2018.
NASA's other missions to asteroids began with the NEAR orbiter of asteroid Eros, which arrived in 2000, and continues with Dawn, which orbited Vesta and now is in an extended mission phase at Ceres. The OSIRIS-REx mission, which launched on Sept. 8, 2016, is speeding toward a 2018 rendezvous with the asteroid Bennu, and will deliver a sample back to Earth in 2023. Each mission focuses on a different aspect of asteroid science to give scientists the broader picture of solar system formation and evolution.
Read more about NASA's Discovery Program and missions at:
Dwayne Brown / Laurie Cantillo
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1726 / 202-358-1077
dwayne.c.brown@nasa.gov / laura.l.cantillo@nasa.gov
Click to Download Announcement in PDF
RELEASE:17-003
NASA Selects Two Missions to Explore the Early Solar System
NASA has selected two missions that have the potential to open new windows on one of the earliest eras in the history of our solar system - a time less than 10 million years after the birth of our sun. The missions, known as Lucy and Psyche, were chosen from five finalists and will proceed to mission formulation, with the goal of launching in 2021 and 2023, respectively.
"Lucy will visit a target-rich environment of Jupiter's mysterious Trojan asteroids, while Psyche will study a unique metal asteroid that's never been visited before," said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. "This is what Discovery Program missions are all about - boldly going to places we've never been to enable groundbreaking science."
Lucy, a robotic spacecraft, is scheduled to launch in October 2021. It's slated to arrive at its first destination, a main belt asteroid, in 2025. From 2027 to 2033, Lucy will explore six Jupiter Trojan asteroids. These asteroids are trapped by Jupiter's gravity in two swarms that share the planet's orbit, one leading and one trailing Jupiter in its 12-year circuit around the sun. The Trojans are thought to be relics of a much earlier era in the history of the solar system, and may have formed far beyond Jupiter's current orbit.
"This is a unique opportunity," said Dr. Harold F. Levison, principal investigator of the Lucy mission from the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado. "Because the Trojans are remnants of the primordial material that formed the outer planets, they hold vital clues to deciphering the history of the solar system. Lucy, like the human fossil for which it is named, will revolutionize the understanding of our origins."
Lucy will build on the success of NASA's New Horizons mission to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt, using newer versions of the RALPH and LORRI science instruments that helped enable the mission's achievements. Several members of the Lucy mission team also are veterans of the New Horizons mission. Lucy also will build on the success of the OSIRIS-REx mission to asteroid Bennu, with the OTES instrument and several members of the OSIRIS-REx team.
The Psyche mission will explore one of the most intriguing targets in the main asteroid belt - a giant metal asteroid known as 16 Psyche that's about three times farther away from the sun than the Earth is. This asteroid measures about 130 miles (210 kilometers) in diameter and, unlike most other asteroids that are rocky or icy bodies, is thought to be comprised mostly of metallic iron and nickel, similar to Earth's core. Scientists wonder whether Psyche could be an exposed core of an early planet that could have been as large as Mars, but which lost its rocky outer layers due to a number of violent collisions billions of years ago.
The mission will help scientists understand how planets and other bodies separated into their layers - including cores, mantles and crusts - early in their histories.
"This is an opportunity to explore a new type of world - not one of rock or ice, but of metal," said Psyche Principal Investigator Lindy Elkins-Tanton of Arizona State University in Tempe. "16 Psyche is the only known object of its kind in the solar system, and this is the only way humans will ever visit a core. We learn about inner space by visiting outer space."
Psyche, also a robotic mission, is targeted to launch in October of 2023, arriving at the asteroid in 2030, following an Earth gravity assist spacecraft maneuver in 2024 and a Mars flyby in 2025.
In addition to selecting the Lucy and Psyche missions for formulation, the agency will extend funding for the Near Earth Object Camera (NEOCam) project for an additional year. The NEOCam space telescope is designed to survey regions of space closest to Earth's orbit, where potentially hazardous asteroids may be found.
"These are true missions of discovery that integrate into NASA's larger strategy of investigating how the solar system formed and evolved," said NASA's Planetary Science Director Jim Green. "We've explored terrestrial planets, gas giants, and a range of other bodies orbiting the sun. Lucy will observe primitive remnants from farther out in the solar system, while Psyche will directly observe the interior of a planetary body. These additional pieces of the puzzle will help us understand how the sun and its family of planets formed, changed over time, and became places where life could develop and be sustained - and what the future may hold."
Discovery Program class missions like these are relatively low-cost, their development capped at about $450 million. They are managed for NASA's Planetary Science Division by the Planetary Missions Program Office at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The missions are designed and led by a principal investigator, who assembles a team of scientists and engineers, to address key science questions about the solar system.
The Discovery Program portfolio includes 12 prior selections such as the MESSENGER mission to study Mercury, the Dawn mission to explore asteroids Vesta and Ceres, and the InSight Mars lander, scheduled to launch in May 2018.
NASA's other missions to asteroids began with the NEAR orbiter of asteroid Eros, which arrived in 2000, and continues with Dawn, which orbited Vesta and now is in an extended mission phase at Ceres. The OSIRIS-REx mission, which launched on Sept. 8, 2016, is speeding toward a 2018 rendezvous with the asteroid Bennu, and will deliver a sample back to Earth in 2023. Each mission focuses on a different aspect of asteroid science to give scientists the broader picture of solar system formation and evolution.
Read more about NASA's Discovery Program and missions at:
Dwayne Brown / Laurie Cantillo
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1726 / 202-358-1077
dwayne.c.brown@nasa.gov / laura.l.cantillo@nasa.gov
Click to Download Announcement in PDF
Discovery 2014 AO Amendment 1: Delay of proposal submission deadlines, addition of a new requirement for color-coding of export-controlled material to Requirement 92, and modification of Requirement B 77
NNH14ZDA014O
Release Date: November 5, 2014
Proposals Due: February 18, 2015
With this amendment, the NASA Announcement of Opportunity (AO) NNH14ZDA014O, Discovery 2014, has been amended to
The deadline for the submission of electronic proposals has been changed to February 18, 2015 due to the observance of the Federal holiday of Washington's Birthday on February 16, 2015. Concomitantly, the deadline for the submission of proposals on CD-ROM has been changed to February 25, 2015.
To ease the identification and, if necessary, the redaction of export controlled information, any such information contained in proposals shall be color-coded: export control information shall be printed in a red font and figure(s) and table(s) containing such information shall be placed in a red-bordered box. Requirement 92 has been updated to reflect this.
To eliminate a conflict between the language of Section 5.1.8 of the final AO, and Requirement B-77, the provision of [e]stimated cost impacts associated with the implementation of the proposed ESI [Engineering Science Investigation] will not be required. Requirement B-77 has been modified to reflect this.
On or about January 16, 2015, Amendment No. 1 to the NASA Announcement of Opportunity Discovery 2014(NNH14ZDA014O) will be posted on the NASA research opportunity homepage at http://nspires.nasaprs.com/(select Solicitations then Open Solicitations then NNH14ZDA014O).
Comments and questions may be addressed in writing or by E-mail to: Dr. Michael H. New, Discovery Program Lead Scientist, Planetary Science Division, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC 20546-0001; E mail: michael.h.new@nasa.gov (subject line to read Discovery 2014 AO); Phone: 202 358 1766; FAX: 202 358-3097.
Responses to all inquiries will be answered by E mail and also posted to the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) location of the Discovery Program Acquisition website at http://discovery.larc.nasa.gov/; anonymity of persons and institutions who submit questions will be preserved.
NNH14ZDA014O
Release Date: November 5, 2014
Proposals Due: February 18, 2015
With this amendment, the NASA Announcement of Opportunity (AO) NNH14ZDA014O, Discovery 2014, has been amended to
Shift the due date for electronic proposals to February 18, 2015 from February 16, 2015,
Add a requirement for color-coding of export-controlled material in the body of the proposal to Requirement 92, and
Modify Requirement B-77 to remove the requirement that an estimated cost for the Engineering Science Investigation be included in proposal Appendix J.14.
Add a requirement for color-coding of export-controlled material in the body of the proposal to Requirement 92, and
Modify Requirement B-77 to remove the requirement that an estimated cost for the Engineering Science Investigation be included in proposal Appendix J.14.
The deadline for the submission of electronic proposals has been changed to February 18, 2015 due to the observance of the Federal holiday of Washington's Birthday on February 16, 2015. Concomitantly, the deadline for the submission of proposals on CD-ROM has been changed to February 25, 2015.
To ease the identification and, if necessary, the redaction of export controlled information, any such information contained in proposals shall be color-coded: export control information shall be printed in a red font and figure(s) and table(s) containing such information shall be placed in a red-bordered box. Requirement 92 has been updated to reflect this.
To eliminate a conflict between the language of Section 5.1.8 of the final AO, and Requirement B-77, the provision of [e]stimated cost impacts associated with the implementation of the proposed ESI [Engineering Science Investigation] will not be required. Requirement B-77 has been modified to reflect this.
On or about January 16, 2015, Amendment No. 1 to the NASA Announcement of Opportunity Discovery 2014(NNH14ZDA014O) will be posted on the NASA research opportunity homepage at http://nspires.nasaprs.com/(select Solicitations then Open Solicitations then NNH14ZDA014O).
Comments and questions may be addressed in writing or by E-mail to: Dr. Michael H. New, Discovery Program Lead Scientist, Planetary Science Division, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC 20546-0001; E mail: michael.h.new@nasa.gov (subject line to read Discovery 2014 AO); Phone: 202 358 1766; FAX: 202 358-3097.
Responses to all inquiries will be answered by E mail and also posted to the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) location of the Discovery Program Acquisition website at http://discovery.larc.nasa.gov/; anonymity of persons and institutions who submit questions will be preserved.
Discovery 2014 Announcement of Opportunity
General Information:
| Solicitation Number: | NNH14ZDA014O |
| Posted Date: | November 5, 2014 |
| Release of AO: | November 5, 2014 (target) |
| Proposal Due Date: | February 16, 2015 |
| Recovery and Reinvestment Act Action: | No |
| Classification Code: | A esearch and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology) |
| Issued by: | Science Mission Directorate, NASA |
| NAICS Code | 541712 |
| CFDA Number: | 43.001 Science |
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Science Mission Directorate (SMD) is releasing a Discovery 2014 Announcement of Opportunity (NNH14ZDA004O). The Discovery Program conducts Principal Investigator (PI)-led space science investigations relevant to SMD's planetary science programs. Discovery Program investigations must address NASAs strategic objective to ascertain the content, origin, and evolution of the Solar System and the potential for life elsewhere.
Upon release, 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 November 2014; see http://discovery.larc.nasa.gov/ for details.
Participation is open to all categories of organizations or institutions, U.S. or non-U.S., including educational, industrial, and not-for-profit institutions, Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), University Affiliated Research Centers (UARCs), NASA Centers, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and other Government agencies.
NASA expects to select at least one Discovery mission to proceed into Phase B and subsequent mission phases.
This AO incorporates a number of changes relative to the previous Discovery Program AO and to the Draft Discovery 2014 AO. All proposers must read this AO carefully, and all proposals must comply with the requirements, constraints, and guidelines contained within the AO.
Comments and questions may be addressed in writing or by E-mail to: Dr. Michael H. New, Discovery Program Lead Scientist, Planetary Science Division, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC 20546-0001; E-mail:michael.h.new@nasa.gov (subject line to read Discovery 2014 AO); Phone: 202-358-1766; FAX: 202-358-3097.
Responses to all inquiries will be answered by E-mail and also posted to the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) location of the Discovery Program Acquisition website at http://discovery.larc.nasa.gov/; anonymity of persons and institutions who submit questions will be preserved.
This notice constitutes a NASA Research Announcement as contemplated in FAR 6.102(d)(2).
Click to Download Announcement in PDF
Anticipated Major Changes between the Draft and Final Discovery 2014 Announcements
of Opportunity
General Information:
| Solicitation Number: | NNH14ZDA004J |
| Posted Date: | October 6, 2014 |
| Release of AO: | Mid-October 2014 (target) |
| Proposal Due Date: | 90 days after release of AO |
| Recovery and Reinvestment Act Action: | No |
| Classification Code: | A Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology) |
| Issued by: | Science Mission Directorate, NASA |
| NAICS Code | 541712 |
| CFDA Number: | 43.001 Science |
On July 2, 2014, NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD) released a Draft Announcement of Opportunity (AO) for Discovery Program missions. A large number of questions and comments were received from the scientific community. SMD is now issuing information on anticipated major changes between the Draft and Final AOs based, in part, on these comments. Proposers should read the Final Discovery 2014 AO carefully when it is released.
Inclusion of a Classified Heritage Appendix:
In order to increase the capabilities of investigations proposed in response to the Discovery 2014 AO, while potentially minimizing the development and operations risks within the Principal Investigator (PI)-Managed Mission Cost, proposals will be able to include a Classified Proposal Appendix Regarding Heritage as in some recent SMD AOs.
Use of the Advanced Multi-Mission Operations System:
The language of Section 5.2.10, Mission Operations Tools and Services, will be modified in the Final AO to clarify that the use of the Advanced Multi-Mission Operations System (AMMOS) tools is not required. Proposers may elect to use mission or ground operations tools not part of the AMMOS. However, if a ground/operations system solution other than the AMMOS is proposed, a justification must be provided for this choice. It is expected that any mission operations tools or services to be developed by proposed investigations, as well as their sustaining engineering, will be described and budgeted in proposals.
Engineering Science Investigation on Entry, Descent, and Landing:
Section 5.8.1 and Requirement 24 of the Draft AO require investigations involving entry, descent, and landing (EDL) into the atmosphere of a Solar System object (including the Earth) to include an Engineering Science Investigation (ESI) to obtain diagnostic and technical data about vehicle performance and entry environments. It is anticipated that while the Final AO will contain similar language, and a description of the proposed implementation must still be contained in proposals, an estimated cost for the ESI will not be required. Details of the ESI will be negotiated with selected investigations during Phase A.
Clarification of the Exclusion of "Mission Operations" from the PI-Managed Cost Cap:
Planetary missions have a wide range of cruise-phase durations. In order to level the playing field between missions with different length cruises, the Draft AO specified (in Section 5.6.1) that the mission operations portion of Phase E would not be under the AO Cost Cap. It is anticipated that in the Final AO the excluded costs will be expanded to be all costs of Phases E and F, excluding the development of ground or flight system software and the development, fabrication, or refurbishment of test-beds. Software development and test-bed development, fabrication, or refurbishment will be considered deferred Phase D work and will be included under the AO Cost Cap.
Clarification of Rules Regarding Allocation of Returned Samples to Non-U.S. Partners:
NASA has long had a policy that in return for investment by non-U.S. partners in a mission that returns extraterrestrial materials, a proportionate fraction of the total returned sample may be forwarded to the national curatorial facility of the contributing country. The amount of samples so transferred is limited to 25% of the total returned. Any material allocated to non-U.S. partners during the preliminary examination period must be included in this 25% limitation. It is anticipated that the Final AO will specify that the amount of material contributed by the non-U.S. partner to the preliminary examination must also be in proportion to the size of the contribution from that partner to the Total Mission Cost minus any Student Collaboration incentive. Thus, a non-U.S. partner who contributes 15% to a sample return mission would be entitled to 15% of the returned sample. From that allocation, the non-U.S. partner would have to contribute 15% of the material used in the preliminary examination.
Clarification of the Evaluation of the Risk of NASA-Developed Technologies:
In Table 4 of the Draft AO, the "Evaluation of Risk" column for the Advanced Solar Arrays and the "green" propellant stated that these technologies "will be treated as commercial procurements from proven vendor(s)." It is anticipated that in the Final AO this text will be modified to clarify NASA's intent. Potential text is:
Will be treated as a commercial procurement of a mature product from a proven
vendor(s) in the same manner as any spacecraft component (where the mission
specific accommodation will be evaluated, but the basic design and performance,
i.e., technology readiness level, of the component itself is not evaluated nor
considered a risk).
Clarification of the Conjunction Assessment Risk Analysis Requirement:
Section 4.5.4 of the Draft AO stated that NPR 8715.6A, Section 3.4 would require Discovery missions to have conjunction assessment risk analyses performed. The requirement in NPR 8715.6A only applies to missions in certain orbits around the Earth, its Moon, and Mars. A CARA team at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is funded directly by NASA Headquarters to perform the actual analysis and risk assessment; the costs for these services need not be included in the proposed PI-Managed Mission Cost. Investigations to which NPR 8715.6A Section 3.4 is applicable will, though, have to spend project funds to establish a working interface between the Flight Operations Team and the CARA team to routinely share orbital ephemeris data and maneuver plans, and to perform any maneuver planning activities required for collision avoidance once on orbit. Estimates of how many maneuver-planning events may be required in a particular orbit regime are available from the CARA team.
For additional information, proposers may contact the Ms. Lauri Newman (Telephone: (301) 286-3155; E mail:lauri.k.newman@nasa.gov).
For information regarding CARA for the Moon and Mars, please contact Mr. Roby Wilson (Telephone: (818) 393-5301; E-mail:roby.s.wilson@jpl.nasa.gov).
Clarification of the Requirement for Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) of Flight Software:
The language in Section 4.5.1, "Independent Verification and Validation of Software," (IV&V) of the Draft AO was not clear on how an investigation should determine if independent verification and validation of software would be required. Per NPR 7150.2A, all Category 1 and Category 2 missions with a Payload Classification A or B require IV&V. Since past Discovery missions have been determined to be Category 2 missions (per NPR 7120.5E) with Class B or Class C payloads (per NPR 8705.4) it should be expected that proposed missions will be required to support independent verification and validation of software. The text of the Final AO will reflect this. The costs for IV&V will be outside of the cost cap.
Addition of a Requirement to Provide an Electronic Version of the Project Schedule:
To improve the ability of NASA to evaluate proposed schedules in the absence of detailed discussions with proposers, it is anticipate that a requirement to provide electronic versions of the schedules, in Microsoft Project format, will be added to the Final AO. This should not be construed to limit proposers' own discretion in the methods chosen to develop project schedules, although electronic versions of schedules will be required to minimally address the same items as those specified for project schedule foldouts described in AO Appendix B.
NASA has not approved the issuance of the Final Discovery AO and this notification does not obligate NASA to issue the AO and solicit proposals. Any costs incurred by prospective investigators in preparing submissions in response to this notification or the planned 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; Fax: (202) 358-3097; E-mail: michael.h.new@nasa.gov.
Click to Download Announcement in PDF
DRAFT ANNOUNCEMENT OF OPPORTUNITY DISCOVERY 2014
Synopsis - Jul 02, 2014
General Information
Contracting Office Address
Description
Point of Contact
Synopsis - Jul 02, 2014
General Information
Solicitation Number:NNH14ZDA009J
Posted Date:Jul 02, 2014
FedBizOpps Posted Date:Jul 02, 2014
Recovery and Reinvestment Act Action:No
Original Response Date:Jul 16, 2014
Current Response Date:Jul 16, 2014
Classification Code:A -- Research and Development
NAICS Code:541712
Posted Date:Jul 02, 2014
FedBizOpps Posted Date:Jul 02, 2014
Recovery and Reinvestment Act Action:No
Original Response Date:Jul 16, 2014
Current Response Date:Jul 16, 2014
Classification Code:A -- Research and Development
NAICS Code:541712
Contracting Office Address
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA Headquarters Acquisition Branch, Code 210.H, Greenbelt, MD 20771
Description
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Science Mission Directorate (SMD) is releasing a draft Announcement of Opportunity (AO) to solicit Principal Investigator (PI) led space science investigations for the Discovery Program. The draft text can be downloaded from the NSPIRES web page at https://nspires.nasaprs.com/ by selecting Solicitations and searching for Discovery 2014 or NNH14ZDA009J. Comments on this draft text are due to the point of contact below by July 16, 2014. It is anticipated that Step-1 proposals will be due late in calendar year 2014.
The goal of NASA's Discovery Program is to provide frequent flight opportunities for high quality, high value, focused, planetary science investigations that can be accomplished under a not to exceed cost cap.
The AO Cost Cap for a Discovery mission is $450M in Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 dollars, not including the cost of the Expendable Launch Vehicle (ELV) or any contributions. Any selected mission will launch no later than December 31, 2021.
Proposers should be aware of the following major changes in this AO from previous Discovery Program AOs. Foreign instrument contributions are now limited to one-third of the PI Managed Instrument Cost (the sum of the NASA costs for elements 4.0 (Science) and 5.0 (Payload) in the standard Work Breakdown Structure). A standard launch capability is offered as GFE. Higher performance or larger fairing will be charged to the PI Managed Mission Cost. Use of a lower than standard performance launch service will result in an increase in the AO Cost Cap. Mission operations in Phase E are no longer under the AO Cost Cap. Proposers are now required to use one of a short list of parametric cost models as a validation exercise and to report the input file and results in their submission. A variety of NASA developed technologies are available for infusion into missions. Mission of Opportunity investigations are not solicited through this AO.
This AO is based on SMD's Standard PI led Mission AO. In addition to the changes listed above, proposers should be aware of the following changes in this AO from the language in the Standard PI led Mission AO. Requirements 71 and B 52 have been added to require provision of parametric cost model input file(s), to provide the opportunity for additional proposed cost information, and to facilitate a more transparent evaluation of proposals. Requirements 22-24 and B-8 have been added to accommodate the possible additions of Technology Demonstration Options and the required Engineering Science Investigation.
In addition to the listed major changes, this AO incorporates a large number of additional changes relative to previous Discovery Program AOs, 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.
All comments and questions should be directed to the Lead Discovery Program Scientist, as designated below, by the comment due date given above. Comments are preferred in writing and may be sent by E-mail; the character string "Discovery 2014 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 Draft AO will be made available on the Discovery Program Acquisition website http://discovery.larc.nasa.gov .
The goal of NASA's Discovery Program is to provide frequent flight opportunities for high quality, high value, focused, planetary science investigations that can be accomplished under a not to exceed cost cap.
The AO Cost Cap for a Discovery mission is $450M in Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 dollars, not including the cost of the Expendable Launch Vehicle (ELV) or any contributions. Any selected mission will launch no later than December 31, 2021.
Proposers should be aware of the following major changes in this AO from previous Discovery Program AOs. Foreign instrument contributions are now limited to one-third of the PI Managed Instrument Cost (the sum of the NASA costs for elements 4.0 (Science) and 5.0 (Payload) in the standard Work Breakdown Structure). A standard launch capability is offered as GFE. Higher performance or larger fairing will be charged to the PI Managed Mission Cost. Use of a lower than standard performance launch service will result in an increase in the AO Cost Cap. Mission operations in Phase E are no longer under the AO Cost Cap. Proposers are now required to use one of a short list of parametric cost models as a validation exercise and to report the input file and results in their submission. A variety of NASA developed technologies are available for infusion into missions. Mission of Opportunity investigations are not solicited through this AO.
This AO is based on SMD's Standard PI led Mission AO. In addition to the changes listed above, proposers should be aware of the following changes in this AO from the language in the Standard PI led Mission AO. Requirements 71 and B 52 have been added to require provision of parametric cost model input file(s), to provide the opportunity for additional proposed cost information, and to facilitate a more transparent evaluation of proposals. Requirements 22-24 and B-8 have been added to accommodate the possible additions of Technology Demonstration Options and the required Engineering Science Investigation.
In addition to the listed major changes, this AO incorporates a large number of additional changes relative to previous Discovery Program AOs, 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.
All comments and questions should be directed to the Lead Discovery Program Scientist, as designated below, by the comment due date given above. Comments are preferred in writing and may be sent by E-mail; the character string "Discovery 2014 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 Draft AO will be made available on the Discovery Program Acquisition website http://discovery.larc.nasa.gov .
Point of Contact
Name: Dr Michael New
Title: Lead Discovery Program Scientist - SMD NASA HQs
Phone: 202-358-1766
Fax: 202-358-3097
Email: michael.h.new@nasa.gov
Title: Lead Discovery Program Scientist - SMD NASA HQs
Phone: 202-358-1766
Fax: 202-358-3097
Email: michael.h.new@nasa.gov
Community Announcement
Clarifications of NASA Discovery Program Draft Announcement of Opportunity
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To the Discovery 2014 Technology and Proposal Communities,
In the upcoming Discovery 2014 Announcement of Opportunity, NASA is considering offering as Government Furnished Equipment a number of NASA-developed technologies. In preparation for this, NASA’s Science Mission Directorate and Space Technology Mission Directorate are co-hosting a “Technology Workshop”. The goal of this event is to educate the potential proposing community on each technology being offered and inform how each technology will be supported to the proposal team.
All interested parties may attend. All expenses and arrangements for attending this meeting are the responsibility of the attendees. Note that travel and associated costs of attendance are not allowable as direct costs under another federal Government award, e.g., a contract, grant, or cooperative agreement. Government employees may attend and be authorized travel and associated costs as a matter of official business.
This is the final announcement for the meeting to be held on Wednesday, April 9, 2014 from 8:00AM to 6:30PM at the One Washington Circle Hotel. The hotel is one block north of Foggy Bottom Metro Station on the Blue or Orange Lines.
The workshop will be divided into two sections: briefings on each technology offering in the morning and the opportunity for small-group meetings in the afternoon. In order to reach the widest audience possible, each briefing will also webcast. Webcast and telecom details are located below. The final agenda is now posted, including scheduled one-on-ones with the technologies for those who RSVP’d by last Friday’s deadline. Additional time slots for one-on-one either in-person or via telecom will be available to be scheduled the day of.
Thank you in advance for helping to support the 2014 Discovery Announcement of Opportunity and advance the use of new technologies for space science.
Sincerely,
Leonard A. Dudzinski
Planetary Science Division Chief Technologist
Science Mission Directorate
Michael H. New
Discovery Program Lead Scientist
Science Mission Directorate
Ryan Stephan
Program Executive, Game Changing Development Program
Space Technology Mission Directorate
Discovery Technology Workshop, Washington, DC, April 9, 2014
Location and Phone #:
One Washington Circle, N.W.
Washington, DC 20037
202-872-1680
Adobe Connect: Go to, http://connect.arc.nasa.gov/techday2014
Teleconference Number: 1-888-455-8219, Participant Passcode: 55355
| Meridian Room General Session 1-888-455-8219 Passcode:55355 |
Room 110 Lobby Level 1-888-455-8219 Passcode:33560 |
Room 109 Lobby Level 1-888-455-8219 Passcode:15434 |
Crescent Room Lobby Level 1-888-455-8219 Passcode:27117 |
Solicitation Number:NNH14ZDA004J Notice Type:Sources Sought
Synopsis:
Added: Feb 19, 2014 10:51 am
NASAs Science Mission Directorate (SMD) is releasing this Community Announcement for a Draft Announcement of Opportunity (AO) for Discovery Program missions by May 2014. The Discovery Program conducts Principal Investigator (PI)-led space science investigations in SMDs planetary programs under a not-to-exceed cost cap. It is anticipated that approximately two to three Discovery investigations will be selected for nine-month, $3M (RY) 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 MOs are now solicited through the Stand Alone Mission of Opportunity Notice (SALMON) AO. Discovery Program investigations must address NASAs planetary science objectives as described in 2014 NASA Strategic Plan and the 2014 NASA Science Plan. Both of these documents will be publicly released following the submission of the FY 2015 budget to Congress.
Investigations may focus on any body in the Solar System, excluding the Earth and the Sun. Investigations may not focus on the identification or characterization of extra-solar planetary systems.
Discovery Program investigations may propose activities that have the potential to broaden the scientific impact of investigations as optional Science Enhancement Options (SEOs). SEOs include, but are not limited to, guest investigator programs, general observer programs, participating scientist programs, interdisciplinary scientist programs, and archival data analysis programs. Discovery Program investigations may also propose Technology Demonstration Opportunities (TDOs) to demonstrate new capabilities. TDO proposals, like Science Enhancement Opportunities (SEOs), are funded outside of the cost cap and may possibly not be selected even if the parent mission is selected for flight.
Discovery Program investigations involving entry, descent, and landing (EDL) into the atmosphere of a Solar System object (including the Earth) shall include an Engineering Science Activity, to be funded outside of the cost cap, to obtain diagnostic and technical data about vehicle performance and entry environments. Details of the goals and objectives of this activity will be posted on the Discovery Program Acquisition Website (discovery.larc.nasa.gov) in the Program Library.
The schedule for fueling of radioisotope power systems (RPSs) cannot be met in time for the expected launch window of Discovery 2014 investigations. Therefore, Discovery Program investigations may not propose the use of RPSs. Proposed investigations may include the use of radioactive sources for science instruments and the use of radioisotope heater units (RHUs).
NASA is considering providing additional technologies as Government-Furnished Equipment (GFE). Currently under consideration is a commercially produced version of the NASA Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT) ion propulsion system (two flight model power processing units and two thrusters). Also under consideration is the Heat Shield for Extreme Entry Environment Technology (HEEET) a woven Thermal Protection System.
NASA is also considering requiring all investigations to carry a Deep Space Laser Communications (DSLO) package, to be provided as GFE. Given the success of the Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration (LLCD) on the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer mission, a demonstration of laser communications from deep space is a high priority for NASA.
Decisions on the three technologies described above, or any other technologies (e.g., Deep Space Atomic Clock, Advanced Solar Arrays), will be made before the release of a draft AO.
Launch Vehicle costs and procurement will be the responsibility of NASA. Launch vehicle standard services will be provided as GFE and the cost will not be included in the cost cap. The cost of mission specific and special launch services, including the use of radioisotope heating units (RHUs), is the responsibility of the PI and must be included within the cost cap. NASA is reviewing the possibility of offering options for different launch vehicle capabilities and their impact on the cost cap.
The constraint that the value of foreign contributions must not exceed one-third of the PI-Managed Mission Cost has been modified: the total value of foreign contributions may still not exceed one-third of the PI-Managed Mission Cost and the value of foreign contributions to the science payload may not exceed one-third of the total payload cost.
Investigations are capped at a Phase A-D cost of $450M (FY 2015), excluding standard launch services. The now-standard 25% minimum reserve on Phases A-D will be required within the cost cap. Operations costs (Phase E) are not included in the cost cap, but will be evaluated for reasonableness. Lower-cost investigations and cost-efficient operations are encouraged.
The time frame for the solicitation is intended to be:
Release of draft AO May 2014 (target) Release of final AO September 2014 (target) Preproposal conference ~3 weeks after final AO release Proposals due 90 days after AO release Selection for competitive Phase A studies May 2015 (target) Concept study reports due April 2016 (target) Down-selection October 2016 (target) Launch readiness date NLT December 31, 2021
The Draft Discovery AO will be based on the Standard PI-led Mission AO Template available at http://soma.larc.nasa.gov/standardao/sao_templates.html. Proposers should read the Draft 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. Any costs incurred by prospective investigators in preparing submissions in response to this notification or the planned 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, Planetary Science Division, Science Mission Directorate, NASA, Washington, DC 20546; Tel.: (202) 358-1766; Email: michael.h.new@nasa.gov.
Additional Info:
Click here for the latest information about this notice
Contracting Office Address:
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA Headquarters Acquisition Branch, Code210.H, Greenbelt, MD 20771
Point of Contact(s):
Dr Michael New, Planetary Science Division, Phone 202-358-1766, Fax 202-358-3097, Email michael.h.new@nasa.gov
Dr Michael New