NASA Goddard Space Center awarded a definitive contract to the Regents of the University of Michigan for the Magnetospheric Auroral Asymmetry Explorer (MAAX) mission on May 23, 2024, with a ceiling value of $11,086,877.45 under cost-no-fee pricing and no set-aside.
Work is performed at the University of Michigan's Office of Research and Sponsored Projects in Ann Arbor, MI. The originating solicitation, issued under the Heliophysics Explorers Program 2022 Small Explorer Announcement of Opportunity, funds Phase A activities including concept study report (CSR) development, mission system engineering, spacecraft design, telemetry, and mission operations center planning. The ultimate completion date is December 31, 2025.
Southwest Research Institute provides mission system engineering, spacecraft design, telemetry, mission operations center design, and mission management support, including hosting the MAAX site visit and staffing management, system engineering, safety and mission assurance, spacecraft, and mission operations teams should the mission proceed to Phase B-Bridge development. The Regents of the University of California at Berkeley provides support for the MAAX Ultraviolet Imager (MUVI) instrument design and Phase A deliverables.