Definitive Contract NNL10AA18C

NASA IS EXPLORING OPPORTUNITIES TO ENHANCE AVIATION SAFETY WHILE ALSO MAINTAINING FULL AVIATION SYSTEM CAPACITY UNDER ALL LEVELS OF VISIBILITY. KEY TO ACHIEVING THESE SIMULTANEOUS GOALS IS THE ABILITY TO PROVIDE VERIFIED SITUATION AWARENESS TO THE COCKPIT IN THE AIRPORT AREA UNDER ALL VISIBILITY CONDITIONS. THE LASER IMAGING THROUGH OBSCURANTS (LITO) SYSTEM DEVELOPED BY RL ASSOCIATES, INC., IS THE FOCUS OF THIS EFFORT. THE SYSTEM CONCEPT DEVELOPED AND DEMONSTRATED DURING PHASE I AND II EFFORTS SHOWED THE POTENTIAL FOR THIS SYSTEM TO MEET THE CRITICAL NASA AND NEXTGEN NEEDS FOR THIS CAPABILITY. THIS WORK EXTENDS RL ASSOCIATES SBIR EXPERTISE TO DEFINE SYSTEM CAPABILITIES AND LIMITATIONS TO PROVIDE LITO CAPABILITIES UNDER SPECIFIC METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. OBJECTIVES: TO SUPPORT THIS INITIATIVE, NASA REQUIRES THE CONTRACTOR TO 2.1 EXPERIMENTAL I: DETERMINE SYSTEM CAPABILITIES IN OBSCURANT CONDITIONS IN A LABORATORY SETTING. 2.2 MODELING: IMPROVE/EXPAND MODEL DEVELOPED IN PHASE I PROJECT. VALIDATE MODEL THROUGH COMPARISON TO EXPERIMENTAL OBSERVATION. QUANTIFY UNCERTAINTIES IN MODEL INPUTS AND DEFINE LIMITS OF OPERATING SPACE. 2.3 DESIGN STUDY: USE REVISED MODEL TO INDICATE HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS TO MEET PERFORMANCE TARGETS PROVIDED BY SPONSORS. 2.4 EXPERIMENTAL II: ASSESS SYSTEM CAPABILITIES IN WELL-CHARACTERIZED REDUCED VISIBILITY WEATHER CONDITIONS, EITHER NATURALLY OCCURRING OR CREATED IN A QUANTIFIED FIELD ENVIRONMENT. TASK REQUIREMENTS THE CONTRACTOR SHALL: DETERMINE SYSTEM CAPABILITIES IN WELL-CHARACTERIZED OBSCURANT CONDITIONS IN A LABORATORY SETTING. DELIVER AN INFORMAL REPORT DOCUMENTING THE RESULTS OF THIS EFFORT. IMPROVE/EXPAND/VALIDATE MODEL DEVELOPED IN PHASE I PROJECT. DELIVER VALIDATED MODEL TOGETHER WITH INFORMAL REPORT QUANTIFYING THE MODEL INPUTS, ASSUMPTIONS, AND LIMITS OF OPERATING SPACE. APPLY MODEL DEVELOPED UNDER 3.2 TO DEFINE LITO SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS AND NEXT-GENERATION SYSTEM DESIGN. DELIVER AN INFORMAL REPORT DOCUMENTING THE SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS AND DESIGN OF NEXT GENERATION LITO SYSTEM. EXPERIMENTALLY ASSESS SYSTEM CAPABILITIES IN WELL-CHARACTERIZED REDUCED VISIBILITY WEATHER CONDITIONS. DELIVER AN INFORMAL REPORT DOCUMENTING THE PLAN TO MEET THE TASK REQUIREMENTS. DELIVER AN INFORMAL REPORT DOCUMENTING THE RESULTS OF THIS TASK. DELIVER AND PRESENT A FINAL REPORT DOCUMENTING THE RESULTS OF THESE EFFORTS AND PRESENTING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF THE LITO SYSTEM CONCEPT. DELIVER A DOCUMENTED COPY OF DATA FROM EXPERIMENTAL TESTS. WITH THE CONCURRENCE OF THE NASA COTR, MAINTAIN AND ADAPT THE LITO SYSTEM DEVELOPED UNDER THE RLA PHASE II EFFORT IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THE OBJECTIVES 2.1 AND 2.4. DATA/DELIVERABLES . MONTHLY - INFORMAL EMAIL STATUS REPORTS FOR INCLUSION IN PROJECT MONTHLY REPORT. AS NEEDED - INTERIM CONFERENCING FOR TECHNICAL INTERCHANGE. START + 3 MONTHS - INFORMAL REPORT FOR TASK 3.1 START + 6 MONTHS - INFORMAL REPORT FOR TASK 3.2 START + 9 MONTHS - INFORMAL REPORT FOR TASK 3.3 START + 10 MONTHS - INFORMAL REPORT FOR TASK 3.4 PLAN START + 14 MONTHS - INFORMAL REPORT FOR TASK 3.4 RESULTS START + 16 MONTHS - DELIVER TEST DATA AND DELIVER AND PRESENT FINAL REPORT CONTRACT MANAGEMENT TECHNICAL MONITOR THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS WILL PERFORM DUTIES AS A TECHNICAL MONITOR: IVAN O. CLARK, MAIL STOP 473, HAMPTON, VA 23681-2199; (757) 864-1500; IVAN.O.CLARK@NASA.GOV. DUTY INFORMATION PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: THE PLACE OF PERFORMANCE WILL BE THE CONTRACTOR LOCATION, WITH TWO TRIPS PLANNED FOR MEETINGS AT LARC. TASK 3.4 WILL BE CONDUCTED AT FIELD LOCATIONS IN THE PHILADELPHIA AREA AND AT WALLOPS FLIGHT FACILITY TO BE AGREED UPON IN ADVANCE WITH NASA.