Wide field infrared survey telescope (wfirst) coronagraph the contract is the sponsoring agreement between the national aeronautics and space administration (NASA) and the california institute of…

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), operated by the California Institute of Technology as a Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC), was awarded a delivery order contract on October 1, 2018, with a ceiling value of $391.5 million and an ultimate completion date of January 31, 2027. This cost-plus-fixed-fee contract supports development of the Roman Space Telescope Coronagraph (Roman-CGI), a critical instrument for NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope mission. The work will be performed in Pasadena, California, with no set-aside designation applied to the award. JPL's primary responsibility under this contract involves designing, developing, and delivering the coronagraph instrument that will enable the Roman Space Telescope to directly image and characterize exoplanets and study the nature of dark energy through wide-field infrared observations.

This award falls under NASA's Science Mission Directorate portfolio and leverages JPL's extensive capabilities in spacecraft systems engineering, advanced instrumentation design, and space mission development. The coronagraph is a sophisticated optical instrument that will serve as one of the Roman Space Telescope's key scientific payloads, requiring cutting-edge technology development in areas such as wavefront sensing and control, starlight suppression, and precision optical systems. As the prime contractor, JPL will supply the scientific and technical expertise necessary to support this astrophysics mission while fostering collaborative relationships with the broader university and research communities in advancing NASA's objectives in space science.

Wide field infrared survey telescope (wfirst) coronagraph the contract is the sponsoring agreement between the national aeronautics and space administration (NASA) and the california institute of technology (contractor), a private nonprofit educational institution, which establishes the relationship for the operation of the federally funded research and development center (ffrdc) known as the jet propulsion laboratory. The contractor, JPL, is required to perform work that is designated in task orders issued by the NASA management office (NMO) contracting officers. NASA - sponsored work: JPL's primary mission is to support the NASA science mission directorate (SMD) in carrying out the specific objectives identified in the SMD science plan. The four broad scientific areas are: earth science, planetary science, heliophysics, and astrophysics. In performance of this contract, JPL shall: 1) supply a broad base of scientific and technical capabilities relevant to NASA program and project responsibilities and assignments. 2) foster its unique relationship with a top-tier university to facilitate the involvement of scientists, engineers, and students from the university and research communities in NASA mission and in supporting other government agencies. 3) support NASA in enabling program and institutional capabilities. 4) develop spacecraft and instruments that are sent to various destinations with our solar system, including earth orbit, planets, planetary satellites, asteroids, and comets. These missions may be orbiters, landers, or rovers, and typically include cutting-edge technologies required to meet scientific requirements. 5) perform project tasks involving: (i) autonomous deep-space, inner-space and earth-orbiting spacecraft or major subsystems, (II) experiments, instruments, or other devices which may be carried as payload on spacecrafts in missions managed by others, and/or (III) ground-based systems. 6) beyond its primary mission, JPL may perform work for other NASA mission directorates or offices. 7) JPL is also responsible for the operation, research, technology insertion, and management of NASA s deep space network to provide telecommunication and operation services, including data acquisition and data delivery required to meet established agency objectives. 8) JPL is also required to maintain and conduct an education program in close coordination with the NASA headquarters education office, the academic community at large, and in support to NASA strategic objectives to improve student retention in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (stem) disciplines. Work for non-NASA sponsors: JPL may perform work for non-NASA sponsors. This work will be designated in task orders issued by NMO contracting officers based on task plans initiated by the contractor.