Next generation relay support statement of work NASA gsfc exploration and space communications projects division code 450 is soliciting information on price availability and feasibility of…

This is a cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order contract awarded by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center to The Aerospace Corporation, a non-profit federally funded research and development center. The contract provides systems engineering, operations, and technical management support for the development of the Next Generation Relay payload, which will serve as an operational optical relay satellite for low Earth orbit spacecraft. The Next Generation Relay is a Category 1, Class C program with a 5-year design life, intended to be launched either as a hosted payload or a standalone mission. The $449,110.63 contract supports payload and spacecraft systems management, systems engineering, and specialized engineering services. The Aerospace Corporation has a broad portfolio of technical services for NASA, the Department of Defense, and other government agencies across civil, defense, and commercial space initiatives.

Next generation relay support statement of work NASA gsfc exploration and space communications projects division code 450 is soliciting information on price availability and feasibility of implementation of the concepts for the follow on to the laser communications relay demonstration lcrd. This follow-on has been designated as the next generation relay payload. The next generation relay payload will fly aboard a separate spacecraft that is being solicited in another RFI. IT will fly in geosynchronous orbit at a longitude close to that of the space network SN NASA white sands complex WSC. Next generation relay payload is a category 1 class c program per NPR 8705.4 with a 5 year design life. The basic concept of operations is shown in figure 1. IT will act as an optical relay satellite for low earth orbit LEO optical-capable spacecraft. IT will also have GEO GEO optical capability to provide crosslinks to other optical relay spacecraft that will be launched as follow on spacecraft. The next generation relay payload is an operational system not a demonstration. The goal is a payload that can be flown as either a hosted payload rideshare launch or standalone launch. Design selections made for the next generation relay will impact design of a future user optical communications terminals. In order to assure the success of the next generation relay development gsfc requires systems engineering operations and technical management support staff from the aerospace corporation as well as specialized engineering support services for technical and science developments in support of instrument and bus procurement integration testing and anomaly investigation activities. Aerospace shall provide the following support to the next generation relay flight project as described below payload spacecraft systems management aerospace shall provide payload/spacecraft systems management services to the next generation relay flight project. These services will include but are not limited to managing and monitoring spacecraft and payload teams. The support will include participating in progress meetings design reviews reviewing plans and procedures assisting in problem resolution evaluating compliance with NASA technical standards and providing oversight and management necessary to keep the developments on schedule. Aerospace will also assist in the management of procurement activities contract mods task orders CCB and risk board activities and ensure the milestone reviews are conducted in accordance with NASA policy and standards. This support will require occasional travel to multiple contractor government and university college facilities. Systems engineering aerospace shall provide systems engineering services to the next generation relay flight project. These services will include support for but are not limited to the technical management this support will include monitoring the requirements definition technical planning technical control technical assessments and technical decision analysis. Aerospace will participate in design reviews test readiness reviews anomaly boards parts material boards etc reviewing plans and procedures assisting in problem resolution and reviewing test data for specification compliance. Additionally the support will require evaluating compliance with NASA technical standards conducting trade studies in support of instrument accommodation risk processes assisting with configuration change process for instruments and test readiness reviews etc. This support will require occasional travel to multiple contractor government and university college facilities. Engineering aerospace shall provide engineering services as requested to assist in trade studies modeling and anomaly resolution. Additionally aerospace may be required to evaluate specific hardware software performance items including but not limited to contamination optical components thermal coatings electronics parts and mechanisms.