- ONE OF THE DISCIPLINES THAT THE SPACE MISSION ANALYSIS BRANCH (SMAB) HAS BEEN CULTIVATING IN RECENT YEARS IS THE AREA OF COST AND AFFORDABILITY ANALYSIS. AS WITH MANY DISCIPLINES, SMAB APPROACHES THIS AREA FROM A SYSTEMS ANALYSIS PERSPECTIVE THAT AIMS TO UNDERSTAND AND EVALUATE THE FEASIBILITY OF VARIOUS CONCEPTUAL DESIGNS. INSTEAD OF FOCUSING ON SYSTEMS ENGINEERING ASPECTS SUCH AS PROJECT MILESTONE SCHEDULING, REQUIREMENTS TRACKING, OR DETAILED HARDWARE DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS, SYSTEMS ANALYSIS AIMS TO CONCEPTUALIZE HOW THE NEW DESIGN CAN FIT WITHIN MISSION NEEDS, FUNDING CONSTRAINTS, AND ACCEPTABLE RISK MARGINS. IN SUPPORT OF NASA S HUMAN EXPLORATION AND OPERATIONS MISSION DIRECTORATE (HEOMD), SMAB PROVIDES AFFORDABILITY ANALYSES AND INDEPENDENT COST ESTIMATES AS REQUESTED. THE FOLLOWING STATED TASK ORDER ADDRESSES ACTUAL CONTRACTOR SUPPORT TO GENERATING INDEPENDENT COST ESTIMATES. INDEPENDENT COST ESTIMATING SUPPORT REFERENCE SOW ELEMENT 3.7 - TO ASSIST SACD/SMAB IN PROVIDING INDEPENDENT COST ESTIMATING SUPPORT TO HEO MD, THE CONTRACTOR SHALL PERFORM AND PROVIDE HIGH LEVEL INDEPENDENT COST ESTIMATES FOR TEN CONCEPTUAL SYSTEMS, INCLUSIVE OF HARDWARE COSTS, AND APPROPRIATE CIVIL SERVANT SUPPORT COSTS. THE ESTIMATES SHALL INCLUDE PROGRAMMATIC COSTS SUCH AS FEES AND RESERVES. INDIVIDUAL ICE GROUNDRULES AND ASSUMPTIONS WILL BE PROVIDED BY THE GOVERNMENT AND WILL INCLUDE DIRECTION TO USE QUANTIFIED UNCERTAINTY TO DERIVE ICE RESERVE LEVELS, HISTORICAL ANALOGY DATAPOINTS FOR ESTIMATING PURPOSES, AND VARIOUS SCHEDULE ASSUMPTIONS. IN ADDITION, THE CONTRACTOR SHALL PROVIDE COST ESTIMATES FOR EIGHT LAUNCH VEHICLE CONFIGURATIONS THAT WILL BE PROVIDED BY THE GOVERNMENT.