B669436_ARACHNE Spacecraft Bus RFI_FINAL.pdf

Unclassified//Unlimited Distribution

Document release number: LLNL-MI-2003215

ARACHNE Spacecraft Bus Selection Request for Information (RFI) and Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM)

Purpose:

This request is for an RFI and ROM which Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC (LLNS) will use for planning purposes only. This is not a Request for Proposal (RFP) nor is there any promise or guarantee that an RFP will be released in the future.

Background:

LLNS is participating in a competitive proposal development effort for a mission opportunity with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Astrophysics Small Satellite Explorers (SMEX) Program. The anticipated program structure will be for the selected vendor to co-engineer a spacecraft to accommodate a technology readiness level (TRL) 6 LLNS-provided telescope and ultimately deliver an integrated observatory to a launch services provider for launch. The observatory operations will be provided by a 3rd party and are not a part of this ROM request.

LLNS requests Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) estimates for a spacecraft bus provider to support LLNS’ proposal to NASA in June/July of 2025, with an anticipated but not guaranteed competitive solicitation for a firm-fixed-price subcontract in early calendar year (CY) 2026 if LLNS’ proposal is selected to move forward by NASA. If LLNS is successful, the expected timeline for an initial (funded) study phase will likely be in CY 2026 and full rate production would begin in CY 2027 for three (to be reviewed) spacecraft and the associated payload to spacecraft integration and testing of the LLNS-provided payload. Note the payload development is outside the scope of this RFI; however, the selected spacecraft vendor is expected to make the engineering modifications necessary to host the LLNS payload in their spacecraft bus.

RFI Details:

The primary area of interest for this RFI includes:

• Boresight stability is the most important technical performance value for the program and is anticipated to be the driving discriminant for bus selection.

Respondents are encouraged to pay special attention to the specification details around boresight stability and offer their proposed best technical solutions to meeting the goal and threshold values for stability.

Assumptions:

1) The mission is assumed to be inserted into a 700km sun synchronous orbit, with all spacecraft to be launched on a single launch vehicle, and the spacecraft providing necessary propulsion for orbit phasing (roughly equidistant in the launch plane) and de-orbit at end of life. No other station-keeping or fuel allowance is currently planned;

however, NASA is evaluating imposing a requirement for some small number of collision-avoidance maneuvers (less than five) over the lifetime of the two-year mission. There are no specific constraints on the type of propulsion system proposed, other than an expectation that it meet general commercial launch safety standards.

2) LLNS and its partners are currently undergoing an exercise to determine whether this mission should be supported by two or three spacecraft, in either case the nominal mission is defined with all of the spacecraft launching and operating simultaneously.

3) It is assumed that this system will likely only be compatible with an Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) Secondary Payload Adapter (ESPA) Grande-class bus due to anticipated system mass, but LLNS is open to responses that demonstrate the ability to work within a standard ESPA bus.

4) The LLNS-provided telescope is 45cm clear aperture diameter from a previous LLNS program and is anticipated to go through a partial re-development effort to customize it for this mission.

5) The mission is anticipated to have a 2-month on-orbit initialization period, followed by 24 months (minimum) mission duration, with the possibility of future operations if funding allows for it.

6) The spacecraft will utilize a to be determined (TBD) commercial communications provider for both uplink and downlink.

7) The LLNS-provided telescope system will have contamination-sensitive components, and the integration needs to be performed in an International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 7 or better (TBR) cleanroom. LLNS can accommodate some deviations from this facility requirement if necessary, and on a case-by-case basis.

8) Vendors may make use of lower-tier subcontractors for some amount of design, manufacturing, assembly, integration and test.

9) ROMs should be inclusive of all necessary ground support equipment, handling and lifting equipment, special test equipment necessary to integrate and deliver the LLNS payload onto the vendor’s spacecraft bus and demonstrate its readiness for launch.

ROMs should also be inclusive of all necessary spacecraft subsystems (to be provided and integrated by the vendor) customarily needed to operate on-orbit [including, but not limited to: solar panels, star trackers, batteries, GNC (guidance navigation and control) system, flight software, data storage, communications antennae, thermal control, etc.].

10) Vendors shall assume there will be an ethernet-based communication protocol between the LLNS-provided payload and spacecraft.

11) Vendors shall assume the need for some TBD number of heaters and thermistors on the LLNS-provided payload that the vendor will integrate, provide power, and closed-loop thermal control.

Requested Information Vendors shall provide the following information in their submittals:

Cost Estimate:

1) For the above requested ROM, please provide separate pricing for the delivery of one, two, and three spacecraft. The ROMs shall include the following in the estimated cost:

a. Non-recurring engineering (NRE) and recurring engineering (RE) phase for the program, with an expected duration of 48 months after receipt of order (ARO) to launch, and approximately 11 months for payload to space vehicle integration and testing for all spacecraft vehicles (concurrently).

b. The ROM should be inclusive of typical program milestone events such as System Requirements Review, Preliminary Design Review, Critical Design Review, Test Readiness Review, Pre-ship review, Launch Vehicle Integration, and two months of on-orbit initialization support.

c. End-Item Data Packages (EIDPs) for component level and higher will be required deliverables.

d. Subcontractor and LLNS teleconferences shall be held every other week for technical discussions to keep both parties up to date on the status, issues, and schedule status of the project.

e. The Subcontractor shall provide support for launch vehicle integration (CONUS, one-week nominal LVI operations plus one week of contingency operations). The support shall include the following:

i. Preparing Observatory for launch at Subcontractor location prior to shipment to launch site (e.g. MLB install and battery charging)

ii. Receiving Observatory at launch site

iii. Unpacking Mechanical Ground Support Equipment (MGSE) and

Observatory from shipping containers

iv. Connecting Launch Services Provider (LSP) provided purge to

Observatory using LLNS provided hardware

v. Performing Remove Before Flight (RBF) and Install Before Flight (IBF) operations, as required

vi. Vertical or horizontal mechanical integration of Observatory to LV-

Payload interface in coordination with LSP

Technical Write-Up:

1) ROMs shall include the following estimates: maximum payload mass, volume, orbital average power available to the payload, and downlink capability.

2) A Master Equipment List which includes a spreadsheet style list with first-order mass estimates for the granular sub-systems of the spacecraft. This is necessary to comply with NASA cost-estimation tools.

3) A summary of the vendor’s spacecraft integration and test facilities with the achievable ISO cleanliness levels.

4) A brief description of what portions of the design, hardware, integration and test activities are anticipated to be done at the vendor’s facility or at a lower-tier subcontractor.

5) The vendor shall indicate planning for Earned Value Management (EVM) consistent with the NASA Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Supplement (NFS) and NASA Procedural Requirements (NPR) 7120.5 applicable to the project cost structure, and in all cases, no lower than the best practices referenced in the Guidance and Expectations for Small Category 3, Risk Classification D (Cat3/ClassD) Space Flight Projects with Life-Cycle Cost Under $150M.

6) Any relevant information regarding previous electro-optical missions that have previously flown, spacecraft heritage and capabilities, or any other information deemed relevant to determining the best value of a spacecraft.