CommercialCore_RFI_v4.pdf

DRAFT

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)

Topic Area: Antenna Marketplace

Aug 30, 2024

RFI Sponsor: Lt Col Brian Kester, USSF SSC/BCT

Technical POC: Ms Katie Feistel (Aerospace Corp), USSF SSC/BCT

Cover Page

DRAFT v4 6 SEP 24

Table of Contents

1.0 Description

2.0 RFI Objective

2.1 THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY

3.0 Background

3.1 Government Reference Concept

3.2 Security Requirements

4.0 Requested Information

4.1 Terminology for Section 4.0

5.0 Responses

5.1 RFI Response

5.2 RFI Response Requirements

5.3 White Paper Response – Section 1 Structure

5.3.1 Delivery requirements

5.3.2 Non-Disclosure Agreements

5.3.3 Business Type

5.4 White Paper Response – Section 2 Structure

6.0 Industry Discussions

7.0 Questions

8.0 Summary

1.0 Description

USSF seeks to develop and deploy a global framework for connecting satellite ground entry points with cloud data centers and other user nodes for dynamic, real-time satellite command and control.

The sponsoring organization envisions a flexible marketplace model that facilitates adaptive scheduling of contacts and data transport workloads globally to and from antenna locations with available apertures. This RFI is focused on obtaining information on specific capabilities that can enable near term implementation of critical functions foundational to an antenna marketplace outlined in the Government Reference Concept. It is expected that these functions, as described in the RFI, can provide scalable pathways to the end state model that services the requirements of the USSF Enterprise.

2.0 RFI Objective

The objective of this Request For Information (RFI) is to capture industry concepts to inform a competition for the prototyping, development, and fielding of a USSF antenna marketplace. This RFI seeks specific descriptions of solution strategies to the functional requirements outlined below.

2.1 THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY

This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes – it does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue an RFP in the future. This request for information does not commit the Government to contract for any supply or service whatsoever. Further, the USSF is not at this time seeking proposals and will not accept unsolicited proposals. Respondees are advised that the U.S. Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this RFI; all costs associated with responding to this RFI will be solely at the interested party’s expense. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future RFP, if any is issued. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on the SAM.org website It is the responsibility of the potential offerors to monitor these sites for additional information pertaining to this requirement.

3.0 Background

3.1 Government Reference Concept

The USSF has been exploring potential solution strategies to bring commercially available antenna capabilities to DoD users through an antenna marketplace. A firm is determined to be commercial if a firm’s deployment of assets and/or services whose primary development and sustainment costs are derived from intended or actual commerce with non-DoD organizations.

These are capabilities that USSF seeks to leverage on a consumption cost basis.

Below are two initial reference concepts for consideration.

Figure 1: Single Marketplace Concept

Figure 2: Federated Marketplace Concept

The following are characteristics of the Reference Concept Model:

● The antenna marketplace could exist as a single or federated model.

● GEPs may include antennas that are (1) dedicated, government-owned and operated, (2) dedicated, contractor-owned and operated, or (3) contractor-owned and operated that provide on-demand capacity utilization and potentially also service commercial space. USSF is looking to contract for a diversity of GEPs that reach LEO, MEO, and GEO.

● Signal Processing Electronics will be collocated with antennas to digitize RF to IP.

● Zero Trust principals provide a cyber-secure layer of protection between mission infrastructure and antenna providers.

● A resilient global data transport will be required to connect the diversity of GEPs made available to USSF, and will feature the following traits:

o Data transported on the network will be appropriately encrypted to travel on black

(unclassified) network links.

o Managed, controlled, and monitored through a Network Operations Center, that also provides network status information to the GSO.

● Cross Domain Interfaces will be required to connect to Classified Data Centers.

● The Ground System Orchestrator (GSO), is envisioned as one or multiple hosted software applications designed to maximize flexibility, extensibility, and security that performs the following functions:

̶ Aggregation of workload demand requirements across USSF missions and enterprise.

̶ Aggregation of antenna system capabilities.

̶ Situational awareness of network and aperture status.

̶ Situational awareness of operational factors, to include RF deconfliction, Space

Weather and other environmental states that could impact workload execution.

̶ Priority-optimized scheduling of operational workloads to a diverse mix of network connections and aperture that can accommodate changing, dynamic space mission environments and priorities.

̶ Any translation required to schedule across different antenna provider interfaces.

̶ Interface with a scheduler existing at a higher classification level.

● The Antenna Broker would likely be responsible for:

̶ Managing 3rd party antennas contracts and performance ̶ Integration of 3rd party commercial and designated government antennas ̶ Managing dynamic, operational workload requests to/from commercial antennas routed to and through the GSO.

3.2 Security Requirements

Responses are to remain unclassified. Respondents may, in their responses, choose to clearly enumerate their desire to submit supplementary information at a classified level. Such requests may or may not be addressed by the Government.

4.0 Requested Information

While the reference concept model enumerated in Section 3.0 highlights one possible approach to a commercial antenna brokerage, USSF is looking for vendor insights into augmented or alternative concepts and designs. Specifically, vendors are encouraged to provide responses to the following in as much detail as possible:

How would you design a commercial antenna brokerage for USSF, capable of providing satellite C2 in the face of dynamic space environments and operational needs?

How would the GSO manage scheduled commercial antenna workload costs (centrally funded, user funded, pay as you go, pay in advance, etc)? What are some potential economic models?

Where should security boundaries lie in the system? Where would data encryption/decryption occur? How would you approach CDS?

How would you build the architecture of the antenna marketplace in order to maintain as low of a classification level as possible and drive flexibility and extensibility such that new GEPs can be onboarded quickly?

Which functions of the GSO should be hosted at which security levels?

How would you instantiate Zero Trust principles in your concept?

How would you recommend contracting 3rd party antennas to be included in the brokerage?

How should the government leverage commercial CSP-owned fiber networks for data transport?

What role would the Cloud have in your architecture? How would you contract with Cloud Service Providers for their services? (Cloud vs. Hybrid Cloud vs Edge)

What elements are missing from the proposed government reference concept model?

How could the government move quickly on this effort? How could the whole effort move quickly?

What are your key concerns with this approach?

o How would you mitigate these concerns?

4.1 Terminology for Section 4.0

Antennas – systems that are used to transmit and receive RF signals to and from orbiting satellites, with specific technical performance characteristics including signal frequency and waveform compatibilities and associated ground processing electronics used to capture, process and transport data packets to and from networks.

Apertures – refer to available antenna capacity in time, location, and technical capability.

Antenna Broker– entity responsible for managing antenna connections into the ground system framework and execution of workload routing.

Cross Domain Solution - integrated information assurance system comprised of specialized software-hardware systems that make secure access and exchange of sensitive data possible across security domains.

Ground System Orchestrator (GSO) – Broker hosted software application that aggregates workload demand requirements, and schedules both network resources and aperture transmit/receive operations based on prioritized situational states (ex. RFI deconfliction, space weather, etc.). Provides ability to translate across disparate APIs.

Ground Entry Points (GEPs) -- fixed physical locations with one or more antennas where RF signals can be transmitted to and received from orbiting satellites.

Signal Processing Electronics (SPE) – Electronics required to capture, convert and transport signals as part of antenna systems.

Workloads – composable packages of data, with timing and routing information, that are required to be transported on available networks and result from transmit and receive functions at Ground Entry Points.

5.0 Responses

5.1 RFI Response

Interested parties are requested to respond to this RFI with a white paper.

5.2 RFI Response Requirements

White papers in Microsoft Word for Office 2000 compatible format are due no later than 27 September 2024 1700 PST. Responses shall be limited to 10 pages for Section 2 and submitted via e-mail only to keon.hannibal.2@spaceforce.mil. Proprietary information, if any, should be minimized and MUST BE CLEARLY MARKED. To aid the Government, please segregate proprietary information. Please be advised that all submissions become Government property and will not be returned.

5.3 White Paper Response – Section 1 Structure

Section 1 of the white paper shall provide administrative information, and shall include the following as a minimum:

5.3.1 Delivery requirements

Name, mailing address, overnight delivery address (if different from mailing address), phone number, fax number, and e-mail of designated point of contact.

5.3.2 Non-Disclosure Agreements

In the absence of either 1) copies of executed non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) with the contractors supporting USSF and USSF supported PEOs in technical evaluations or 2) a statement that the respondee will not allow the Government to release its proprietary data to the Government support contractors, the Government will assume that the respondee does agree to the release of its submission to Government support contractors.

5.3.3 Business Type

Business type (large business, small business, small disadvantaged business, 8(a)-certified small disadvantaged business, HUBZone small business, woman-owned small business, very small business, veteran-owned small business, service-disabled veteran-owned small business) based upon North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code 541512, Computer Systems Design Services. “Small business concern” means a concern, including its affiliates, that is independently owned and operated, not dominant in the field of operation in which it is bidding on Government contracts, and qualified as a small business under the criteria and size standards in 13 CFR part 121. A small business concern for the purposes of this procurement is generally defined as a business, including its affiliates, averaging no more than 34 million dollars in annual receipts. Annual receipts of a concern that has been in business for 3 or more complete fiscal years means the annual average gross revenue of the concern taken for the last 3 fiscal years.

Annual receipts of a concern that has been in business for less than 3 complete fiscal years means its total receipts for the period it has been in business, divided by the number of weeks including fractions of a week that it has been in business, and multiplied by 52. Respondees are cautioned, however, that this is a general description only. Additional standards and conditions apply. Please refer to Federal Acquisition Regulation FAR 19 for additional detailed information on Small Business Size Standards. The FAR is available at http://www.arnet.gov.

5.4 White Paper Response – Section 2 Structure

Section 2 of the white paper shall answer the issues addressed in Section 3 and 4 of this RFI and shall be limited to 10 pages.

6.0 Industry Discussions

USSF representatives may or may not choose to meet with respondents. Such discussions would only be intended to get further clarification on responses to information contained in sections 3 and 4.

7.0 Questions

Questions regarding this announcement shall be submitted in writing by e-mail to the Contracting Officer, keon.hannibal.2@spaceforce.mil. Verbal questions will NOT be accepted. Questions will be answered by posting answers to SAM.gov; accordingly, questions shall NOT contain proprietary or classified information. The Government does not guarantee that questions received after 25 Sept 2024 1700 PT will be answered.

8.0 Summary

THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY to gather information pertaining to the development of the USSF Antenna Marketplace. The information provided in the RFI is subject to change and is not binding on the Government. The USSF has not made a commitment to procure any of the items discussed, and release of this RFI should not be construed as such a commitment or as authorization to incur cost for which reimbursement would be required or sought. All submissions become Government property and will not be returned.