Call for Proposals - On Demand SV De-orbit as a Service.pdf

Space Development Agency STEC BAA Special Notice - Commercial Disposal Services Study

Call for Proposals 25 March 2024

Under the Systems, Technologies, and Emerging Capabilities (STEC) Broad Agency Announcement, FA240124S0001, posted on SAM.gov on January 16, 2024, the Space Development Agency (SDA) is issuing this Call for Proposals. SDA is soliciting full proposals to perform engineering studies, analyses, and technical trades to support assisted, on-demand space vehicle de-orbit as a service for the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA).

Background

Recognized as the Department of Defense's constructive disruptor for space acquisition, SDA will quickly deliver needed space-based capabilities to the joint warfighter to support terrestrial missions through development, fielding, and operation of the PWSA. The PWSA is a proliferated low-earth space architecture that provides our warfighters with a resilient, military sensing and data transport capability. Beginning with Tranche 1, SDA will deploy hundreds of space vehicles (SV) in orbit approximately 1,000 kilometers in altitude to field the PWSA. These SVs are equipped with propulsion systems sized and qualified through end-of-life and have disposal plans that are compliant with Orbital Debris Mitigation Standard Practices (ODMSP), ensuring the PWSA can perform its critical national defense mission while maintaining sustainability of the space environment. Even though current plans are adequate to exceed these goals, SDA is also interested in commercially available options for assisted disposal services as a contingency should they be required. SDA believes there are several industry partners with concepts and business models to support commercial on-orbit servicing, to include assisted disposal operations, but that no such product or service yet exists. As such, SDA is interested in studying the feasibility of using these services as a “belt and suspenders” approach for the PWSA. It should be noted that SDA is specifically not interested in developing a wholly Government capability for on-orbit servicing and/or de-orbit as a service.

Study Scope and Major Deliverables

With this Call for Proposals, SDA is specifically seeking analyses, studies and concepts of operations to assess the feasibility of using commercial on orbit servicing to provide assisted disposal operations for the PWSA. The scope of work includes engineering modeling, simulation, studies, analyses, and technical trades. All contracted studies will be a fixed, short duration (approximately 90-day) technical effort and should address, at a minimum, the following considerations:

1. Specific commercial servicing offerings, business model, and use cases;

2. Concept of Operations (CONOPS) for assisted disposal operations of PWSA SVs;

3. Potential PWSA SV design considerations (e.g., servicer physical interfaces, fiducial makers, etc.) with close attention paid to existing SVs, which may have none of these assistive elements;

4. Anticipated timelines for operational services;

5. Prices and pricing models (e.g., per vehicle, per plane, per Tranche, etc.); and

6. Any other technical, policy, or contractual considerations for using such services.

SDA is expecting final results for all above deliverables on or before the conclusion of the study performance period, as well as one major interim deliverable not later than (NLT) 60 days into the performance period, with on-going, regular technical and study progress exchanges in between.

Purpose of Solicited Work

SDA is issuing this Call for Proposals. SDA is soliciting full proposals to perform engineering studies, analysis, and technical trades for commercial disposal services for the PWSA. The purpose of these studies is to inform on what such services exist or are planned, how SDA may technically and contractually use such services and inform the cost-benefit trade of augmenting current practices and future planning.

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

All proposals shall comply with the proposal instructions set forth under the Systems, Technologies, and Emerging Capabilities (STEC) Space Development Agency (SDA) Broad Agency Announcement, FA240124S0001.

Additional Proposal Instructions and Assumptions

1. Potential Offerors shall assume a study Period of Performance (PoP) of one hundred twenty (120) calendar days and an Authority to Proceed (ATP) of 1 August 2024.

2. SDA strongly encourages a draft study report delivered not later than ninety (90) calendar days from ATP and final study report delivered not later than the full one hundred twenty

(120) calendar days Period of Performance.

3. SDA strongly encourages proposal submissions received NLT 5:00pm EDT, Wednesday 1 May 2024.

4. SDA strongly encourages Firm Fixed Price proposals.

5. SDA is contemplating multiple awards, but the Government reserves the right to make a single award, multiple awards, or no awards at all.