MEADOS Bus POA Public Amendment 1.pdf

Dec 4, 2024 Heliophysics MIDEX Spacecraft Bus

Amendment 1

Partnership Opportunity Announcement (POA)

For a

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)/ George C. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Heliophysics Medium-Class Explorer (MIDEX)

Spacecraft Bus

1. INTRODUCTION/SCOPE

This partnering opportunity is in response to the anticipated NASA Announcement of Opportunity (AO), expected to be released no earlier than quarter for (Q4) of fiscal year (FY) 2025 for planning purposes. NASA’s George C. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is developing a mission concept to be proposed for this AO. The partnership opportunity is being issued to select a teaming partner to provide a spacecraft bus (or, simply, “bus”), among other responsibilities detailed herein.

The proposed mission is currently in Pre-Phase A. If the proposal is down-selected, the next step in the proposal process is a mission concept study culminating in a Concept Study Report (CSR), which is the Step 2 proposal, and a site visit. The following planning schedule should be used as a basis for responses to this opportunity:

Questions regarding POA solicitation January 23, 2025 Proposal in Response to POA January 24, 2025 Bus Partner Selection January 31, 2025 Final AO Release Date Q4 FY2025 Proposal Submittal Deadline Q1, FY2025 Step-1 Selections Announced Q3 FY2026 Phase A Concept Study Reports Due Q2, FY2027 Down-selection of Investigation for Flight Q4, FY2027 Spacecraft bus start date Partner specified Payload delivery for integration with bus 40 months after down-select Launch Readiness Date February, 2032 (target)

Respondents to this POA shall state the timeframe its services will be available and the extent the respondent can meet the timeline requirements set forth in the AO.

1.1. COST

Total cost and cost fidelity are important issues for the proposal. The cost cap for this AO is expected to be $300M (FY2025). This cost includes the instruments, the bus, observatory integration and testing (I&T), launch site operations, and mission and science operations for a nominal 2-year mission, including cost reserves (30%, Phases B - D). The Phase A mission concept study (Step 2 down-selection) has an estimated cost cap of $3M (FY2025) which will be distributed among the partners as defined by project leadership.

There will be no exchange of funds between the teaming partners for the portion of this partnership opportunity dealing with the preparation of the initial submission (Pre-Phase A, Step 1 proposal). Funding will be available for subsequent phases should the candidate mission concept be competitively selected for those additional phases.

1.2. DESIRED SERVICES

MSFC is interested in selecting a partner to primarily provide a bus and observatory integration and test through launch and mission commissioning. All interested parties are required to respond to this POA in accordance with §5.

During Pre-Phase A, the selected bus partner will support the development of the Step 1 proposal in response to the anticipated MIDEX AO. Details on the expected scope of support for Pre-Phase A are included in §3.1.

If the proposal is downselected for a Phase A Mission Concept Study, the selected bus partner will help execute the concept study, support the development of the CSR (Step 2 proposal), and provide on-site support at the site visit. Details on the expected scope of support for Phase A are included in §3.2.

If the mission is selected for implementation (Phases B–F), the bus partner will support design, development, integration, test, and operation of the bus and integrated observatory. The payload will be provided as Government Furnished Equipment (GFE). Details on the expected scope of work for Phases B-F are included in §4.

2. MISSION OVERVIEW

The Heliophysics Explorer Program conducts Principal Investigator (PI)-led space science investigations to advance NASA’s strategic goals in heliophysics, which are to:

• Explore the physical processes at work in the space environment from the sun to Earth and throughout the solar system.

• Advance our understanding of the connections between the sun, Earth, the planetary space environments, and the outer reaches of our solar system.

• Develop the knowledge and capability to detect and predict extreme conditions in space to protect life and society and to safeguard exploration beyond Earth.

More detailed information on the parameters of the potential MSFC mission will be provided to those responding with a Notice of Interest to this POA. A Notice of Interest (it is intentionally not called a notice of intent) does not obligate an organization to provide a POA response.

3. PRE-SELECTION SUPPORT

3.1. PRE-PHASE A STUDY AND STEP 1 PROPOSAL SUPPORT

Scope of Support: It is expected that the selected bus partner will provide support using its own resources to help develop and write the Mission concept proposal in response to the AO primarily in the areas of the bus development and observatory integration and test. This will involve meeting with the relevant scientists and the overall mission engineering team to: (1) help define the end-to-end performance requirements, including interfaces to the payload; (2) define the flight system architecture; (3) identify trade studies; and (4) predict performance and quantify risks. The bus partner will also perform Mission-level integrated analyses of the observatory, incorporating inputs (e.g., models) from the instrument providers, in the areas of (1) mechanical (loads, dynamics, strength, etc.); (2) thermal; (3) Guidance, Navigation, and Control; (4) mission design and analysis (including disposal); and (5) communication link margin. In addition, the bus partner will support the Project in defining a tailoring approach to applicable requirements and standards. This will include cost estimation for all mission phases. The period of performance for this interval is expected to last from partner selection until the submission of the Step 1 proposal.

3.2. PHASE A STUDY AND STEP 2 PROPOSAL SUPPORT

Scope of Support: If the mission is selected for a Phase A study, the proposal team will receive funds to conduct a Phase A concept study, develop a detailed CSR to submit to NASA, and conduct the site visit. The selected bus partner will be allocated a portion of the funding to support these activities, especially in areas relevant to bus development and observatory integration and test, in addition to any areas related to the development scope of support detailed in §4. This includes on-site support at MSFC for the site visit. The bus partner will also be expected to provide design details, documentation, and costing of the bus for inclusion in the final CSR (as specified in the AO).

The bus partner will continue performing integrated analyses and supporting requirements and standards tailoring. The period of performance for Phase A support is approximately 15 months.

3.3. POA RESPONSE INSTRUCTIONS FOR PRE-SELECTION SUPPORT

The respondent shall:

1) Demonstrate understanding and flight experience in the design, fabrication, integration, and testing of the bus, and observatory I&T:

• Identify driving mission and system requirements for the bus and observatory and an approach to addressing those requirements,

• Highlight critical or challenging areas in the design and development of the bus,

• Provide a technical summary/description of the proposed bus including relevant heritage, and

• Describe the capabilities and cost benefits the bus provides for the planned mission.

2) Provide any recommended study topics related to the bus.

3) Describe the resources that would be allocated to the proposal phase of support:

• Discuss skills that will be provided,

• Define a proposed scope (breadth and depth) of design and analysis activities and trade studies that will be offered, and

• Provide a list of key personnel that will support the proposal phase.

4) Identify the pertinent missions for which the respondent has provided support for proposal writing in the area of bus design, fabrication, integration, and testing:

• Provide data on scope of the bus design, the role played in the proposal process, the portions of the proposal written or aided in writing and provide a customer reference Point of Contact (POC).

5) Provide a Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) cost estimate in FY25 dollars and schedule for the design, fabrication, and testing of the bus; integration of the GFE Payload to the bus; and observatory testing. These ROMs will not be considered binding commitments but will serve as an important consideration during the response evaluation. Justification of the ROM is required; include previous cost and schedule performance with data (estimated cost & schedule vs actual).

4. DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT

Scope of Support: At the end of Phase A, another down-select occurs. If the mission is selected for development and launch, the bus partner will primarily be responsible for the design, development, and test of the bus; observatory integration and test; launch support (launch site operations and launch vehicle integration); and mission operations support (primarily commissioning and decommissioning). The bus partner will identify the bus requirements and provide all aspects of the bus (either directly, or through purchasing or teaming arrangements).

The bus partner will continue performing integrated analyses; and will produce the Integrated Safety Data Package for the observatory, with inputs from the instrument providers. The period of performance for this phase is expected to follow the timeline noted in §1; however, the respondent is encouraged to develop a schedule for completing the bus that provides the best value to the Government.

4.1. POA RESPONSE INSTRUCTIONS FOR DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT

The respondent shall:

1) Provide a description of the recommended spacecraft to meet the mission overview described in §2.

2) Identify which missions they have successfully supported as spacecraft provider and provide a customer reference POC.

• Provide heritage information on recent similar spacecraft designed and delivered, and how that experience is applicable to the mission. Basic information on scope of work, how well the fielded spacecraft met the requirements (cost and technical), and how well the respondent met the proposed schedules.

3) Identify available design, modeling, and simulation capabilities required to support development and analysis of the spacecraft.

4) Identify available fabrication and testing facilities that will be required to support development and test of the spacecraft.

5. POA RESPONSE INSTRUCTIONS, FORMAT, AND SELECTION CRITERIA

Potential respondents are asked to contact the MSFC team as soon as possible after release of this document with a Notice of Interest (intentionally not called notice of intent) and any questions.

This contact does not create an obligation to respond to the POA but allows the MSFC team to disseminate more details on the parameters of the mission being considered and provide answers to questions from potential partners. All Notice of Interest respondents will receive further details on the missions that will facilitate a focused response. These details will be competition sensitive and are not to be shared outside the teams necessary to prepare a full response. Answers to questions received within the timeframe listed in §1 will be released to all Notice of Interest respondents, while the source of the questions will be held confidential. Notices of Interest shall be sent to neil.f.martin@nasa.gov and Kathy.cooper@nasa.gov, via email with ‘Notice of Interest’ in the subject line, a simple sentence or two expressing interest, and an email address to which to send further information. For purposes of this partnership opportunity, the point of contact is Neil Martin (neil.f.martin@nasa.gov, 301-821-5476) with backup, Kathy Cooper (kathy.cooper@nasa.gov, 256-289-0159).

Responses to the Partnership Opportunity Announcement (POA) shall:

mailto:neil.f.martin@nasa.gov mailto:Kathy.cooper@nasa.gov mailto:(neil.f.martin@nasa.gov mailto:kathy.cooper@nasa.gov

1) Be in a presentation format (viewgraphs: such as Power Point) that shall not exceed 30 pages. The font size for the text shall be no smaller than 12 point.

2) Address all requirements noted in this document.

3) Be delivered No Later Than (NLT) January 24, 2025, to Neil Martin and Kathy Cooper at the email addresses listed above.

Responses will be treated as proprietary information and controlled as such by MSFC for the U.S.

Government. Questions regarding this POA shall be sent NLT January 23, 2025. They will be responded to as soon as possible. Partnership selection is expected to be made by January 31, 2025.

6. EVALUATION FACTORS AND CRITERIA

The evaluation team will use the following factors in selection and award:

1) Technical Approach (30%). Respondents will be evaluated on the quality and credibility of the proposed approach to performing the scope of support described in Sections 3 and 4 and providing the required technical capabilities defined in the detailed document sent in response to a Notice of Interest. This includes demonstrated understanding of the requirements and proposed approach to meet those requirements.

2) Cost (40%). Respondents will be evaluated on their overall cost and on the reasonableness of cost and schedule estimates.

3) Relevant Experience and Past Performance (30%). Respondents will be evaluated on technical and programmatic performance on previous missions and the applicability of such performance to the proposed mission that is the subject of this POA. Emphasis will be given to demonstrated experience with similar missions, accommodation of similar payloads, and technical performance relative to the key and driving requirements and relevant natural and induced environments described in the detailed document.

7. ABBREVIATIONS

AO Announcement of Opportunity CSR Concept Study Report CY Calendar Year GFE Government Furnished Equipment FY Fiscal Year I&T Integration & Test MSFC Marshall Space Flight Center NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration NET No Earlier Than NLT No Later Than NOI Notice of Intent (Proposal) or Notice of Interest (POA) PDF Portable Document Format PEA Program Element Appendix MIDEX Medium-Class Explorer