Enclosure A - CIS BAA IV Lunar Trunkline Mars End To End Rev 2.pdf

National Aeronautics and Space Administration Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD.

Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships -3 (NextSTEP-3) Broad Agency Announcement NextSTEP-3_Omnibus-CIS-Appendix_C

Appendix C:

CIS Capability Studies IV: Lunar Trunkline Communication Architectures and Mars End-to-End

Communication Service Architectures

Originally Issued: July 7, 2025 Proposals Due: September 17, 2025 5:00pm Eastern Time

Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships -3 (NextSTEP-3) Broad Agency Announcement NextSTEP-3_Omnibus-CIS-Appendix_C

Table of Contents

1. Introduction and Background

2. Technical Reference Documents

3. Objectives of Appendix C

4. Capability Study and Demonstration Statement of Objectives

5. General Information for Respondents

6. Inquiries

7. Proposals Due

8. Eligibility Information and Other Considerations

8.1. Export Control Compliance

8.2. China Restriction Compliance

9. Corporate Resources

10. Organizational Conflicts of Interest (OCI)

11. Instructions for Proposals

11.1. Proposal Format and Contents

11.2. Title Page

11.3. Table of Contents

11.4. Executive Summary

11.5. Proof of Eligibility

11.6. Qualifications of the Contractor

11.7. Study Approach

11.8. Intellectual Property

11.9. Signed Model Contract

11.10. Price Proposal

11.11. Required Attachments

11.12. Enclosures Provided by NASA

12. Deliverables

12.1. Study Area #1 Deliverables and Demonstrations

12.2. Study Area #2 Deliverables and Demonstrations

13. Proposal Review Information

13.1. Compliance Review

13.2. Evaluation

13.3. Evaluation Criteria

13.4. Cost/Price Review and Programmatic Balance

14. Award Information

14.1. Contract Award/Funding Availability

14.2. Period of Performance

14.3. Award Date

14.4. Funding Allocation

15. References

1. Introduction and Background The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) long-term vision is a resilient space communication and navigation infrastructure that enables science, exploration, and economic development around Earth, Moon, and Mars. NASA is presently pursuing the creation of an interoperable architecture composed of a mixture of existing NASA assets and commercial networks and services. The long-term goal is to establish a commercial space marketplace that supports a multitude of reliable, robust, and cost-effective commercial service providers in which NASA is one of many customers. NASA intends to advance on this goal by collaborating with commercial industry on innovative solutions based on relevant NASA use cases involving cislunar and Mars communication needs.

The Commercialization, Innovation, and Synergies (CIS) Office’s fourth Capability Studies BAA is seeking industry insights in the following two (2) topic areas:

1. Lunar Trunkline Communication Architectures

2. Mars End-to-End Communication Service Architectures

The CIS Office will collaborate with U.S. industry partners to advance innovative architecture concepts, define performance requirements, identify technology gaps, and define the developmental roadmaps that enable both government and industry partner’s needs for future communication services for U.S. exploration of Moon and Mars.

2. Technical Reference Documents

Study Area 1 – Lunar Trunkline Communication Architectures # Reference Document Source

1 NASA’s Moon to Mars Architecture Definition Document

(ESDMD-001)

2024 Architecture Concept Review, Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate 2 Lunar Objective Mapping Tables (acr24-lat-final-20241202)

Study Area 2 – Mars End-to-End Communication Service Architectures # Reference Document Source

1 NASA’s Moon to Mars Architecture Definition Document

(ESDMD-001)

2024 Architecture Concept Review, Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate 2 Mars Objective Mapping Tables (acr24-mat-final-20241031-2)

3. Objectives of Appendix C NASA’s objective is to collaborate with industry to define concepts for future lunar or Mars communications architectures that support robotic and human exploration of the Moon and Mars through the 2030s. This BAA seeks to elicit approaches that blend commercial innovation with the mission-critical capabilities required to enable permanent human presence on the lunar and Martian surfaces.

https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/esdmd-001-add-rev-b.pdf?emrc=5ffbf4 https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/acr24-lat-final-20241202.xlsx?emrc=fd4d37 https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/esdmd-001-add-rev-b.pdf?emrc=5ffbf4 https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/acr24-mat-final-20241031-2.xlsx?emrc=5d1596

This BAA aims to gather industry-driven architecture concepts that:

• Are technically credible and scalable.

• Identify architecture gaps and define corresponding technology development roadmaps.

• Integrate seamlessly with open-source standards.

• Leverage commercial investment and innovations.

• Address interoperability, autonomy, security, and position, navigation, and timing (PNT) challenges.

4. Capability Study and Demonstration Statement of Objectives NASA is seeking concept studies and architecture definitions from industry with specific subject matter expertise to provide unique concepts and innovative solutions for the following two topic areas: (1) Lunar Trunkline Communication Architectures and (2) Mars End-to-End Communication Service Architectures. Topic area details, including architecture requirements, challenges, and analysis areas, are described in sections 4.1 and 4.2 below. Offerors shall respond to one or both study areas.

4.1 Lunar Trunkline Communication Architectures

NASA seeks advanced industry architecture concepts that establish high-bandwidth, high-availability critical communication infrastructure between cislunar region and Earth to enable science, exploration, and economic development in cislunar space and on the lunar surface.

4.1.1 Architecture Requirements

The architecture shall address a single core function: transporting data between the Earth and the Moon. Below are the key architecture requirements. For any requirement that cannot be met by currently available capabilities, selected industry partners will be required to either propose alternative requirements or identify and describe technology maturation strategies during the study period.

A. Communication Requirements

a. The proposed architecture shall:

i. Provide high-bandwidth, high-reliability communications between a single location on the lunar surface and an Earth-based operations control center.

b. The proposed architecture should:

i. Support data transfer services, including:

1. Continuous communication services to Earth from an architecture-defined lunar surface point of origin.

a. Downlink Data Rate ≥ 5 Gbps

b. Uplink Data Rate ≥ 1 Gbps

c. Full-Duplex

2. Common interfaces for standardized data distribution among lunar exploration assets.

3. Data aggregation and storage in lunar vicinity and/or deep space until successful downlink and confirmation.

ii. Be able to achieve demonstration of capability no later than end of calendar year (EOCY) 2028 and initial operational capability (IOC) no later than EOCY 2029.

iii. Not utilize or make use of any NASA or government managed assets or NASA or government provided services at the Moon or on Earth to achieve IOC.

The primary architecture objective is to close a key NASA Moon to Mars Architecture Definition Document (ESDMD-001) use case (UC-C-101 L): Communications and data exchange with high bandwidth and high availability between assets on the lunar surface and the Earth.

4.1.2 Addressing Lunar Trunkline Communication Challenges

The architecture shall address the following key challenges and propose potential solutions:

• Distance and Signal Attenuation o Challenge: Vast distance between the Moon and Earth (~384,400 km) causes significant signal weakening.

• Limited Ground Contact Time o Challenge: Earth visibility windows and ground station access.

• Pointing Accuracy and Link Acquisition o Challenge: Narrow beamwidths for high-gain antennas or optical terminals require precise pointing.

• Latency o Challenge: Long-distance communications networks experience significant latency between nodes.

• System Reliability Over Long Durations o Challenge: Multi-year missions require long-life, fault-tolerant systems capable of surviving in the cislunar environment.

4.1.3 Architecture Areas

The architecture analysis shall address the following architectural areas:

A. Infrastructure o Proposed lunar surface data aggregation and transmission system design.

o Proposed orbital support asset design, if applicable.

o Use of RF (Ka-band, X-band, etc.) and/or optical links for lunar-Earth trunk and proximity links.

o Inter-satellite and orbit-to-surface crosslink concepts.

o High-level system design, including any heritage space and communication systems to be leveraged.

B. Surface Communications o Surface system capability assumptions: transceiver frequency bands, EIRP, G/T, data rates, etc.

C. Network Architecture and Services o End-to-end architecture (Earth to the lunar surface and return).

o Proposed open-source network standards.

o Autonomous scheduling, routing, and event response capabilities.

D. Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) o Relevant network-based navigation services that may be available with any proposed architecture.

E. Operations and Scalability o Concepts for network management and operations.

o Scalability to support crewed missions, high data volumes, and multi-user scenarios.

o Service-oriented operations model.

o Pathways to infusion with future commercial service providers.

F. Architecture Requirements o Respondents shall design an architecture that addresses the requirements outlined in Section 4.1.1.

4.1.4. Deliverables

Industry partners shall provide the following deliverables during the period of performance:

• Mid-Term Review Presentation o Architecture overview.

o Ground rules and assumptions.

o Project schedule highlighting remaining analysis.

• Architecture Definition Document (max 25 pages) o Architecture definition, including all areas defined in Section 4.1.3.

o Concept of operations (CONOPS).

o System components and link budgets (summary).

o Roles of commercial and government partners.

o Technology maturation strategy and timeline.

o Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) cost and schedule estimate for initial capability demonstration.

• Final Review Presentation o Final architecture overview.

o Key information from Architecture Definition Document.

4.1.5. Suggested Timeline

• Period of Performance Begins:

o Milestone: Kick-Off Meeting

• Month 1:

o Technical Objectives: Establish architecture ground rules, assumptions, and trade space.

o Milestone: Technical Interchange Meeting (TIM)

• Month 2:

o Technical Objectives: Establish architecture interfaces and high-level system design.

o Milestone: Mid-Term Review

• Month 3:

o Technical Accomplishments: Finalize architecture definition, identify technology gaps and resolution roadmap.

o Milestones:

Architecture Definition Document Submission Final Review

• General:

o Status/project telecoms/web meetings: anticipate on a bi-weekly basis. Will be held as needed, and mutually agreed upon.

o Technical Exchange Meetings (TEMs) will be held as needed, at a mutually agreed upon location or by teleconference.

4.2 Mars End-to-End Communication Service Architectures

NASA seeks advanced industry architecture concepts that establish critical communication relay infrastructure to enable science, exploration, and economic development in the Mars space vicinity and on the Martian surface.

4.2.1 Architecture Requirements

The architecture shall address two main functions: (1) enabling local Mars communication, and

(2) transporting data between the Earth and the immediate Mars vicinity. Below are the key architecture requirements. For any requirement that cannot be met by currently available capabilities, selected industry partners will be required to either propose alternative requirements or identify and describe technology maturation strategies during the study period.

A. Communication Requirements

a. The proposed architecture shall:

i. Provide high-bandwidth, high-availability communications between:

1. Distributed Martian surface assets.

2. Deep space or Mars vicinity assets and the Martian surface.

3. Distributed Martian surface assets and Earth.

4. Deep space or Mars vicinity assets and Earth.

5. Enable seamless communications between deep space and Mars vicinity.

b. The proposed architecture should:

i. Support data services, including:

1. Continuous data communication services between local Mars users.

a. Data rate ≥ 10 Mbps

b. Full-Duplex

2. Continuous data communication services between local Mars users (aggregate) and Earth.

a. Downlink Data Rate ≥ 100 Mbps

b. Uplink Data Rate ≥ 100 Mbps

c. Full-Duplex

3. Common interfaces for standardized data distribution among Mars exploration assets

ii. Be able to achieve demonstration of capability no later than end of calendar year (EOCY) 2029 and initial operational capability (IOC) no later than EOCY 2030.

iii. Data aggregation and storage in Mars vicinity and/or deep space until successful downlink and confirmation.

iv. Not utilize or make use of any NASA or government managed assets or services, including the Deep Space Network (DSN).

B. Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) Requirements

a. The proposed architecture shall:

i. Enable accurate PNT determination for crew and equipment at:

1. Mars exploration sites.

2. Deep space and Mars vicinity.

ii. Support precision tracking and documentation by:

1. Supporting identification, tracking, and documentation of collected

Mars surface samples.

iii. Support mission-critical landing operations by:

1. Enabling precision landing capability within a defined radius around intended landing locations on the Martian surface.

C. Command and Control (C2) Requirements

a. The proposed architecture shall:

i. Enable remote command/control of Martian surface assets from Earth, Mars vicinity, or surface locations.

ii. Demonstrate remote command/control of robotic assets on Martian surface.

iii. Demonstrate remote command/control of robotic in-space assets from Earth or Mars vicinity.

The architecture requirements can be further decomposed according to the use cases and functionality defined by the NASA Moon to Mars Architecture Definition Document (ESDMD- 001). For additional details, refer to the Mars Communication Use Cases provided in Appendix

A. Architecture development as part of this BAA is primarily centered around establishing a concept that supports use cases UC-C-101 M through UC-C-108 M.

4.2.2 Addressing Mars End-to-End Communication Architecture Challenges

The architecture shall address the following key challenges and propose potential solutions:

• Distance and Signal Attenuation o Challenge: Vast distance between Mars and Earth (~56 to 400 million km) causes significant signal weakening.

• Long Round-Trip Latency o Challenge: One-way light time between Mars and Earth ranges from 3 to 22 minutes.

• Sun Conjunction and Solar Interference o Challenge: Solar conjunction periods cause degraded or blocked signals.

• Bandwidth Constraints and Data Volume o Challenge: Limited data rates for high-resolution instruments and mission support.

• Limited Ground Contact Time o Challenge: Earth visibility windows and antenna sharing limits continuous access.

• Pointing Accuracy and Link Acquisition o Challenge: Narrow beamwidths for high-gain antennas or optical terminals require precise pointing.

• Orbit Determination and Navigation o Challenge: Establishing and maintaining constellation topology with limited terrestrial navigation aids.

• System Reliability Over Long Durations o Challenge: Multi-year missions require long-lived, fault-tolerant systems capable of surviving in the Mars environment.

4.2.3 Architecture Areas

The architecture analysis shall address the following architectural areas:

A. Relay Infrastructure o Proposed relay constellation design.

o Use of RF (Ka-band, X-band) and/or optical links for Mars-Earth trunk and proximity links.

o Inter-satellite and orbit-to-surface crosslink concepts.

o High-level satellite design, including any heritage satellite and communication systems to be leveraged.

B. Surface Communications o Surface system capability assumptions: transceiver frequency bands, EIRP, G/T, data rates, etc.

C. Network Architecture and Services o End-to-end architecture (Earth to Mars surface and return).

o Proposed open-source network standards.

o Autonomous scheduling, routing, and event response capabilities.

D. Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) o Orbit determination and navigation approach for relay assets.

o Radiometric and/or optical PNT support for assets in orbit and on the surface.

E. Operations and Scalability o Concepts for network management and operations.

o Scalability to support crewed missions, high data volumes, and multi-user scenarios.

o Service-oriented operations model.

o Pathways to infusion with future commercial service providers.

F. Technology Gaps o Existing architecture technology gaps.

o Opportunities for the adaptation of existing technologies or the infusion of under development capabilities to enhance or close the architecture design.

G. Architecture Requirements o Respondents shall design an architecture that addresses the detailed requirements outlined in Section 4.2.1.

4.2.4. Deliverables

Industry partners shall provide the following deliverables during the period of performance:

• Mid-Term Review Presentation o Preliminary architecture overview.

o Ground rules and assumptions.

o Project schedule highlighting remaining analysis.

• Architecture Definition Document (max 25 pages) o Architecture definition, including all areas defined in Section 4.2.3.

o Concept of operations (CONOPS).

o System components and link budgets (summary).

o Roles of commercial and government partners.

o Technology maturation strategy and timeline.

o Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) cost and schedule estimate for initial capability demonstration.

• Final Review Presentation o Final architecture overview.

o Key information from Architecture Definition Document.

4.2.5. Suggested Timeline

• Period of Performance Begins:

o Milestone: Kick-Off Meeting

• Month 1:

o Technical Objectives: Establish architecture ground rules, assumptions, and trade space.

o Milestone: Technical Interchange Meeting (TIM)

• Month 2:

o Technical Objectives: Establish architecture interfaces and high-level system design.

o Milestone: Mid-Term Review

• Month 3:

o Technical Accomplishments: Finalize architecture definition, identify technology gaps and resolution roadmap.

o Milestones:

Architecture Definition Document Submission Final Review

• General:

o Status/project telecoms/web meetings: anticipate on a bi-weekly basis. Will be held as needed, and mutually agreed upon.

o Technical Exchange Meetings (TEMs) will be held as needed, at a mutually agreed upon location or by teleconference.

5. General Information for Respondents

Agency: National Aeronautics and Space Administration Announcement Title: Appendix C: CIS Capability Studies IV: Lunar Trunkline

Communication Architectures and Mars End-to-End Communication Service Architectures

NAICS Code: 541715 Responsible Office: GSFC/Commercialization, Innovation, and Synergies (CIS)

Office Point of Contact: Daniel Motto (daniel.m.motto@nasa.gov) Contracting Officer: Antwan G. Reid (Antwan.G.Reid@nasa.gov

6. Inquiries

Interested parties are encouraged to submit written questions and comments regarding this BAA.

Questions must not contain any proprietary information or require proprietary information in the response. NASA will not provide evaluations, opinions, or recommendations regarding any suggested approaches or concepts. The Government requests that interested parties review Appendix C and all Attachments thoroughly and submit their comments and questions via email to Antwan.G.Reid@nasa.gov and daniel.m.motto@nasa.gov (Contracting Officer’s Representative email). Ensure that the subject line of your email includes the BAA number and "Appendix C Inquiry" (e.g., "NextSTEP-3_Omnibus-CIS-Appendix C Inquiry").

mailto:daniel.m.motto@nasa.gov mailto:Antwan.G.Reid@nasa.gov mailto:daniel.m.motto@nasa.gov

Comments and questions must be submitted by August 20, 2025, no later than 5:00 pm Eastern Time. Emails should include your Company Name and the BAA number in the body of the email.

7. Proposals Due Proposals must be submitted electronically in accordance with instructions detailed in Section 11.1 of Appendix C: Instructions for Proposals, no later than September 17, 2025, 5:00 pm Eastern Time.

To assist in the planning of the proposal evaluation process, NASA strongly encourages the submission of a Notice of Intent (NOI) to propose by all prospective offerors no later than September 3, 2025, 5:00 PM Eastern. The NOI should contain the following information: name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, and institutional affiliation of the offeror, and the solicitation topic(s) in which you intend to propose. NOIs shall be submitted electronically to the points of contact identified in Section 5. Please note that NOIs are strongly encouraged but are not required. Not submitting an NOI will not impact the selection process.

8. Eligibility Information and Other Considerations This solicitation topic is open to non-Government U.S. institutions (companies, universities, nonprofit organizations). NASA civil servants, Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) employees, national laboratories, and Federally Funded Research and development Centers (FFRDCs) shall not be proposed as a Prime Contractor on any effort associated with this announcement but may participate as a team member. Other eligibility information is also included in the omnibus portion of this BAA.

The Aerospace Corporation will be subject to the “Full Limitation” related to Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI). The NASA-wide Specialized Engineering, Evaluation and Test Services (NSEETS) contract with The Aerospace Corporation creates an unmitigable organizational conflict of interest for The Aerospace Corporation in the event that any business unit of The Aerospace Corporation has a proposed role as prime contractor, subcontractor, or participating organization. Because of this organizational conflict of interest, The Aerospace Corporation is precluded from participating in any capacity in support of a respondent under this Appendix.

8.1. Export Control Compliance

Offerors must certify compliance with U.S. Export Control laws including ITAR and EAR, in accordance with Section 3.2.3 of the NextSTEP-3 Omnibus BAA.

8.2. China Restriction Compliance

Offerors must provide a certification that no bilateral activities with China or Chinese-owned entities will be conducted, per Section 3.2.4 of the NextSTEP-3 Omnibus BAA.

9. Corporate Resources The Offeror shall describe in their proposal their ability to provide a financial commitment to the public/private partnership formed under this Appendix using BAA Enclosure D: Corporate Contribution Worksheet. The overall effort is defined as the combination of corporate contribution and government resources invested in the proposed effort. A corporate contribution is required, but there is no mandatory minimum for eligibility under Appendix C. The reasonableness of the corporate contribution will be evaluated as part of the Technical Merit evaluation.

Corporate contribution may be in the form of direct labor, travel, consumables, hardware/software development, launch transportation, or other in-kind contributions. Other acceptable forms of corporate contribution include travel related to achieving proposed objectives, investments in special facilities or equipment, tooling, prior private investment, and internally funded technology maturation such as Independent Research and Development (IRAD). State and local government contributions may be included with private corporate resources.

The value of participation by federally funded participants and/or the non-reimbursable use of federal government facilities shall be added to the Government Resources estimate within the Offeror’s Attachment D: Corporate Contribution Worksheet.

Criteria and procedures for the allowability and allocability of cash and non-cash contributions shall be governed by FAR Parts 30 and 31, and NFS Parts 1830 and 1831. NASA reserves the right to hold due diligence discussions to make reasonable determinations regarding corporate contributions.

10. Organizational Conflicts of Interest (OCI) NASA has determined that the receipt of a contract from this appendix will not constitute an OCI based on biased ground rules. NASA based this determination on section 9.505-2 (b) (1) (iii) which provides an exception for preparing specifications or work statement. This exemption applies when more than one offeror has been involved in preparing the statement of work. Additionally, the studies will provide valuable information for the Statement of Work but are not to write the specifications or work statement.

However, this acquisition may give rise to an OCI. Accordingly, the attention of prospective Offerors is invited to FAR Subpart 9.5 – Organizational Conflicts of Interest. Each Offeror shall submit an OCI Avoidance Plan (OCI Plan) contained within Attachment B: Model Contract. The OCI Plan will be considered in determining the contractor’s responsibility to perform this contract.

As such, the Government may conduct exchanges with any Offeror at any time during the evaluation process concerning its OCI Submission. A NASA approved OCI Plan shall be required in order for a contractor to be eligible for award of this contract.

The proposed OCI Plan shall be consistent with all other areas of the proposal. Material inconsistencies between the OCI Plan and other proposal areas may render the proposal invalid, resulting in an unacceptable proposal that is ineligible for award. The proposed OCI Plan is not page limited.

Description of Potential Conflict. The nature of this OCI is: Unequal Access to Information. There is a concern that the successful prime contractor (or first tier subcontractor(s)), may have access to another companies’ proprietary, business confidential, or financial data/nonpublic Government sensitive information, which may give rise to an unfair competitive advantage in future competitions.

(c) Responsibility of Offeror.

(1) Applying the principles of FAR Subpart 9.5, each Offeror shall assess whether there is an OCI associated with the proposal it submits. The Offeror must explain the actions it intends to use to resolve any OCI identified by the Government or identified through its own assessment.

(2) Offerors shall inform NASA of any potential conflicts of interest, including those involving contracts with other Government organizations, as part of the OCI Submission in paragraph (g) https://www.acquisition.gov/?q=browsefar https://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/procurement/regs/nfstoc.htm below. NASA will use this information to determine whether resolution of those conflicts will be required.

(3) If the Offeror’s proposed action to resolve an OCI is not acceptable, NASA will notify the Offeror, providing the reasons why its proposed resolution is not considered acceptable and allow the Offeror a reasonable opportunity to respond before making a final decision on the OCI. In the event that the Offeror is not successful in resolving an identified conflict, the Offeror may be determined to be ineligible for award.

(d) Representation. By submission of its offer, the Offeror represents, to the best of its knowledge and belief, that –

(1) there are no relevant facts that could give rise to an OCI, as defined in FAR Part 2; or

(2) the Offeror has disclosed all relevant information regarding any actual or potential conflicts of interest.

(e) Termination for default or termination for cause. If the successful Offeror was aware, or should have been aware, of an OCI before award of this contract and did not fully disclose that conflict to NASA, the Government may terminate the contract for default or cause.

(f) Waiver. The agency reserves the right to waive the requirements of FAR 9.5, in accordance with FAR 9.503.

(g) The Offeror’s OCI Submission shall contain the following:

(1) OCI Assessment. The Offeror shall identify any organizational interests (financial, contractual or other) that would be affected by performance of the Statement of Work requirements, whether by it or its proposed subcontractors. This includes recently performed (within 2 years prior to the proposal due date), currently performed, or planned work (including future competitive proposals), whether as a prime contract holder or a subcontractor.

The Offeror shall include a list of all of its and its proposed subcontractor’s NASA contracts and subcontracts in its submission. For each contract and subcontract listed by the prime contractor and its subcontractor, the Offeror shall: (1) identify the contract number; (2) identify the name, address, and telephone number of the customer(s); (3) describe the scope of work in sufficient detail to ascertain the likelihood of a conflict with performance of the SOW requirements of this contract; and (4) discuss any potential conflicts arising from performance of the listed contracts and award of this contract and any safeguards to be implemented by the Contractor to avoid, mitigate, or neutralize the conflicts.

For non-NASA contracts, the Offeror shall list any of its and its proposed subcontractor’s contracts or subcontracts that may give rise to an OCI. For each contract and subcontract listed, the Offeror shall: (1) identify the contract by number and name; (2) identify the name, address, and telephone number of the customer(s); and (3) describe the potential conflict and any safeguards to be implemented by the Contractor to avoid, mitigate, or neutralize the conflict. For financial or other conflicts that could arise from performance of the SOW requirements of this contract, the Offeror shall address the nature and extent of the financial interest and any entity or entities involved in the financial relationship.

If any of the interests identified above may give rise to a conflict or potential conflict, the Offeror shall address how it will avoid, neutralize, or mitigate the OCI. Sufficient information must be provided to allow a meaningful evaluation of the potential effect of the interest on the performance of the statement of work.

(2) OCI Plan. The Offeror shall submit an OCI Plan that, once approved by the Contracting Officer (CO), will be incorporated into any resulting contract. The OCI Plan shall contain the following:

Demonstration of ability to define and properly identify the three types of organizational conflicts of interest that may arise (Unequal Access to Information, Biased Ground Rules, and Impaired objectivity).

Identification and description of company roles, responsibilities, and procedures for screening (i.e., identifying/recognizing, analyzing/evaluating, resolving, and reporting) existing and new business opportunities for actual/potential OCIs.

Description of how the Offeror intends to notify employees of the requirements of this plan and to document that employees received such notice. To the extent this requirement is accomplished through employee training, the OCI Plan shall include a copy of the template to be used for training certification.

Description of how the Offeror will report any breaches to the CO, and implement any necessary corrective actions. The OCI Plan should reflect that the Offeror will immediately implement any corrective action steps needed to negate or mitigate the impact of a breach, while also notifying the CO of the breach and coordinating its proposed corrective action approach with the CO as quickly as practicable. Final resolution of the corrective action must be approved by the CO.

Identification of any affiliated companies/entities (e.g., a parent company or a wholly-owned subsidiary) and procedures for coordinating OCIs with such affiliated companies/entities.

Reporting of all potential/actual OCIs identified during performance of the contract to the CO. An OCI report shall include (1) a description of the conflict, (2) the plan for resolving the conflict, and

(3) the benefits/risks vis-à-vis contract performance associated with plan approval/acceptance.

Explanation of how the contractor will flow down the provisions of this mitigation plan to any subcontractor that may have a conflict with regard to performing the requirements of this contract.

Description of any organizational and employee sanctions for violations of established OCI procedures/requirements/guidelines.

Detailed discussion of neutralization, mitigation or avoidance measures for any conflict or potential conflict identified in the Offeror’s OCI Assessment provided in response to paragraph (g)(1) above.

Explanation of how the OCI Plan will be updated to address OCIs that may arise during performance. The Plan should reflect that any updates must be approved by the CO and the updates/changes to the Plan must be incorporated in the contract to be effective.

As this contract contains NASA FAR Supplement clause 1852.237-72, Access to Sensitive Information, the OCI Plan shall also address all items required by that clause, including: Utilize any sensitive information coming into its possession only for the purpose of performing the services specified in its contract.

Safeguard sensitive information coming into its possession from unauthorized use and disclosure.

Allow access to sensitive information only to those employees that need it to perform services under its contract.

Preclude access and disclosure of sensitive information to persons and entities outside of the service provider’s organization.

Include a non-disclosure statement, a requirement for employees having access to sensitive information.

Include a Cleared Authorized Employees List for contract.

11. Instructions for Proposals See NextSTEP-3 Omnibus for general instructions. The specific instructions in this section are in addition to or supersede the general instructions in the NextSTEP-3 Omnibus BAA and apply to this Appendix only.

Requirements in this Appendix supersede those in the NASA Guidebook for Proposers and the omnibus BAA. If there are conflicts, Appendix C takes precedence. Proposals not submitted by the specified due date and time will be considered late per FAR 15.208(b).

Proposals must be under 12 MB. Only requested attachments should be submitted. Name proposals as follows: “VENDORNAME –NextSTEP-3_Omnibus-CIS-Appendix_C.” Files can be zipped into one titled “NextSTEP-3_Omnibus-CIS-Appendix_C_VENDORNAME.zip” or uploaded individually. Proposals must include all required information and must not have password protection, encryption, or viewing restrictions.

11.1. Proposal Format and Contents

The proposal format and content requirements outlined in this section supersede the instructions in the omnibus BAA. Proposals must be submitted as one searchable, unlocked PDF file with edit permission enabled. Applicants must comply with the format and page limit requirements described in this Appendix.

Page count limits are detailed in Table 1: Overview of Proposal Sections and Page Limitations.

Other volumes and attachments listed in Table 1 are not included in the page count. Sections not subject to page limits do not need to follow the font, size, or margin requirements, but readability must be ensured.

Number all pages sequentially with Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, etc.) for content subject to page limits. A page is defined as one side of a sheet, 8 1/2" x 11", with at least one-inch margins, using a minimum 12-point font, except for tables and figures, which may use 8-point font. Pages exceeding the specified limits will not be evaluated. Minor informalities or irregularities in a proposal that can be adjusted, corrected, or waived without prejudice to other Offerors may be accepted if immaterial to the Appendix. Non-compliant pages in page-limited sections may be returned and not evaluated.

All proposals containing proprietary data should have the cover page and each page containing proprietary data clearly marked as containing proprietary data. It is the Offeror’s responsibility to clearly define to the Government what is considered proprietary data.

Applicants shall use the email: Antwan.G.Reid@nasa.gov and daniel.m.motto@nasa.gov (COR) for proposal submissions. The email submission shall identify the email as “NextSTEP-https://sam.gov/opp/613a1c06edce4e9299fce9465dc58e50/view mailto:Antwan.G.Reid@nasa.gov mailto:daniel.m.motto@nasa.gov

3_Omnibus-CIS-Appendix_C Proposal Submission” in the subject field of the e-mail.

Table 1. Overview of Proposal Sections and Page Limitations

Volume No. Section No. Title Page Limits Title Page 1

1 Executive Summary 5 Table of Contents 1

2 Proof of Eligibility 3 3 3.1 Qualifications of Contractor 5

3.2 Study Approach

3.2.1 Study #1 Lunar Trunkline

Communication Architectures

3.2.2 Study #2 Mars End-to-End

Communication

3.3 Intellectual Property 1

4 Price Proposal No Limit

4.1 Pricing Template No Limit

4.2 Contractor Narrative / Basis of Estimate No Limit

Attachments A Statement of Work No Limit

B Model Contract No Limit C List of Deliverables No Limit D Completed Corporate Contribution Worksheet No Limit

* The page limit excludes any BOE spreadsheets associated with the Proposal.

11.2. Title Page

• Include any Notice of Restriction on Use and Disclosure of Proposal Information

• An optional graphic image may be included

• The Offeror’s name for the proposal or proposed project

• Date of the proposal

• The title, solicitation number and Appendix being responded to of this Announcement

• Organization name and address

• Offeror point of contact name, title, e-mail address, and phone number

• Company CAGE Code and/or Unique Entity ID number

• 4-month proposal validity period

11.3. Table of Contents

Proposals shall include a one-page Table of Contents that provides a guide to the organization and contents of the proposal.

11.4. Executive Summary

Proposals shall include an executive summary describing the prominent and distinguishing features of the proposal that demonstrate the Offeror’s plans and ability to meet the goals and objectives of Appendix C.

The executive summary shall include the name and Unique Entity ID number of the Offeror, subcontractors, and other team members. It should stand alone and not reference other proposal sections. Proprietary data in the executive summary will not be publicly released. A publicly releasable version will be required after contract award.

11.5. Proof of Eligibility

The proposal shall provide information showing that the Offeror and all team members are eligible participants as stipulated in NextSTEP-3 Omnibus BAA, Section 3: Eligibility Information and Section 3.1: Eligibility of Applicants of this Appendix. Describe compliance with eligibility requirements as needed.

11.6. Qualifications of the Contractor

Provide information on the organization’s capabilities and the qualifications of key personnel.

Provide information showing demonstrated technical expertise and experience in one or both study areas.

11.7. Study Approach

The Offeror shall describe their approach and schedule for conducting one or both study tasks and address all the topics identified in the Appendix C considering the objectives of the study. Offerors may propose any or all of the study areas. The proposal shall identify the study task in which the Offeror is proposing by title, section number, and heading.

11.8. Intellectual Property

The Offeror shall describe the approach for data rights, and how they meet the objectives outlined in the omnibus BAA, Section 2.7, Intellectual Property Developed Under an Award. If there is a deviation to the approach, the Offeror shall provide an updated justification detailing noted deviation.

11.9. Signed Model Contract

A Model Contract is provided in Enclosure B of this Appendix. Sections marked [OFI] are “Offeror Fill-Ins”. Offerors must submit the signed model contract with all OFIs completed and a handwritten signature from an authorized person. Sections marked [TBD] are “To Be Determined” and should not be filled in by Offerors; the Government will update these post-award. Offerors may take exceptions to or have unique interpretations of any model contract clauses. These should be listed clearly in a Summary of Exceptions. Note, exceptions or unique interpretations of required clauses MAY negatively impact selection. The Government does not intend to conduct negotiations but reserves the right to negotiate with selected Offerors if deemed in its best interest.

11.10. Price Proposal

The Price Volume for the Offeror shall consist of two sections. Each Section shall be clearly labeled. The Price Volume structure shall consist of the following sections:

https://sam.gov/opp/613a1c06edce4e9299fce9465dc58e50/view

• Price Volume – Section 3.1: Pricing Template

• Price Volume – Section 3.2: Contractor Price Narrative / Basis of Estimate The price proposal shall include a single firm-fixed-price Contract Line Item Number (CLIN) per study approach. The Offeror must provide total direct labor hours by skill mix, travel, and subcontracts as per the price proposal sample format in the omnibus BAA, Attachment A.

• In the Price Forms in the omnibus BAA instructions, the Offeror shall include a table listing the breakout and value of corporate resources.

• The Offeror shall also add a list of any Government-contributed resources and their estimated value. Note that no Government Furnished Equipment/Government Furnished Property is anticipated for the study contracts.

11.11. Required Attachments

Along with the proposal, the Offeror shall provide the following attachments:

• Attachment A: Statement of Work: The Offeror shall provide a draft Offeror’s Statement of Work that includes a work breakdown structure, a detailed description of the major tasks, milestones, and the content of deliverables for their proposed effort.

• Attachment B: Model Contract

• Attachment C: List of Deliverables: The Offeror shall provide a list of proposed deliverables in accordance with Section 12. Each deliverable description shall include a descriptive title, objectives, description of content, proposed format of deliverable, and estimated submittal date(s) based on contract start date plus [OFI] days.

• Attachment D: Completed Corporate Contribution Worksheet

11.12. Enclosures Provided by NASA

• Enclosure B: NASA Model Contract

• Enclosure C: NASA Pricing Template

• Enclosure D: NASA Corporate Contribution Worksheet Template

• Enclosure E: Standard FAR Patent and Data Rights Clauses and Provisions

12. Deliverables The Offeror’s reports, briefings, demonstrations, and project communication will inform NASA of the study progress and results. The Offeror may propose additional deliverables to the focus areas listed within Appendix C’s Study Areas 1-2.

12.1. Study Area #1 Deliverables and Demonstrations

The offeror shall reference Appendix C Section 4.1.4.

12.2. Study Area #2 Deliverables and Demonstrations

The offeror shall reference Appendix C Section 4.2.4.

13. Proposal Review Information

NASA will evaluate the entire proposal including attachments in accordance with the process as defined in the NextSTEP-3 Omnibus BAA, Section 5: Proposal Review Information and as defined in this Appendix below.

13.1. Compliance Review

NASA will conduct a compliance review as defined in this Appendix. All proposals, including attachments, will be prescreened for compliance with solicitation requirements and relevance.

This includes:

• Submission of a complete proposal with all required elements.

• Submission of proposal consistent with the study areas identified in Section 3: Objectives of Appendix C.

• Proposals from eligible applicants as specified in the Eligibility Information in Appendix

C and the NextSTEP-3 Omnibus BAA Eligibility Information.

• Consistency with page limitations and formatting guidelines specified in this Appendix.

• Submission by the due date.

• Inclusion of all applicable attachments, such as the Statement of Work and Model

Contract.

NASA reserves the right to conduct due diligence exchanges with Offerors regarding compliance. Non-compliant proposals will be withdrawn and declined without further review.

Compliant proposals will undergo a full evaluation.

13.2. Evaluation

NASA will evaluate each proposal and associated attachments as defined in the NextSTEP-3 Omnibus BAA, Section 5: Proposal Review Information and as defined below in this Appendix.

The Evaluation Panel will summarize the strengths and weaknesses of each proposal including attachments. The Evaluation Panel will evaluate Factors 1 and 2 using the following adjectival ratings: Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair, or Poor. The Evaluation Panel will evaluate in accordance with NASA Guidebook for Proposers Responding to a NASA Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), Appendix D.

13.3. Evaluation Criteria

NASA will review and evaluate proposals in accordance with the omnibus BAA, Section 5.

NASA will evaluate proposals using the following evaluation factors, with each factor weighted as shown. Factor 1 (Relevance) is the most important. Factor 2 (Technical Merit) is more important than Factor 3 (Price).

13.3.1. Factor 1 – Relevance: The Government will evaluate the proposal's relevance to the services study objectives, its alignment with the Government’s interests and goals, and its adherence to the outlined expectations. This includes how well the proposal addresses the notional study requirements. The evaluation will also consider the Offeror's demonstrated knowledge and understanding of current NASA SCaN services and infrastructure, as well as NASA’s vision for the future space communications and navigation architecture.

13.3.2. Factor 2 – Technical Merit: The Government will evaluate the quality, depth, and thoroughness of the proposed technical approach and the organization’s capabilities and the qualifications of key personnel.

13.3.3. Factor 3 – Price: The Government will evaluate the cost reasonableness of the firm-fixed-price estimate and corporate contributions, including compliance with specified dollar limits. The evaluation will cover total direct labor hours by skill mix, travel, and subcontracts. Additionally, the corporate contribution will be analyzed to ensure proper alignment with the proposed effort.

13.4. Cost/Price Review and Programmatic Balance

Only those proposals most highly rated under technical merit and of acceptable implementation risk to the government will be reviewed for Cost/Price and Programmatic Balance. Some proposals that may be high risk to implement that show potential for important technology gain can also advance. This review will evaluate the programmatic balance, hardware availability and cost/price of all proposals that are technically meritorious and feasible to implement. This review will be conducted by NASA subject matter experts. Evaluation of the cost/price of a proposed effort includes the relationship of the proposed price to available funds. The evaluation of programmatic balance focuses on a comparison of the proposed cost/price in the context of the proposed scope of work and the time-phasing of payments throughout the period of performance.

14. Award Information

14.1. Contract Award/Funding Availability

NASA reserves the right to select multiple, one, or none of the proposals in response to this Appendix. NASA plans to evaluate and select based on initial proposals without discussions but may conduct discussions if deemed necessary. Each Offeror should submit their most favorable proposal in terms of cost and technical aspects. After selection, NASA will negotiate with the chosen Offerors to finalize pricing and contract terms. The number of awards will depend on available funding and evaluation results.

14.2. Period of Performance

As indicated in this Appendix C, NASA desires the period of performance of three (3) months for this effort; however, the offeror may propose a period of performance not exceeding six (6) months. If the offeror proposes more than 3 months, the offeror shall provide the basis for the additional period of performance proposed in relation to the proposed unique concepts and innovative solutions.

14.3. Award Date

Initial source selection is anticipated on December 1, 2025.

14.4. Funding Allocation

NASA has allotted $1,700,000 to the total cumulative awards under this Appendix C. The contract shall be a firm-fixed-price contract. NASA may select one or more topics, or the entire proposed effort. The Government’s obligation to make awards is contingent upon the availability of appropriated funds from which payments can be made and the receipt of proposals that NASA determines are acceptable.

15. References

• NextSTEP Reference Website: https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/nextstep/

• SAM.gov Reference Website for NextSTEP-3 Omnibus:

Appendix A. Moon and Mars Communication Use Cases

This appendix provides the extracted Moon and Mars Communication Use Cases from ESDMD- 001 for reference.

A.1 Moon Communication Use Cases

ID Use Cases UC-C-101 L Communications and data exchange with high bandwidth and high availability between assets on the lunar surface and the Earth UC-C-102 L Communications and data exchange with high bandwidth and high availability between assets at a variety of different locations on the lunar surface UC-C-103 L Communications and data exchange with high bandwidth and high availability between assets in cislunar space and the Earth UC-C-104 L Communications and data exchange with high bandwidth and high availability between assets in cislunar space and the lunar surface UC-C-201 L Determination of position, navigation, and timing by crew and assets in cislunar space UC-C-202 L Determination of position, navigation, and timing by crew and assets at the south pole region on the lunar surface UC-C-203 L Crew or robotics utilization of position, navigation, and timing for accurate sample tracking at the south pole region on the lunar surface UC-C-204 L Determination of…