NNC17ZCH025L_-_Relay_Pathfinder_RFI-3_Final_9-8-17.pdf

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)

PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS TO ADVANCE

OPTICAL and RF SPACE COMMUNICATIONS AND

NAVIGATION (SCaN) CAPABILITIES AND

SERVICES

NASA SPACE COMMUNICATIONS

AND NAVIGATION PROGRAM

Released: Friday, September 8, 2017 Responses Due: Monday, October 23, 2017 at 4:30pm EDT

National Aeronautics and Space Administration John H. Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field, OH 44135

SPACE COMMUNICATIONS AND NAVIGATION CAPABILITIES AND SERVICES

John H. Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

1.1 Overview

1.2 RFI Purpose

1.3 Partnership Approach

1.4 Timeline Estimate

2. Next Generation Communications and Navigation Architecture for Near Earth

2.1 NASA’s Next Generation Initial Relay Satellite Concept

2.2 NASA’s Ground Operations

2.3 Partner Use of Government Payload or Operational Resources

2.4 Reference Documents

3. Instructions for RFI Responses

3.1 Executive Summary

3.2 Technical Plan and Approach

3.3 Relevance to NASA’s Next Generation Architecture

3.4 Business Plan and Approach

3.5 Cost Description

4. Information for Participants

4.1 General Information

4.2 Eligibility

4.3 Anticipated Partnership Funding

4.4 Export Control Requirements

4.5 Response Handling and Format

4.6 Industry Day

1. Introduction

1.1 Overview

NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Program provides space communication and navigation services for scientific and human space exploration.

SCaN currently offers radio frequency (RF) relay services to near Earth space missions via Tracking and Data Relay Satellites (TDRS) of the NASA Space Network (SN). SCaN will begin offering a new generation of relay services beginning in the 2025 timeframe either through government owned capability, or through commercial service providers or a combination thereof. The augmentation of the space relay satellite network over the next decade will include adding optical communications capability along with enhanced RF capabilities and services to enable new and greater scientific discovery, improve communication and navigation services, and reduce development and operations costs.

One approach to augmentation that NASA is considering is the use of Public-Private Partnerships consistent with the 2010 National Space Policy, to develop and provide capability or services for NASA’s future space network. Public-Private Partnerships allow NASA and commercial entities to develop and introduce new capabilities into NASA’s operational services by shared investment, standards, risks, and benefits.

These new capabilities may help foster the growth of the commercial satellite communications market (from low Earth orbit to the Moon and beyond) and provide benefits to future NASA missions in alignment with NASA envisioned Next Generation Architecture. Such partnerships may form the basis of future acquisition activities to help share the cost and risk of developing and providing these capabilities and services and provide savings and benefit to both the potential Partner (or Partner(s)) and Government.

The 2010 National Space Policy of the United States provides comprehensive guidance for all government activities in space, including NASA’s. The principles’ section of the policy states, “The United States is committed to encouraging and facilitating the growth of a U.S. commercial space sector that supports U.S.

needs, is globally competitive, and advances U.S. leadership in the generation of new markets and innovation-driven entrepreneurship.”

The National Space Policy further defines the term “commercial” as:

“The term ‘commercial,’ for the purposes of this policy, refers to space goods, services, or activities provided by private sector enterprises that bear a reasonable portion of the investment risk and responsibility for the activity, operate in accordance with typical market-based incentives for controlling cost and optimizing return on investment, and have the legal capacity to offer these goods or services to existing or potential nongovernmental customers. To promote a robust domestic commercial space industry, departments and agencies shall:

- Purchase and use commercial space capabilities and services to the maximum practical extent when such capabilities and services are available in the marketplace and meet United States Government requirements;

- Modify commercial space capabilities and services to meet government requirements when existing commercial capabilities and services do not fully meet these requirements and the potential modification represents a more cost-effective and timely acquisition approach for the government;

- Actively explore the use of inventive, nontraditional arrangements for acquiring commercial space goods and services to meet United States Government requirements, including measures such as public-private partnerships, hosting government capabilities on commercial spacecraft, and purchasing scientific or operational data products from commercial satellite operators in support of government missions;

The goal of the partnerships between NASA and commercial entities is to reduce NASA development and operations costs for providing services, foster new U.S.

space commercial markets and expertise while enabling an affordable, sustainable, flexible, and secure next generation open architecture for space communications and navigation to meet U.S. civilian, military, and commercial needs. The flexibility of the future system will help NASA meet the dynamically changing needs of missions, allow commercial entities to provide services and capability to both non-government and government customers using the same architecture, and lower NASA’s development and operations cost while infusing new and emerging technologies, capabilities, and services.

1.2 RFI Purpose

NASA is soliciting information from any and all U.S. commercial entities that have an interest to partner with NASA on shared satellite(s) development, provision of communication or navigation capabilities or services in low Earth orbit or outside of low Earth orbit, or development or validation of technology. NASA’s investment with commercial entities seeks to accelerate the availability of new services and capabilities and advance US commerce in space.

The envisioned partnership will enable sharing the cost and risk of development, launch, and operations of the capabilities or services (e.g. payloads, satellites, user space terminals) among NASA and the commercial providers. The capabilities and services are intended for both NASA missions and commercial customers with a market providing more than one commercial supplier and servicing more than one customer (with one non-government), and with NASA missions as a potential commercial customer.

RFI responses and proposed partnerships that address, but not limited to, the following technical and business aspects will aid NASA’s understanding and planning:

Technical Capability Description and Approach

a) Shared satellite development and operations – New optical and/or enhanced RF capability for the SN. Opportunities to mature and infuse mid-to-high level technologies or products as part of operational payload.

a. Relay satellites (or series of satellites) and related operations infrastructure, and the associated user space terminals and ground infrastructure.

b. Technology assessments – Partners have the opportunity for NASA to assess their proposed technology’s applicability to the Next Generation Architecture.

b) Optical and RF Commercial Services - Communications and navigation products and services, user terminals, and associated architectural and system trade-offs.

a. Address NASA’s user space terminal needs to allow non-exclusive services (e.g. user space terminals operable with multiple commercial or government services)

Business and Partnership Description and Approach

a) Business case and partnership - Cooperative investment and business approaches, business plans, market feasibility, and joint risk management.

b) Cost-share and contributions - Partners discuss their proposed contributions (financial and in-kind), financial approach, and anticipated NASA contributions and their benefits.

1.3 Partnership Approach

NASA is considering Public-Private Partnership to conduct the activities described in this RFI. These new partnership agreements could complement traditional procurement approaches for the development, flight, and operations of the space communications capability. Partnership activities may range from technology assessments, flight validations of new technologies, up to simply providing commercial services.

Depending on the details of the partnership, NASA is considering all potential partnering approaches, including procurements under the Federal Acquisition

Regulation (FAR) as well agreements under its other transactions authority (51 U.S.C. § 20113(e)). These approaches could include funded, unfunded, reimbursable, cost sharing or cooperative agreements.

As needed for potential future activities, NASA will also negotiate the Partner’s access to NASA’s spaceflight resources; satellite payload or bus systems, ground stations, technical expertise, facility, flight or test analysis or data, aspects of risk mitigation, or other resources. Use of additional Government resources such as facility, services, and Government developed technologies may require the negotiation of a separate agreement with NASA.

1.4 Timeline Estimate

The capabilities and services described in the response should be available to NASA in the 2025 timeframe. Capabilities and services commercially provided should be made available to government and non-government customers no later than 2025, but may be made available earlier based on the Partner’s business needs and plans.

NASA envisions, provided a development approach is more cost effective than purchasing commercial services, the initial relay satellite deployments beginning in 2024. Subsequent launches will be dependent on how incremental capacity is packaged and the growth rate of NASA’s and other customers’ usage of capacity.

NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate is considering the opportunity to incorporate commercial space communications and navigation capabilities into the Deep Space Gateway (DSG) Power and Propulsion Element (PPE), a space vehicle for operation in a Lunar vicinity orbit, which could provide service to customers in cis-lunar space (Ref. [6]). The infrastructure needs of the PPE could change the need date for aspects of the next generation architecture capability or services described in this Space Communications and Navigation Capabilities and Services RFI.

2. Next Generation Communications and Navigation Architecture for Near Earth

Changes in the missions that use the SCaN Network services (hereafter referred to as “missions”) are planned that will drive fundamental changes in network capabilities.

Human explorers returning to cis-lunar space and eventually reaching Mars with steadily increasing surface capabilities will drive both near Earth and Mars vicinity relay needs. Services to small or disadvantaged spacecraft will impose higher burden on networks and services. Missions will continue to increase their need for temporal, spatial and spectral resolution in science measurements and reduced data delivery latency, increasing near Earth through-put by 10-100x and deep space through-put by

100-1000x. Operationally, missions will require faster, less labor-intensive network support for service negotiation and mission design and increased need for service flexibility and rapid response to mission service requests during operations.

Non-government, commercial use of near Earth space will also change. Entrepreneurs establishing new markets in space and the increasing demand for non-government communication and navigation services (coupled with NASA’s needs) will drive increased capacity and interoperability with reduced cost of services.

To enable these missions and commercial services, the SCaN Network needs to be part of an end-to-end “system of systems” that includes many elements from research spacecraft, mission control centers, NASA, U.S. Government, commercial, and international partner space agency relay satellites and ground infrastructure. Missions will receive support through both government and commercial providers using common standards and interfaces. These common interfaces will allow missions to focus only on how they connect to the network and not how their data is delivered end-to-end.

Reconfigurable software defined radios will provide the ability for mission spacecraft to adapt to residual differences in services provided by NASA and Partners such as different frequency bands and waveform (e.g. modulation and coding) configurations.

Figure 1 depicts an early deployment concept of the near Earth relay satellite architecture. The architecture is comprised of provider (e.g. NASA or commercial) service nodes of satellites and ground station. For terrestrial through GEO coverage, NASA requires 24x7 network access for user spacecraft, provided through GEO or MEO orbits with varying field-of-view; with additional nodal points providing overlapping coverage areas, increased network bandwidth, and increased network availability. A combination of optical and RF relay and direct-to-ground links are envisioned for mission users along with optical cross links to route data to continental U.S. based ground stations.

A combination of Government and commercially provided ground stations and relay satellites (payloads) in the geostationary (or alternate) orbit will provide new and continuing services to missions in low Earth orbit (LEO) and beyond including; high rate optical communications, internetworking using Internet protocol (IP) and Disruption Tolerant Networking (DTN), the use of emerging commercial and international link protocols, broadcast and on-demand signaling for asynchronous end-to-end messaging and autonomous network scheduling services.

These new services may have limited coverage and capacity until full deployment is reached. The existing architecture and satellites will continue to provide many of the current relay communication services; multiple access over S-band, high rate single access Ku- and Ka-band, and moderate to low rate single access S-band, while new services are added. Some legacy architecture assets such as ground antennas and elements of the existing TDRS satellite fleet are expected to remain operational until 2040 timeframe.

Figure 1. Initial near Earth Communications and Navigation Architecture Concept

The first payload(s) launched by NASA may only provide a portion of these future capabilities in any one satellite. Additional capability may be provided by additional NASA payloads, commercial satellites or services, or future shared developments. As additional satellites are launched, both new and existing services will be added based on the mission needs and timing as well as providing opportunities to introduce new technology to enhance the spacecraft bus performance.

Finally, NASA’s initiative to introduce automation, cognition, and networking features to improve the efficiency and performance of the service and provisioning operations will enhance the replenishment of the relay satellite network. Proposals might consider automating functions to reduce human labor for both networks and missions while improving reliability to enhance the mission (customer) experience. Adding new features could include automated asset scheduling, adaptive rate communications to increase throughput, broadcast and message facilities with network state information (service availability, relay maneuvers and ephemeris, schedule) to support navigation and communication services as well as network operations.

2.1 NASA’s Next Generation Initial Relay Satellite Concept

NASA’s initial operational need is an early deployment of the Next Generation Architecture relay capability. NASA will refine its plans over the next few years as the existing relay satellite system changes and system trade studies are conducted.

NASA’s current initial 2025 concept as described in Ref. [1] entails:

• Up to10 Gbps optical terminal user links and support to a minimum of two (TBR) simultaneous user mission spacecraft in low earth orbit

• Up to 100 Gbps optical cross links to transport NASA operated data links to continental US ground location(s)

• Up to 100 Gbps optical space to ground links for data relay to gateway ground station

• Optical transceiver terminals to provide communications to crewed and robotic missions beyond GEO in cis-lunar orbit.

• Optical communication at nominally 1550 nm.

• High rate Ka-band (or other RF frequency band) space to ground link for data relay to gateway ground station link

• Low rate Ka-band or S-band for satellite command and control

• Onboard data processing, storage, and routing among optical-to-optical and optical-to-RF communication links through the relay satellite

• Separation of non-sensitive and sensitive data for both Government and commercial data links

• Secure and resilient satellite command, control, telemetry communications

• Use of open commercial and international standards for interoperability among

Government, commercial and Partner assets (e.g. relays, ground stations, control centers)

• Service management including autonomous scheduling and operation, demand access service, service provision and monitoring, and service accounting

• Flight ready or high technology readiness systems or components.

• GEO (TBR) located spacecraft(s)

• Non-exclusive solutions for the use of commercially provided services

Figure 2 illustrates the architecture connectivity associated with the relay satellite and associated ground and space terminals

The Next Generation Architecture will evolve with the deployment of additional ground stations and relay assets. NASA will pursue and assess other technologies

Figure 2 – Notional Relay Satellite Architecture Concept

Optional Beyond GEO Mission Optical Terminal (Up to 2M km)

(Optional Use As Cross Link)

Optical Relay in Other Region

Below GEO Missions’ Optical Terminals (2 simultaneous)

Pathfinder Optical/RF User Service

Connectivity

Primary (and Diversity) Optical Ground Terminal(s)

Terrestrial IP Network

B A

1n

A: Time-Shared Optical Head(s) for User Space Links

B: Optical Head Dedicated for Cross or Space-

Ground Link

GEO

LEO

C: Ka-band Space- Ground Link

C

Ka-band Ground Terminal

Primary Link Secondary Link

Mission Control Center for the future architecture (some beyond the 2025 timeframe) and may consider them as technology demonstrators on the early relay deployments. These technologies include, but are not limited to:

• High throughput optical and Ka-band multiple access service

• Autonomous/cognitive operations and scheduling services

• Integrated electronics/photonics for communications

• Optical or Ka-band user terminal technologies (e.g. steerable array antennas, transceivers) that lower the resource burden to users

• mmWave communications

2.2 NASA’s Ground Operations

NASA expects to own and operate the following ground stations for the future architecture;

Relay Gateway Ground Stations NASA ground operations for relay satellite command/telemetry and RF (e.g. Ka-band) space to ground data link are expected to occur from NASA facilities located in White Sands, New Mexico and on the island of Guam.

Optical Ground Stations NASA ground operations for optical data links are expected to occur from NASA operated facilities located on Maui, Hawaii and another CONUS site, TBD. NASA also plans to maintain and operate an optical ground station test facility at Table Mountain in Wrightwood, California.

Network Control Center NASA’s network control for the SN is expected to remain at White Sands Complex in White Sands, New Mexico.

2.3 Partner Use of Government Payload or Operational Resources

NASA expects to provide the optical terminal payload capability as described in Section 2.1 with ground infrastructure and operations described in Section 2.2.

NASA and the Partners could share portions of NASA’s spacecraft payload or ground resources in a mutually beneficial way. NASA resources for potential sharing (as available) include, but are not limited to the following:

On-orbit Payload Accommodations/Capacity

• Space to ground links capacity/bandwidth (RF or optical TBD)

• Cross links capacity/bandwidth (optical)

• On-board processing or memory capacity

• On-board backup subsystems or components configured to benefit Partner and NASA and reduce mass and complexity of the spacecraft.

Ground Operations Capacity

• Satellite/payload RF (command/telemetry) operations from White Sands, New

Mexico (Ref. [2])

• Optical payload data testing from Table Mountain facility, Wrightwood, California or operations from Maui, Hawaii (Ref. [1]) and other TBD site.

Expertise

• NASA’s spaceflight personnel expertise

• Development and spaceflight analysis or test data

• Risk mitigation approaches

• Unique facility and services

Other Government provided resources are intended to augment commercial capability: facilities, technical expertise, operations capabilities, lessons learned, data, etc. particularly if the use of these elements substantially reduce government costs or provide new or unique services previously unavailable.

2.4 Reference Documents

1. Next Generation Architecture Background Information, www.fbo.gov.

2. Satellite Control Station at White Sands, New Mexico, Space Network User’s Guide, sbir.gsfc.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/450-SNUG_V10.pdf

3. NASA Space Flight Program and Project Management Requirements (NPR 7120.5) https://nodis3.gsfc.nasa.gov/npg_img/N_PR_7120_005E_/N_PR_7120_005E_.p df

4. Systems Engineering Processes and Requirements (NPR 7123.1) https://nodis3.gsfc.nasa.gov/npg_img/N_PR_7123_001B_/N_PR_7123_001B_.p

5. Software Engineering Requirements (NPR 7150.2) https://nodis3.gsfc.nasa.gov/npg_img/N_PR_7150_002B_/N_PR_7150_002B_.p

6. NASA Deep Space Gateway, Power and Propulsion Element Request for

Information (RFI), https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=33368e53181a28d9fb 7d9e8582aff8c7&tab=core&_cview=0

3. Instructions for RFI Responses

Respondents are requested to submit the RFI response to NASA in the following format:

Section I Executive Summary Section II Technical Plan and Approach Section III Relevance to NASA Section IV Business Plan and Approach Section V Cost Description

It is understood that each respondent may not have a response to each section of the RFI. Partial submissions are acceptable, but providing or proposing a capability, identifying the relevance to NASA, and describing any Partner or business relationship is most beneficial to both the potential Partner and to NASA.

Mapping the section numbers and headings used below in the response will facilitate response reviews.

3.1 Executive Summary

Provide an Executive Summary (nominally 2-3 pages) and summarize:

• Description of technical communications capabilities or services proposed or planned

• Relevance of the proposed capability to NASA’s Next Generation Architecture

• Business and technical approach, market assessment, funding/cost/savings, and expected outcome of a potential partnership with NASA

• Anticipated Government and Partner resources requested or shared under a potential partnership

3.2 Technical Plan and Approach

Describe the technical plan and approach for developing the proposed capability or service of the partnership. Provide sufficient information to establish confidence in this plan and Partner’s ability to execute the plan.

3.2.1 Technical Capability and Concept

Describe the capability’s key features, system design concept, and concept of operations. The proposed capability may be offered as a partnership on NASA’s expected satellite or payload (or series of satellites), commercially provided service, separate satellite partnership, or other arrangement.

Provide overview and description of the following as they apply:

• RF and optical communication transceivers, receivers, modems, etc.

• On-board processing, data routing (spacecraft or ground) and storage

• Common interfaces among spacecraft systems and sub systems.

• Spacecraft operations

• Autonomy (spacecraft, ground, or scheduling operations)

• Security and interoperability based on existing or future standards noting any difference for government and/or commercial market data

• Service management including scheduling or demand access, service provision and monitoring, and service accounting

• For commercially provided services; describe user terminal capability/resources

• Spectrum use among commercial and government ownership and use

• Others areas/capabilities of relevance or interest

Describe any advancements or mutual interest in advancement of other spacecraft bus technology (e.g. power, propulsion, thermal).

3.2.2 Development, Production, and Demonstration

Describe the elements of the capability that are either already operational or commercially available and elements that are under development or to be developed. Describe the status and technical approach for completing development and production of the capability. Note any planned demonstrations in time to provide services in the required timeframe.

Include a discussion of the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) for each major element as defined at https://nodis3.gsfc.nasa.gov/npg_img/N_PR_7123_001B_/N_PR_7123_001B _.pdf (NPR 7123.1 Appendix E). Dependency on lower TRL technology should be described in the technical risk section.

3.2.3 Development Standards

NASA is considering the use of alternative development standards e.g.

“commercial / industry best practices” in place of or to augment selected internal practices and standards [Refs 3, 4, 5] as a way of potentially reducing the costs associated with the development, test, and operations of future spacecraft.

Describe any NASA standard which creates an additional cost increase satisfied by commercial development standards (e.g. commercial best practices, industry standards) and describe how those practices reduce cost over traditional government procurements. Estimate the cost and schedule https://nodis3.gsfc.nasa.gov/npg_img/N_PR_7123_001B_/N_PR_7123_001B_.pdf https://nodis3.gsfc.nasa.gov/npg_img/N_PR_7123_001B_/N_PR_7123_001B_.pdf savings for using industry best practices compared to the NASA standards (see Cost section).

3.2.4 Technical Risks

Describe the most significant technical risks associated with the effort for both Partners and NASA, and the plans to jointly manage them. Note any risks associated with using commercial best practices in place of typical NASA development standards.

3.2.5 Shared Resources

Describe the use of any shared technical resources both on the spacecraft (e.g. processing, link/data bandwidth, memory, performance data, and command links) and/or on the ground among government and/or Partner.

Identify any comingling of Partner’s and NASA’s data or spacecraft and payload control/telemetry and under what terms and conditions.

3.3 Relevance to NASA’s Next Generation Architecture

Describe how the proposed capability or service provides the envisioned future needs and capabilities, as summarized in Section 2 and Ref. [1].

3.3.1 Network Perspective

Describe aspects of the proposed capability, service or architecture enhancement in terms of;

• Affordable – Ability to reduce the costs and network burden of space communication and navigation acquisition and operations.

• Evolvable – How proposed developments and services help scale network capacity to meet mission rising and falling demand, resiliency, and security.

3.3.2 User Mission Perspective

Describe the shared development capability or commercial service from the user space mission point-of-view. Note the capability, advancement, space terminal resources, and cost to user missions.

Describe aspects of the proposed service or architecture in terms of;

• Methods to allow NASA to use commercial services from multiple providers or government provided services (e.g. space network) to prevent sole-source provided services.

• User terminal resources (size, mass, power) – User mission space terminal description highlighting the reduction in mission burden and cost compared to comparable service and operation with TDRS.

3.4 Business Plan and Approach

Describe the approach to supply the proposed capability or service to the market.

Provide sufficient information to establish confidence in Partner’s ability to execute the plan.

3.4.1 Business Overview

Provide an overview of the proposed business and commercial offering as it relates to the proposed capabilities and include the following:

• Business model/plan/strategy for shared satellite(s) development, provision of service, or development of technology

• Customers/market; both government and non-government o Incentive for NASA missions to use the capability or service

• Commercial market: assessment if market size supports at least two suppliers (i.e. no monopoly) and multiple customers (at least one commercial), barriers (e.g. financial, technical, political) to enter market

• Preferred time to market and operational lifetime

• Return on investment goals/timeframe and commercial operations

• Management Approach

3.4.2 Business Development Plan

Summarize the business development plan and include the following:

• An overview of the plan and schedule for the shared development aspects, and producing and demonstrating (if proposed) the planned capability(ies) in the requested timeframe (2025 service)

• If the Partner desires an earlier launch date than NASA proposes, recommend means to accelerate the schedule in collaboration with NASA and identify what NASA would have to do to accommodate the participant’s target launch date.

• Assuming commercial provider, how Partner would prioritize among different users (customers) and services.

3.4.3 Business Partnerships

Describe any major Partners and suppliers including respective roles and contributions to the project. Partners and suppliers might include for-profit, non-profit, and government entities.

Describe the Partner’s approach to acquire communications spacecraft. (e.g., copies of relevant RFPs), if Partner leads spacecraft development.

Describe any proposed or current Government relationships that are directly related to the development of the proposed capability and describe how they are related.

3.4.4 Partnership Agreement and Compliance

Describe potential business arrangements and terms with NASA as a partner on spacecraft development/acquisition, payload development (e.g. optical communications payload), or commercial services. Describe advantages to both Partners and NASA that can potentially lower the cost of spacecraft development, testing, and/or operations. Discuss considerations, and applicable laws or regulations as appropriate.

Other aspects of interest include:

• Describe intellectual property considerations for NASA and Partner from the partnership.

• Describe relevant past experience with Public-Private partnerships.

Describe benefits, barriers, and challenges to the partnership and agreement approach.

• Discuss synergies, additional or common requirements, and potential savings among U.S. Government customers and between government and commercial customers.

• Describe the notional instrument (contract, purchase order, MOU, Cooperative Agreement, Space Act Agreement, interagency acquisition, etc.) to procure any goods and services between partners (partner to partner), and between NASA and any partners (contractor or other government entity).

3.4.5 Business Risk Management Plan

Describe significant business risks, both to Partner and to NASA associated with the effort and plans to manage them. Identify lessons learned and any actions by NASA necessary to reduce risk to the partnership and maximize overall value.

3.4.6 Proposed Use of Government Resources

Identify the Government resources (other than direct funding) and timing potentially requested for the Partner’s capability development effort or service as described in Section 3.2 of this Announcement.

3.5 Cost Description

3.5.1 Investment Cost and Cost Basis

Provide a Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) cost estimate for each major element (i.e., spacecraft, communications payload, launch vehicle, ground station, etc.) for each NASA program phase noting non-recurring and recurring costs for additional services or spacecraft.

Include a statement regarding the basis for all provided costs. If available, provide a top level master equipment list, including estimates of mass, to the subsystem level for all hardware elements. Identify if cost estimates are in either current year or inflated dollars. Include a list of key cost assumptions associated with the estimate provided.

Describe the development effort and the plan to acquire the resources needed to complete development of the capability or service as identified in Section 3.2. Describe experiences with contracts similar in size and scope to the proposed new capability or business.

3.5.2 Service Cost

Describe the anticipated cost or cost drivers of the proposed services to customers and conditions (e.g. certain market size, customer commitments, technology advancement) needed to reduce or minimize costs.

3.5.3 Cost/Revenue Saving/Sharing

Identify existing resources (funding or in-kind) that will be committed under the partnership arrangement including capital and other Partner resources.

Identify the amount of any Government funding requested or applied during any phase or aspect.

Identify any revenue sharing, cost reductions, or considerations from sharing system or satellite resources with the Government. Identify cost savings to both Partner and Government for access to other Government resources;

personnel and expertise, facilities, and data.

3.5.4 Cost Risk

Describe the cost risk to NASA and the Partner to invest in the proposed commercial product or service. Describe possible steps taken by Partner and/or NASA to mitigate cost risks to either Partner and/or NASA if the service does not achieve operations.

4. Information for Participants

This RFI is used for planning purposes and technology assessments and does not constitute a solicitation. In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), responses to this RFI are not offers and cannot be accepted by NASA to form a binding contract. NASA is under no obligation to issue a solicitation or to award any contract based on this RFI. NASA intends to evaluate all data received for potential future options/plans.

This RFI is used solely for soliciting information and planning purposes and does not constitute a solicitation. In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), responses to this RFI are not offers and cannot be accepted by NASA to form a binding contract. NASA is under no obligation to issue a solicitation or to award any contract on the basis of this RFI.

However, the information resulting from this RFI may be utilized by NASA in developing its acquisition strategy. Respondents are encouraged to provide information that is not constrained by limited/restricted data rights. However, if proprietary data is included in a reply, Respondents should clearly and properly mark any propriety or restricted data contained within its submission so it can be identified and protected. Respondents are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI. NASA intends to evaluate all data received and Responders may be contacted for further discussion on an as needed basis. Please note, NASA as well as support contractors and/or their sub-contractors working on behalf of the Government may be reviewing the information. Responses to this RFI will not be returned, and Respondents will not be notified of the result of the review.

The Government does not intend to award a contract on the resulting from this RFI or to otherwise pay for the information solicited. The information provided is entirely voluntary and will not affect the ability to bid on future requirements. This RFI is for planning purposes only and shall not be considered as an obligation on the part of the Government to acquire any products or services.

No solicitation exists; therefore, do not request a copy of a solicitation. If a solicitation is released in the future, it will be synopsized in FedBizOpps and on the NASA Acquisition Internet Service. It is the potential Respondent’s responsibility to monitor these sites for the release of any solicitation or synopsis.

4.1 General Information

Agency: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Announcement Title: Public-Private Partnerships to Advance Space Communications and Navigation Capabilities and Services

Announcement Number: NNC17ZCH025L

Responsible Office: Space Flight System Office Space Communications and Navigation

NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, Ohio 44135

Response Due Date: Monday, October 23, 2017 at 4:30pm EDT

Response Format: Microsoft Word or Portable Document File (PDF) format

Provide company name with business and technical point of contacts at the front of the response.

Submit Responses to: Email: NASA-Relay-Pathfinder@lists.nasa.gov

Point of Contact: Contracting Officer: Justin C. Wilson

Telephone: 216-433-5092

Email: NASA-Relay-Pathfinder@lists.nasa.gov

RFI Questions: Submit questions regarding this RFI via Email to: NASA-Relay-

Pathfinder@lists.nasa.gov. The subject line of the email should read “NASA Relay Pathfinder RFI Question” as well as the name of the organization/company submitting the question.

NASA intends to respond to questions received by email by TBD on an individual basis. Questions and Answers will not be made public.

Website: The Announcement as well as current news and other information may be obtained and downloaded over the Internet at FedBizOpps: www.fbo.gov.

mailto:NASA-Relay-Pathfinder@lists.nasa.gov mailto:NASA-Relay-Pathfinder@lists.nasa.gov

4.2 Eligibility

All private sector entities, including non-profits, may respond under this Announcement.

4.3 Anticipated Partnership Funding

The funding value and acquisition approach associated with any Public-Private Partnership for the shared development, commercial services, or other aspect will be determined at a future time. NASA’s anticipated funding for the activities will depend on the ultimate capabilities needed and requested, commercial services and approaches, and other government partners’ needs and contributions. This RFI and the cost information associated with the partner activities will provide valuable input on the approach for these future acquisition arrangements.

4.4 Export Control Requirements

It is incumbent upon the offeror to assure the protection and nondisclosure of relevant technical data, including requirements of the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and mark documents and transmit them in accordance with the regulations.

4.5 Response Handling and Format

Respondents should clearly and properly mark any propriety or restricted data contained within its submission so it can be identified and properly protected. It is NASA’s policy to treat all responses as sensitive competitive information and to disclose the contents only for NASA purposes.

NASA, other interested Government agencies, federally funded research and development centers, as well as support contractors working on behalf of the Government may review the information received unless other arrangements are made. Potential respondents should only submit information that can be made available to those parties (properly marked) and should note by submitting information to this request, the above parties will be able to review each respondent’s information.

Respondents are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI. NASA provides no funding for reimbursement of response-development costs. Responses submitted to this Announcement will not be returned

The maximum size of each email submittal is 15 Mbytes unless other arrangements are made. Participants are encouraged to email submittals at least two business days prior to the deadline to allow time to resolve any transmission problems. NASA is not responsible for transmission failure or security during email transmission to

NASA.

4.6 Industry Day

NASA will host an Industry Day virtual forum to discuss the Relay Pathfinder Public- Private Partnership RFI. The NASA SCaN Program will present an overview of the next generation communications architecture as described in Ref [1], provide an overview summary of the RFI and expected responses, and answer questions related to the RFI.

The Industry Day forum will take place on Thursday, September 14, 2017 via Webex presentation.

Pathfinder Virtual Industry Forum DATE: Thursday, September 14, 2017 9:00am-12:00pm, EDT

Meeting number: 390 489 951 Meeting password: J2tFrcP*

Calendar Notice Link to Webex: Add to Calendar

When it's time, join the meeting.

Conference Phone Number

Phone Number: 844-467-6272 Enter Code: 522267#

The briefing charts will be posted to the www.fbo.gov website as an amendment to the RFI after the event concludes.

https://nasa.webex.com/nasa/j.php?MTID=mf28a99623d4646568f9ba0bf3e57576e https://nasa.webex.com/nasa/j.php?MTID=m44174a325501a1c33e3b40ee70bfc7e0