Enclosure A - Appendix Q Rev 3.pdf

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

Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships -2 (NextSTEP-2) Broad Agency Announcement NNH16ZCQ001K-CIS-Appendix_Q

Appendix Q:

CIS Capability Studies III: Lunar User Terminals & Network Orchestration and Management

System

Originally Issued: July 8, 2024 Proposals Due: August 7, 2024 05:00pm ET

Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships -2 (NextSTEP-2) Broad Agency Announcement NNH16ZCQ001K-CIS-Appendix_Q

Table of Contents

1. Introduction and Background

2. Reference Documents

3. Objectives of Appendix Q

4. Capability Study and Demonstration Statement of Objectives

4.1. Study Area #1: Lunar User Terminal

4.1.1. Embedded Oscillator:

4.1.2. Augmented Forward Signal Receiver

4.1.3. S-Band Communications Transceiver

4.1.4. Position, Velocity, Time Estimation

4.1.5. Deliverables

4.2. Study Area #2: NOMS

4.2.1. Dynamic Orchestration Capabilities

4.2.2. Legacy Orchestration Scheduling

4.2.3. Physics Modeling and Digital Twinning

4.2.4. Environmental and Obstruction Impact Analysis

4.2.5. Propagation Modeling

4.2.6. Adaptive Network Topology Management

4.2.7. Traffic Flow Management

4.2.8. Real-time Autonomous Control

4.2.9. End-to-End Goal Expression

4.2.10. Resource Management and Beam Tasking

4.2.11. Open Architecture with APIs

4.2.12. Deployment and Authorization to Operate (ATO)

4.2.13. Security and Governance Control

4.2.14. Interconnectivity and Federation APIs

4.2.15. Modular-based Deployment

4.2.16. Ability to Account for Network Utilization

4.2.17. KPPs

4.2.18. Deliverables

5. General Information for Respondents

6. Inquiries

7. Proposals Due

8. Eligibility Information and Other Considerations

9. Corporate Resources

10. Organizational Conflicts of Interest (OCI)

11. Proposal Submission Information

11.1. Instructions for Proposals

12. Proposal Format and Contents

12.1. Title Page

12.2. Executive Summary

12.3. Proof of Eligibility

12.4. Qualifications of the Contractor

12.5. Study Approach

12.6. Intellectual Property

12.7. Signed Model Contract

12.8. Price Proposal

12.9. Required Attachments

12.10. Enclosures Provided by NASA

13. Additional Proposal Guidance

13.1. Deliverables

13.2. Briefings, Meetings, and Communications with NASA

13.3. Study Area #1 Deliverables and Demonstrations

13.4. Study Area #2 Deliverables and Demonstrations

14. Proposal Review Information

14.1. Compliance Review

14.2. Evaluation

14.3. Evaluation Criteria

15. Award Information

15.1. Contract Award/Funding Availability

15.2. Period of Performance

15.3. Award Date

15.4. Funding Allocation

16. References

1. Introduction and Background The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) long-term vision is to establish a resilient communications and navigation infrastructure, enabling seamless "roaming" between space-based and ground-based networks. Initially, NASA aims to create an interoperable architecture using existing NASA assets and commercial networks. This will facilitate a transition to fully commercialized communications services for near-Earth users. The goal is to develop reliable, robust, and cost-effective commercial services, with NASA as one of many customers.

The Commercialization, Innovation, and Synergies (CIS) Office’s third Capability Studies BAA is seeking industry insights and innovative guidance in the following two (2) Study Areas:

• Lunar User Terminal

• Network Orchestration and Management System (NOMS) The CIS Office will collaborate with U.S. industry partners to develop innovative studies on the topics listed above, identify requirements, demonstrate capabilities for NASA’s future needs, and explore operational efficiencies to ensure successful commercial transitions within the Agency.

2. Reference Documents

Study Area 1 – Lunar User Terminal

1 LunaNet Interoperability Specification Draft Version 5 (LNIS V005)

2 LunaNet Signal-In-Space Recommended Standard – Augmented Forward Signal (AD1) (LSIS V1.0 Draft)

3 Lunar Relay Services Requirements Document (SRD) (ESC-LCRNS-REQ-0090)

4 Cross-Program Design Specification for Natural Environments (DSNE) (SLS-SPEC-159) 5 Human Landing System (HLS) Program Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Compatibility Interface

Requirements Document (IRD) (EVA-EXP-0070)

6 Pseudo-Noise (PN) Ranging Systems, Recommended Standard, Issue 3 (CCSDS 414.1-B-3)

7 Data Transmission and PN Ranging for 2 GHz CDMA Link Via Data Relay Satellite (CCSDS 415.1-B.1)

Study Area 2 – Network Orchestration and Management System (NOMS) 1 NIST SP 800-189 (Resilient Interdomain Traffic Exchange): NIST SP 800-189

2 CCSDS 131.0-B-3 (TM Synchronization and Channel Coding Blue Book): CCSDS 131.0-B-3

3 CCSDS 911.1-B-5 Space Link Extension— Return All Frames Service Specification CCSDS 911.1-B-5

4 NIST SP 1500-201 (Framework for Cyber-Physical Systems): NIST SP 1500-201

5 NIST SP 800-190 (Application Container Security Guide): NIST SP 800-190

6 CCSDS 401.0-B-27 (Radio Frequency and Modulation Systems): CCSDS 401.0-B-27

7 NIST SP 800-189 (Resilient Interdomain Traffic Exchange): NIST SP 800-189

8 NIST SP 800-53 (Security and Privacy Controls for Federal Info. Systems): NIST SP 800-53

9 NIST SP 800-207 (Zero Trust Architecture): NIST SP 800-207

10 NIST SP 800-37 (Risk Management Framework for Information Systems): NIST SP 800-37

11 NIST SP 800-53 (Security and Privacy Controls): NIST SP 800-53 https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/lunanet-interoperability-specification-v5-draft.pdf?emrc=6f4483 https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/lsis-afs-v1-draft-.pdf?emrc=33f92a https://esc.gsfc.nasa.gov/static-files/ESC-LCRNS-REQ-0090-Rev-10-18-2022.pdf https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20210024522 https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20230004284 https://public.ccsds.org/Pubs/414x1b3.pdf https://public.ccsds.org/Pubs/415x1b1.pdf https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/detail/sp/800-189/final https://public.ccsds.org/Pubs/131x0b3s.pdf https://public.ccsds.org/Pubs/911x1b5.pdf https://www.nist.gov/publications/framework-cyber-physical-systems-volume-1-overview https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/detail/sp/800-190/final https://public.ccsds.org/Pubs/401x0b27s.pdf https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/detail/sp/800-189/final https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/detail/sp/800-53/rev-5/final https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/detail/sp/800-207/final https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/detail/sp/800-37/rev-2/final https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/detail/sp/800-53/rev-5/final

12 NIST SP 800-190 (Application Container Security Guide): NIST SP 800-190

13 Network Orchestration & Management System (NOMS) Demonstration Representative Use Case

3. Objectives of Appendix Q The objective of Appendix Q is to solicit innovative capability studies and demonstrations from industry experts to address two critical areas: Lunar User Terminals and NOMS. NASA aims to leverage these studies to support lunar orbit and surface operations and manage a globally distributed network of communication assets. The focus is on developing and demonstrating advanced technologies and solutions that meet specific technical requirements, ensuring compatibility with existing NASA standards and systems. This initiative supports NASA's broader goal of enhancing space exploration capabilities through industry partnerships, fostering technological advancements, and facilitating a seamless transition to commercial services for future missions.

4. Capability Study and Demonstration Statement of Objectives NASA is seeking capability studies and demonstrations from Industry Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to provide current concepts and innovative solutions for the following two study areas. Offerors shall respond to one or both study areas.

4.1. Study Area #1: Lunar User Terminal

To support lunar orbit and surface operations using LunaNet services, NASA seeks advanced industry studies, system development, and demonstrations of a dual-purpose navigation and communication lunar user terminal. The terminal must meet technical requirements for lunar exploration and ensure compatibility with LunaNet Interoperability Standards and Lunar Communications Relay and Navigation System (LCRNS). These requirements include separate LunaNet Augmented Forward Signal (AFS) Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) receiver, communications transceiver, and position, velocity, and time processing capabilities.

The development of a combined communications and PNT (CPNT) system meeting the full suite of requirements is desired. The following requirements provide a guideline for the terminal's technical capabilities.

4.1.1. Embedded Oscillator:

a. Reference Oscillator Stability:

i. The user terminal shall have a short-term Allan deviation of less than 5E-

12 for an observation time (tau) of 1 second.

ii. The user terminal shall have a long-term Allan deviation of less than 1E-

12 for an observation time (tau) of 1000 seconds.

iii. The user terminal oscillator shall have the ability to phase lock to an external reference oscillator source.

b. Timing Output: The user terminal shall provide a 1 pulse per second (PPS) square wave output synchronized to the reference oscillator.

4.1.2. Augmented Forward Signal Receiver

a. Frequency Support:

https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/detail/sp/800-190/final

i. The AFS receiver shall operate at S-Band between 2.4835 - 2.5000 GHz (𝑓𝑓𝑐𝑐 = 2.492028 GHz).

ii. The AFS receiver shall have an appropriate acquisition bandwidth to accommodate relative dynamics, reference oscillator offsets, and up to ±10 Hz frequency offset from the AFS service source.

b. Receiver Channels:

i. Number of Channels: The AFS receiver shall support a minimum of 8 receive channels.

ii. Independent Carrier Tracking: The AFS receiver shall support independent carrier tracking in each channel.

iii. Simultaneous Support: The AFS receiver shall be able to operate simultaneously to the S-Band transceiver function.

c. Modulation Tracking and Decoding:

i. Simultaneous Channel Support: The AFS receiver shall support tracking of the I channel [BPSK(1)] (1.023 Mcps) and Q channel [BPSK(5)] (5.115 Mcps) signals.

ii. Navigation Message Decoding: The AFS receiver shall support decoding of the LDPC encoded AFS navigation message.

d. Pseudo-noise (PN) Code Ranging:

i. The AFS receiver shall estimate PN code pseudoranges for both channels (I – 1.023 Mcps and Q – 5.115 Mcps).

e. Carrier Tracking:

i. Doppler Frequency Measurements: The AFS receiver shall output timestamped doppler frequency measurements.

ii. Carrier Phase Measurements: The AFS receiver shall output timestamped unwrapped (full and integrated) carrier phase measurements.

iii. Dynamic Carrier Tracking: The AFS receiver shall track dynamic AFS carriers under expected acceleration and jerk.

a. Optional Capability: The AFS receiver should track dynamic AFS carriers under expected acceleration and jerk values in unaided scenarios.

f. KPPs: NASA has identified a set of KPPs to inform industry of the most critical performance characteristics for evaluating lunar navigation support capabilities:

i. Pseudorange Error: The AFS receiver shall contribute < 0.1 m RMS to the pseudorange error.

ii. Carrier Tracking Noise: The AFS receiver shall have carrier tracking phase noise of < 0.05 radians RMS.

iii. Accuracy of Phase Measurement Timestamps: The AFS receiver phase measurement timestamps shall have an accuracy of < 10 ns.

iv. Measurement Update Period: The AFS receiver shall have the capability to select a measurement update period of less than or equal to 10 ms or 100 ms. Note that 100 ms is the default output.

v. Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP): The AFS receiver shall seek to minimize SWaP to support deployment on lunar terrain vehicles and/or astronaut suits.

vi. Lifetime: The AFS receiver shall have a lifetime of > 5 years in the expected lunar operational environment.

4.1.3. S-Band Communications Transceiver

a. Timing: The communications transceiver shall use a common time and frequency reference standard with the AFS receiver.

b. Frequency Band Support:

i. Transmit: The communications transceiver shall transmit between

2.025 -2.110 GHz.

ii. Receive: The communications transceiver shall receive between 2.200 -

2.290 GHz.

c. Coherent Turn-Around: The communications transceiver shall support transponding with a coherent turn around with a transmit to receive ratio of 240/221 maintaining PN code and carrier phase alignment.

d. System Channels:

i. Receive Channel: The communications transceiver shall have one or more receive channels independent of the AFS receiver.

ii. Transmit Channel: The communications transceiver shall have one or more independent transmit channels.

e. Modulation and Coding Support:

i. Modulation: The communications transceiver shall support filtered BPSK, PCM/PM/bi-phase-L, PCM/PSK/PM+NRZ-L, and filtered OQPSK/GMSK modulation schemes.

ii. Coding: The communications transceiver shall support encoding and decoding of uncoded, Low-density parity-check (LDPC), and convolutional encoded information.

f. PN Code Ranging:

i. Non-Spread Code Ranging: The communications transceiver shall support non-spread PN code ranging (CCSDS 414.1-B-2).

a. Optional Capability: Spread Code Ranging: The communications transceiver should support spread PN code ranging (CCSDS 415.1-B-1).

ii. PN Code Chiprate: The communications transceiver shall support PN code ranging at chiprates up to 4.1 Mcps.

iii. PN Ranging: The communications transceiver shall output time stamped PN code epoch and/or pseudorange measurements from the received signal.

g. Carrier Tracking:

i. Carrier Phase Measurements: The communications transceiver shall output timestamped unwrapped (full and integrated) carrier phase measurements.

ii. Dynamic Carrier Tracking: The communications transceiver shall track dynamic signal carriers under expected acceleration and jerk values.

a. Optional Capability: The communications transceiver should track dynamic carriers under expected acceleration and jerk values in unaided scenarios.

h. KPPs: The following KPPs define specific values to inform the necessary technical outcomes for the analysis or demonstration of the lunar user terminal communications transceiver capabilities:

i. Carrier Tracking Noise: The communications transceiver shall have carrier tracking phase noise of < 0.2 radians RMS.

ii. Accuracy of Phase Measurement Timestamps: The communications transceiver phase measurement timestamps shall be accurate to < 10 ns.

iii. Time to Measurement Update: The communications transceiver shall have a measurement update period of less than or equal to 100 ms.

iv. Transponder Phase Jitter: The communications transponder shall have a phase jitter of < 0.05 radians RMS.

v. PN Turn-Around Coherency: The communications transceiver shall have a PN turn-around coherency accuracy of < 0.1 mHz.

4.1.4. Position, Velocity, Time Estimation

a. The Lunar User Terminal shall be capable of estimating the position, velocity, and time associated with the receiver from an amalgamation of measurements from AFS and other sensors. [Other sensors may include inertial measurement units, range and bearing from camera imagery, range and Doppler from Point-to-Point PNT-over-Comm link, odometers, etc.]

i. The Lunar User Terminal shall be alternatively capable of implementing software provided by an external entity that runs on a publish/subscribe framework, such as core Flight System (cFS), that processes the measurements to achieve the position, velocity, and time solution.

b. Additional Navigation Capabilities: The Lunar User Terminal shall be capable of incorporating additional navigation datasets (Terrain map, digital imagery, etc.), signals (Wi-Fi, 3GPP, etc.), and/or instruments (inertial measurement unit, lidar, etc.) to increase the accuracy of position and time solutions.

i. Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU): The AFS receiver shall include an inertial measurement unit.

c. KPP

i. Position Solution Accuracy, AFS/Lunar Augmented Navigation

Service (LANS): When four or more AFS are in view with GDOP < 6, constituting a Lunar Augmented Navigation Service (LANS), the AFS receiver shall have an absolute position solution accuracy of < 10 m 3D, RSS, 3-sigma.

ii. Time to First Fix, AFS/LANS: When four or more AFS are in view with GDOP < 6, constituting a Lunar Augmented Navigation Service (LANS), the AFS receiver shall have a time to first fix of < 600s.

iii. Solution Update Time, AFS/LANS: The AFS receiver shall have a solution update period of 1s based on measurement updates.

iv. Performance Resilience: The Lunar User Terminal should indicate the resiliency and performance of the position, velocity, and time estimation algorithm when measurements from the AFS are combined with other sensors.

4.1.5. Deliverables

a. System Design Concept: The Lunar Terminal System Design Concept (SDC) deliverable shall outline the comprehensive framework and methodology for developing a state-of-the-art terminal to support lunar missions, as per the BAA Procurement requirements. The System Design Concept shall contain the following sections:

i. Executive Summary shall provide a high-level overview of the system, detailing the primary objectives, goals, and key innovative features of the Lunar User Terminal.

ii. System Requirements section shall list all the necessary criteria for the terminal, accompanied by a compliance matrix to ensure alignment with the BAA and prioritizing the requirements based on their mission criticality.

iii. System Architecture section shall present the overall design, using block diagrams to illustrate the components and interactions of the major subsystems, including the AFS receiver, the S-Band communications transceiver, and estimation processor.

iv. Detailed Design Description shall provide in-depth technical details for both subsystems, covering the following specifications:

a. Embedded Oscillator Stability

b. Timing Outputs

c. Frequency Support

d. Receiver Channels

e. Modulation Tracking Capabilities

f. KPPs, outlining the performance metrics and validation methods

v. Testing and Validation section shall map compliance with requirements, while the Integration and Interface shall detail how the terminal will demonstrate adherence to the LunaNet Interoperability Specification (LNIS). Additionally, the offeror shall include a description of the test environment to include hardware, software, and simulation equipment.

vi. Additionally, the document shall address:

a. Position, Velocity, and Time Estimation techniques

b. SWaP (Size, Weight, and Power) considerations

c. Lifetime and environmental durability

d. Comprehensive Implementation Plan with timelines, milestones, and risk management strategies

e. Phased cost for non-recurring engineering (NRE), first flight module, and recurring cost per flight module

f. Ability to utilize software defined radios for modular capability development

vii. Due Date: Contract award + 60 days

viii. See Appendix A: Lunar User Terminal SDC Outline (Study Area #1)

b. Demonstrations

i. Demonstrations Overview: The contractor shall include plans for executing one or more of the following demonstrations.

a. AFS Receiver: Demonstrate the capabilities of the user terminal

AFS receiver, including acquisition, tracking, and radionavigation measurement generation from a LunaNet AFS signal.

b. S-Band Communications Transceiver: Demonstrate the capabilities of the user terminal S-band transceiver, including signal transmission/reception, message encoding/decoding, and radionavigation measurement extraction.

c. Position, Velocity, and Time Estimation:

i. Demonstrate integrated software simulations and/or hardware capabilities for generating position, velocity, and time solutions.

ii. Solutions can be generated from independent AFS receiver measurements or a combination of AFS receiver measurements and alternative navigation instruments/datasets.

ii. Highest Priority Demonstrations: AFS receiver signal processing and navigation solution position, velocity, and time estimation.

iii. Demonstration Types: Hardware demonstrations are preferable to software demonstrations.

iv. Completion Timeline:

a. Within 5 months of Contract award, with 1 additional month for result analysis, test report summarization, and repeat tests if necessary.

v. Suggested Timeline:

a. Months 1-2: Develop demonstration concepts to include in

Systems Concept Review.

b. Month 3: Conduct initial tests and calibrations.

c. Month 4: Perform full-scale demonstrations and collect data.

d. Month 5: Complete additional tests if necessary and finalize data collection.

e. Month 6: Analyze results to include all findings and technical gaps, summarize test report, and repeat tests if necessary.

vi. Expected Outcomes: Measurement of all key performance indicators

(KPIs) identified in Sections 4.1.2, 4.1.3, and 4.1.4.

4.2. Study Area #2: NOMS

NASA seeks innovative industry demonstrations of an advanced NOMS to manage a globally distributed network of communication assets supporting the Near Space Network (NSN). NASA will provide data and use case scenarios for these demonstrations.

NASA encourages industry to address some or all of the following capabilities of interest:

4.2.1. Dynamic Orchestration Capabilities: dynamically manage large communication networks across different vehicles and domains, adapting in real-time to changes such as vehicle movements and varying environmental conditions including weather.

4.2.2. Legacy Orchestration Scheduling: demonstrate the capability to schedule communications assets in advance, ranging from days to weeks, and adjust these schedules based on mission priorities. This should be applicable across large communication networks involving various vehicles and domains. Additionally, propose schedule changes to operators as needed, ensuring efficient resource utilization demonstrate the ability to schedule days or weeks in advance and fix schedules based on mission priority on large communication networks across different vehicles and domains and propose schedule changes to operators.

4.2.3. Physics Modeling and Digital Twinning: maintain a detailed, continually updated physical model and a planet-scale digital twin to effectively predict and manage the motion of platforms and connectivity opportunities.

4.2.4. Environmental and Obstruction Impact Analysis: incorporate real-time data on weather, atmospheric conditions, obstructions, and potential interference, utilizing predictive models to assess and adapt to impacts on link quality and throughput.

4.2.5. Propagation Modeling: analyze signal attenuation between compatible transceivers, predicting link opportunities and constraints, and making real-time network adjustments based on signal attenuation and degradation.

4.2.6. Adaptive Network Topology Management: proactively and intelligently evolve network topology to maintain optimal connectivity and reroute traffic proactively before link degradation occurs.

4.2.7. Traffic Flow Management: deconflict traffic flows to accommodate fluctuating demands, bandwidth allocation, latency, activating additional links or introducing redundancy as necessary to ensure network resilience.

4.2.8. Real-time Autonomous Control: feature autonomous control capabilities to react within milliseconds to network changes, such as the loss of a satellite link, and autonomously reroute traffic as required.

4.2.9. End-to-End Goal Expression: allow operators or systems to set specific end-to-end transport goals, including data rates, latency constraints, and priorities, which the system should autonomously fulfill.

4.2.10. Resource Management and Beam Tasking: orchestrate radio and optical transceiver resources, including frequencies, wavelengths, bandwidth, and the direction of steerable antennas and optical terminals.

4.2.11. Open Architecture with APIs: support an open architecture with accessible northbound and southbound APIs, facilitating easy integration with both commercial and defense systems and supporting system interoperability.

4.2.12. Deployment and Authorization to Operate (ATO): support deployment in cloud, on-premises, and edge environments, focusing on security and risk management to meet Department of Defense Impact Levels 4, 5, and plans to expand into IL6 and Secure Cloud environments.

4.2.13. Security and Governance Control: integrate options for Cross Domain Solutions (CDS) to ensure secure communication and compliance with established security models.

4.2.14. Interconnectivity and Federation APIs: provide capabilities for coordinating secure and controlled exchanges of information between different network administrative domains through federation APIs.

4.2.15. Modular-based Deployment: utilize an open-source modular orchestration platform that automates the deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications, to facilitate scalability and infrastructure agnosticism.

4.2.16. Ability to Account for Network Utilization: provide capabilities for generating reports on scheduled services, delivered services, service proficiency, latency (both data delivery and real-time), bandwidth allocation, and other metrics. These reports should support billing validation of commercial services based on service utilization, duration, and quality.

4.2.17. KPPs: address a set of KPPs for the NOMS, translating the provided technical outcomes into measurable benchmarks:

a. Link Estimation:

i. Link Margin: achieve a link margin estimation accuracy within ±1 dB under nominal conditions.

ii. Bit Error Rate: predict the bit error rate (BER) of any given link with a precision (within ±5%) that allows operational thresholds to be maintained within industry standards.

iii. Weather Impact Analysis: demonstrate the capability to adjust link margin and BER estimations with an accuracy degradation of no more than 10% under varying weather conditions compared to nominal conditions.

iv. Bandwidth Analysis: demonstrate the capability to estimate data delivery latency from the mission platform to the mission delivery point(s) based on link rates, terrestrial link allocations, and usage during a contact.

v. Real-Time Latency: demonstrate the ability to estimate real-time ground-to-ground latency and latency variability between terrestrial nodes.

b. Optical/RF Link Availability Modeling:

i. Blockage Identification Accuracy: accurately identifying blockages in the optical/RF link path with a reliability of 95% or higher, meaning that no more than 5% of total planned link paths should fail to maintain predicted BER and/or data rates due to insufficient atmospheric condition modeling accuracy.

c. Resource Intensity of the Planning Process:

i. Compute Requirements: The NOMS orchestrator must be compatible with commercially available edge compute nodes, typically utilizing no more than 80% of CPU and memory resources. During peak conditions, the system may use up to 95% of these resources without adversely impacting performance and reliability. Vendors must demonstrate consistent and reliable performance under these conditions, ensuring no performance degradation.

ii. System Compatibility: align with the technical specifications (CPU, RAM, Storage) of at least two leading commercial edge compute platforms to ensure redundancy and supply chain resilience.

d. Responsiveness to Additional Support Requests:

i. Adjustment Time: adjust its planning to accommodate an additional support request within 10 seconds from the time of request initiation.

4.2.18. Deliverables

a. SDC: The Contractor shall deliver a SDC for the NOMS that comprehensively outlines the architectural framework and operational capabilities of the system.

This SDC must cover various critical attributes to ensure the system meets the required standards and functionalities:

i. Architecture Model: Provide an overview of the proposed modular operational architecture to include Software and Hardware.

ii. Orchestration Capabilities: Detailed description of real-time management and adaptation of communication networks in response to vehicle movements and varying environmental conditions as well as legacy orchestration methods for established missions.

iii. Integration of Physics Modeling and Digital Twinning: Predictive insights and management of platform movements and connectivity.

iv. Environmental and Obstruction Impact Analysis: Clearly defined propagation modeling to ensure the system can predict and adapt to changes in link quality and throughput.

v. Adaptive Network Topology Management: Proactive adjustments and redundancy for optimal connectivity and network resilience.

vi. Traffic Flow Management: Ensuring optimal network performance through efficient traffic management strategies.

vii. Real-Time Autonomous Control Features: Immediate reactions to network changes and autonomous fulfillment of specific end-to-end transport goals.

viii. Resource Management and Beam Tasking: Thorough explanation of steerable antennas and management of radio and optical transceiver resources.

ix. Open Architecture with Accessible APIs: Seamless integration with commercial and non-commercial systems.

x. Deployment Strategies: Cloud, on-premises, and edge environments with a focus on security and compliance with NASA standards.

xi. Modular-Based Deployment Model: Managing scalability and infrastructure flexibility, addressing key performance parameters such as link estimation accuracy, resource intensity, and responsiveness to additional support requests.

xii. Operational Cost Model: Provide an estimate of the expected annual or monthly cloud costs for the entire system, including development, testing, operations, and digital twin environments. Clearly define the roles and responsibilities of the vendor and NASA for operations, sustainment, and maintenance of the deployed system. Estimate vendor costs, including licenses and support services, associated with implementation, deployment, and operations.

xiii. See Appendix B: SDC Document Outline for NOMS System (Study Area #2)

a. NOMS Capability Demonstration:

i. Demonstrate the ability to configure and schedule Government Owned, Contractor Operated (GOCO) and commercial Direct To Earth (DTE) ground assets, including:

a. Ingesting multiple schedule requests from different entities and providing an integrated schedule output.

b. Configuring and scheduling assets effectively as measured by compute resource utilization and planning time.

ii. Demonstrate comprehensive network management for GOCO and commercial DTE assets, covering:

a. Managing terrestrial and Space Link Extension (SLE) network connections.

b. Configuring network paths based on latency requirements.

c. Managing cloud network connections to minimize latency and maximize throughput in both standard and zero trust environments.

iii. Demonstrate the ability to configure cloud-based services in a zero-trust environment for GOCO and commercial DTE assets, which includes:

a. Setting up and configuring virtual Software Defined Radios (SDRs) and other necessary services.

b. Routing data to various DTE assets as required.

iv. Completion timeline: Within 5 months of Contract award, with 1 additional month for result analysis, test report summarization, and repeat tests if necessary.

v. Suggested Timeline:

a. Months 1-2: Develop demonstration concepts to include in

Systems Concept Review.

b. Month 3: Conduct initial tests and calibrations.

c. Month 4: Perform full-scale demonstrations and collect data.

d. Month 5: Complete additional tests if necessary and finalize data collection.

e. Month 6: Analyze results, summarize test report, and repeat tests if necessary.

5. General Information for Respondents

Agency: National Aeronautics and Space Administration Announcement Title: Appendix Q: CIS Capability Studies III: Lunar User Terminals &

Network Orchestration and Management System NAICS Code: 541715 Responsible Office: GSFC/Commercialization, Innovation, and Synergies (CIS) Office Point of Contact:

Contracting Officer:

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 Q and all Attachments thoroughly and submit their comments and questions via email to diane.hood@nasa.gov and ruma.das@nasa.gov (Contracting Officer’s Representative email).

Ensure that the subject line of your email includes the BAA number and "Appendix Q Inquiry" (e.g., "NNH16ZCQ001K-CIS-Appendix Q Inquiry").

Comments and questions must be submitted by July 11, 2024, no later than 5:00 pm Eastern Time. Emails should include your Company Name and the BAA number in the body of the email. All received comments and questions will be considered by the Government; however, NASA will not post responses to comments and questions publicly, and individual responses to inquiries will not be provided.

7. Proposals Due Proposals must be submitted electronically in accordance with instructions detailed in Section 11.1 of Appendix Q: Instructions for Proposals, no later than August 7, 2024, 5:00 pm Eastern Time.

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 mailto:diane.hood@nasa.gov mailto:ruma.das@nasa.gov 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.

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 Q. 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. NASA intends to award two or more contracts for studies. 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 https://www.acquisition.gov/?q=browsefar https://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/procurement/regs/nfstoc.htm 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) 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. Proposal Submission Information

11.1. Instructions for Proposals

See NextSTEP-2 Omnibus BAA for general instructions. The specific instructions in this section are in addition to or supersede the general instructions in the NextSTEP-2 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 Q 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 – NNH16ZCQ001K-CIS-Appendix_Q.” Files can be zipped into one titled “NNH16ZCQ001K-CIS-Appendix_Q_VENDORNAME.zip” or uploaded individually.

Proposals must include all required information and must not have password protection, encryption, or viewing restrictions.

12. 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.

Applicants shall use the email: diane.hood@nasa.gov and ruma.das@nasa.gov (COR) for https://www.nasa.gov/content/nextstep-2-omnibus-baa proposal submissions. The email submission shall identify the email as “NNH16ZCQ001K- CIS-Appendix_Q Proposal Submission” in the subject field of the e-mail.

Table 3. Overview of Proposal Sections and Page Limitations

Volume No. Section No. Title Page Limits

Title Page 1

1 Executive Summary 5

2 2.1 Proof of Eligibility 3

2.2 Qualifications of Contractor 5

2.3 Study Approach

2.3.1 Study #1 Lunar User Terminal 10

2.3.2 Study #2 NOMS 10

3 Price Proposal No Limit

3.1 Pricing Template No Limit

3.2 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.

12.1. 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 Unique Entity ID number

• 6-month proposal validity period

12.2. 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 Q.

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.

12.3. Proof of Eligibility

The proposal shall provide information showing that the Offeror and all team members are eligible participants as stipulated in NextSTEP-2 Omnibus BAA, Section 3: Eligibility Information and Section 3.1: Eligibility of Applicants of this Appendix. Describe compliance with eligibility requirements as needed.

12.4. Qualifications of the Contractor

Provide information on the organization’s capabilities and the qualifications of…