NOAA C_EOGSS RFI_Amendment 001_Questions and Answers.pdf

Number Question Response 1 I wanted to confirm if the project mentioned above is considered as a potential new requirement or is there an incumbent contract currently performing these services? If there are incumbent vendor(s), would you be able to provide the contract details (such as: Vendor Name, Contract Number, Award and end dates, total contract value)?

This RFI scopes a new requirement, and there are no incumbent vendors.

2 Is an estimated contract value available? No 3 We respectfully request an extension to the RFI for

Commercial Enterprise Operations and Ground System Service Response Due Date from October 3, 2025 at 2:00 PM Eastern Time to November 3, 2025 at 2:00 PM Eastern.

Amendment 001 extends the deadline to submit responses to November 3rd, 2025 at 2:00pm Eastern.

4 Referring to Section A.3, “Commercially-Provided Ground System Services”, Item 3, can you specify which science products are required. Specifically, are only L0 and L1 products covered from each of the systems, or does this also cover L2+ products?

No science products (Level 1, Level 2, etc...) are scoped within this RFI, specifically the Government is requesting "information on opportunities to reduce operational costs through commercialization of satellite operations, as well as satellite command and control functions , via procurements under FAR Part 12, Acquisition of Commercial Products and Commercial Services." The vendor is only required to "provide Science Mission Data" (e.g. Unprocessed Telemetry and Instrument Observations) "back to the Government for Science Processing in a Cloud Native location once downlinked at a Ground Station, while continuing to meet or exceed the earlier identified JPSS, GOES, or SWFO latency requirements and with minimal change to existing Government Cloud-based Data Processing Systems. "

5 Section A.1.1 says responses may focus on “any subset of scoped missions.” Are RFI responses also allowed to only address a portion of the ground system for a given mission, such as the instrument calibration, or must all responses provide a complete operations and ground systems service as described in Section A.3?

Responses may address one or more satellite command and control functions; however, the Government is interested in the feasibility of end-to-end satellite mission operations capable of "operating all current on-orbit constellations, specifically JPSS, GOES- R, and SWFO-L1, utilizing a single commercial satellite operations service."

Request For Information (RFI), NOAA Commercial Enterprise Operations and Ground System Service Amendment 001 -- Answers to Questions submitted

6 Paragraph A.2.e - Please define what constitutes a failure of a primary GOES East/West satellite

Inability of an individual operational spacecraft to meet the GOES-R Level 1 Requirements detailed within A.2 Key Operational Performance and Latency Requirements , as applicable. Specifically, GOES-R Level 1 Requirements a or b (as applicable), and d and f and g and h and i (As it pertains to the Commercial Vendor's ability to maintain the Observatory Pass-Through Capabilities). In the event of a primary satellite failure, the mission requirement is to transition a storage satellite as specified under A.2.c "Maintain the spare GOES Spacecraft(s) in an on-orbit geosynchronous storage location of 105° W longitude capable of periodic check out in storage, as required" into operations. Only the Government will provide authorization to transition Primary GOES East/West Operations to a Spare GOES Satellite, if necessary, for execution by the Commercial Vendor.

7 Paragraph A.3.1- Does Government SME access imply the Contractor can interact with Government, University, and International partners involved in all aspects of mission operations to include but not limited to mission data communications, processing, and product generation;

spectrum management matters (including NOAA or other Government representatives interacting with ITU); mission management and C2, network services, cyber security, etc.?

The Government will provide those items offered within RFI Section A.3.1 Government Furnished Property , if requested, to support any commercially-provided Command, Control and Communication Segment. It is the responsibility of each Respondent to request the categories of Subject Matter Expertise required or requested from the Government. SME Support may be limited to only the timeframe when a Constellation(s) Transitions to any Commercial Service.

8 Paragraph A.3.1.1 (table of GFP) - Given National Science Foundation (NSF) sponsorship of and agreements with NOAA on JPSS ground stations and intercontinental communication links, will NOAA expect the contractor to interact with NSF to establish agreements for operations, maintenance and communication support agreements? Or, will NOAA retain those responsibilities including funding to support the site and communication cost reimbursements for NSF provided services?

The Government has no intention to transition any existing International or Federal Agreements with NOAA to a Commercial Vendor. As detailed in the RFI Section A.3.1.1 Government Furnished Property - NOAA Ground Station Services "the Government is interested in understanding vendors' interfaces and constraints in utilizing Government antennas across LEO, GEO and L1 Orbits," "if deemed advantageous and cost effective to a vendor's proposed service implementation." RFI Respondents can request utilizing existing Government Wide Area Network Connectivity to/from Government Radio Frequency (RF) Ground Station resources and/or provide alternative solutions, "as deemed advantageous and cost effective to a vendor's proposed service implementation." Utilization of Government Wide Area Network Connectivity and or Services to/from Government RF Ground Station resources will require compliance to Government-provided Security and Interface Requirements, as applicable.

9 Please clarify who is the mission integrator and who is ground integrator?

This RFI does does not scope an intergrator. This RFI scopes the acquisition of a independent commercially-provided Command, Control and Communication Service via FAR Part 12 (Acquisition of Commercial Products and Commercial Services). Per FAR Part 12.101 - The Government "Requires prime contractors and subcontractors at all tiers to incorporate, to the maximum extent practicable, commercial products, commercial services, or nondevelopmental items as components of items supplied to the agency."

Additionally, the Government will only provide those items referenced in the RFI Section A.3.1 Government Furnished Property to support any commercially-provided Command, Control and Communication Segment, as well as maintaining the Government's existing Cloud-Based Data Processing System(s) to which a vendor is required to deliver Science Mission Data (See Answer to Question #4) .

10 Pricing Attachment/Labor: Is this sheet intended for ROM pricing pertaining to T&M effort?

The NOAA C/EOGSS RFI Pricing Attachment is designed to be independent of any potential contract and or task type (e.g. FFP, T&M, etc...). Respondents may provide any pricing assumptions within the attachment.

11 Pricing Attachment/Labor: In the Activity column, what paragraphs of the RFI does the Government define as the SOW Reference?

Any Statement and/or Paragraph, as applicable

12 Would you kindly confirm if this is an entirely new effort or is there an incumbent currently providing these services? If so, would you please provide the incumbent contract details?

Please see the Answer to Question #1

13 What will be the contract value for this opportunity? Please see the Answer to Question #2

There is a statement that reads ‘Processes as well as assumptions for how to transition operations from the Government Ground Systems to a Vendor-provided solution if possible, within a single calendar year (365 Days).’. Is the government asking how to transition all 3 missions (JPSS, GOES, SWFO) within 365 days or is the ask how to transition 1 mission (e.g. JPSS only) in 365 days?

This RFI is requesting, per section A.4 Request for Information, the "processes as well as assumptions for how to transition operations from the Government Ground Systems to a Vendor-provided solution, if possible, within a single calendar year (365 Days)" for the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) and Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES)-R constellations, as well as Space Weather Follow On-Lagrange 1 (SWFO-L1) observatory. Please include in your response any assumptions, constraints, and/or dependencies with regard to transitioning operations for any mission(s), but preferably all three missions within a single calendar year.

15 I could not find where Government Ground Systems was defined in the RFI.

Existing Government Ground Systems are identified within Section A.1.2 Background.

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