RFI-SWO-GEOHEOIns-2024 - Question and Answer Set for Amendment 1 Document - Final.pdf

RFI-SWO-GEOHEOIns-2024 Amendment 1 – Questions and Responses

Request for Information (RFI)

Title: Space Weather (SW) Next Instruments for Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) and Highly

Elliptical Orbit (HEO)

Date of Amendment 1 Post: May 21, 2024 Date Original Post: May 6, 2024 RFI Questions/Comments Due: May 23, 2024 at 11:59PM ET RFI Responses Due Date: June 7, 2024 at 11:59PM ET

Question 1: Section 5 - Submission Instructions - Is the information for subsection 5.1 through

5.5 included in the page limit of 6 as stated in the 4th paragraph below?

Answer 1: The RFI has been amended and now indicates the following. 'Responses are limited to 6 pages for the Capability Statement and an additional 6 pages for each instrument, including supporting appendices, title page(s), tables, graphics, pictures, and figures'

Question 2: Section 5. Submission Instructions - 4th paragraph - Is the “6 pages per section” meant to mean “6 pages per instrument”? If not, what is meant by section?

Answer 2: The RFI has been amended and now indicates the following. 'Responses are limited to 6 pages for the Capability Statement and an additional 6 pages for each instrument, including supporting appendices, title page(s), tables, graphics, pictures, and figures'

Question 3: Section 5. Submission Instructions - 2nd paragraph - For a suite concept, are 6 pages allowed for each instrument comprising the suite?

Answer 3: The 6-page limit is intended per instrument. The Energetic Particles section 4.1 has been amended and is now broken up by type. It is likely that more than one instrument will be needed to reach the requirements outlined in section 4.1. Six pages per instrument is allowed for suite concepts.

Question 4: Re Table 4.1. Requirements for low energy electrons, proton, ions: What is the required field of regard for this measurement?

Answer 4: For the low, medium and high energy electron and proton sensors a field of regard of 180 degrees is the goal, however, not a requirement

Question 5: Re Table 4.2. Requirements for low energy electrons, proton, ions: For the O+ measurement, are there requirements other than the energy range for the O+ measurement (flux, energy resolution, field of view etc)?

Answer 5: The RFI has been updated and now indicates the following. 'In addition to low energy electrons and protons, sensors capable of measuring O+ ions in the energy range of 1- 120 keV are also of interest though not a requirement.'

RFI-SWO-GEOHEOIns-2024 Amendment 1 – Questions and Responses

Question 6: Re Table 4.2. Requirements for medium and high energy electrons and protons:

What is the required field of regard for this measurement?

Answer 6: For the low, medium and high energy electron and proton sensors a field of regard of 180 degrees is the goal, however, not a requirement.

Question 7: Will the GEO and HEO spacecraft be three-axis stabilized, or spinning?

Answer 7: Both the GEO and HEO observatories are planned to be on three axis stabilized satellites.

Question 8: Re Table 4.5 Target instrument SWAP: Please clarify SWAP specs:

- mass spec is 48 kg total (24 kg for all sensors plus 24 kg for all electronics) Is this interpretation correct?

- power spec is 60 W total (30 W for all sensors plus 30 W for all electronics) Is this interpretation correct?

- envelope spec is 2 x (0.45m x 0.35m x 0.45m) total (0.45x0.35x0.45 for all sensors plus 0.45x0.35x0.45 for all electronics)

Is this interpretation correct?

Answer 8: In regards to the SWAP the RFI has been amended and new Tables have been added.

Please see tables 4.2, 4.4. and 4.6 and additional text added to section 4.1. Please note the SWAP is not a requirement.

Question 7: Are the responders allowed 6 pages for their Capabilities Statements and 6 pages for each instrument information or are the Capabilities Statements included in the 6 pages per response?

Answer 7: The RFI has been amended and now indicates the following. 'Responses are limited to 6 pages for the Capability Statement and an additional 6 pages for each instrument, including supporting appendices, title page(s), tables, graphics, pictures, and figures'