RL10 - RFI- Governmentwide Point of Entry (GPE) HEFLIN KWB Final10.15.2024.pdf

Rev.: 07/2021

RFI/Draft Solicitation or SOW

THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. NO PROPOSALS ARE TO BE

SUBMITTED IN RESPONSE TO THIS NOTICE.

This notice is issued by the NASA/MSFC to post a Statement of Work to solicit responses from interested parties. This document is for information and planning purposes and to allow industry the opportunity to verify reasonableness and feasibility of the requirement, as well as promote competition.

Industry response to this Request for Information (RFI) is requested within the context of the requirements and general approach described in the following sections and the associated appendix.

NASA/MSFC has a requirement for twenty (20) human rated SLS Exploration Upper Stage Engines (EUSE), vehicle and program integration, flight support of the Space Launch System (SLS) Artemis missions V thru X. The first four engines, which will serve as back up engines for Artemis V, may need to be delivered in the mid-FY27 timeframe.

The estimated period of performance for delivery of all twenty (20) engines shall be the date of execution through September 30, 2033 (Note that engine delivery is required eighteen (18) months ahead of expected launch dates).

The SLS Program has already invested substantial resources in the acquisition and implementation of RL10 engines (10 previously purchased). The EUS has been designed to accommodate RL10 specifications and another engine would need to fit and perform without requiring redesign to the EUS or other elements of the SLS.

Responses to this RFI are intended to provide input for an examination into the potential for developing and using low-cost alternate engines that meet stage interfaces and launch vehicle performance requirements. NASA seeks a low-cost, mature, and readily available engine to minimize program cost and schedule impacts to the EUS and launch vehicle. The replacement EUSE shall minimize development time for an engine and reduce manufacturing/production costs while still meeting NASA programmatic, technical, design, construction, and workmanship approaches and standards for human rating.

The current concept for the EUSE is that it is a high-performance liquid oxygen / liquid hydrogen rocket engine consistent with the EUS stage-to-engine interface. The EUSE would be designed, developed, built, and certified for flight consistent with NASA design, construction, workmanship, and qualification standards and other technical and programmatic requirements associated with human rating considerations including configuration management, reliability analysis, and safety assessment processes. It would be the broader objective for any proposed engine development effort to minimize the development cost impacts to NASA and to achieve cost-efficient production and operations in the long term.

Current technical requirements for the EUSE are provided below and in Appendix A.

The EUSE program will consist of adapting the engine system for service on the SLS Block

Rev.: 07/2021

1B vehicle and provide flight units for operations. The EUSE shall be integrated into the SLS Exploration Upper Stage (EUS). The EUSE shall meet the technical requirements under the SLS and certification for the flight program. The EUSE system shall minimize design impacts to existing EUS vehicle integration, requirements verification, and operational planning associated with existing EUS to EUSE physical and functional interfaces as defined in existing SLS interface control documents (ICD). EUSE shall be capable of human-rating certification. The EUSE shall be capable of meeting the following SLS advanced engine performance goals:

EUSE shall maintain EUS physical interfaces and meet the following performance goals:

o Thrust – 24,750 lbf o Isp – 465.5 seconds o Mass – 490 to 530 lbm o Total Length – 163.5” o Diameter – 84.6”

This pre-solicitation synopsis is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government, nor will the Government pay for the information submitted in response. The Government may not respond to questions/concerns submitted. The Government will use the information to finalize the RFP as necessary.

All comments or questions shall be submitted electronically via email to Renatta America at renatta.r.america@nasa.gov, no later than 4:00 p.m. CST on November 8, 2024. When responding reference 80MSFC_RL10_FY25.

NASA Clause 1852.215-84, Ombudsman, is applicable. The Center Ombudsman for this acquisition can be found at : https://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/procurement/regs/Procurement- Ombuds-Comp-Advocate-Listing.pdf

If a solicitation is released, then it and any additional documents will be available on www.Sam.gov. It is the offeror's responsibility to monitor this website for the release of the solicitation and amendments (if any). Potential offerors will be responsible for downloading their own copy of the solicitation and amendments, if any.

https://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/procurement/regs/Procurement-Ombuds-Comp-Advocate-Listing.pdf https://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/procurement/regs/Procurement-Ombuds-Comp-Advocate-Listing.pdf