Statement of Work - SKOUT LEO Flight Test.pdf

STATEMENT OF WORK

SKOUT LEO FLIGHT TEST

1.0 Introduction/Background:

This project encompasses the development and flight demonstration of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) 5G, Ka-band, actively phased antenna array (APAA) technologies compatible with commercial space networks, including APAAs, software defined radios (SDR), power optimization algorithms, and high data rate to ground communication standards.

2.0 Scope of Work:

This procurement is to integrate and flight test a low-cost, small-satellite-class, Ka-band phased array antenna for direct-to-earth (DTE) communications links in support of the NASA SmallSat Ka-band Operations User Terminal (SKOUT) project.

3.0 Objectives:

This effort is addressing the need for game changing advances in component technologies compatible with NASA and commercial networks in space enabling low mass, conformal, multi-access antennas with greater performance, efficiency, and field of regard, enabling adaptive and disruption tolerant networks.

4.0 Description of the Work/Contractor Tasks:

• The vendor shall integrate the Nightingale 1 / SKOUT architecture (i.e. APAA, up/downconverter (UDC), SDR, single board computer (SBC), power conditioning unit (PCU)) into a flight test configuration designed to meet or exceed the maximum expected mission duration in a low earth orbit environment (LEO).

• The vendor shall design payload to meet relevant requirements (e.g. electrical, mechanical, environmental) for the flight test configuration.

• The vendor shall optimize the Field of View (FoV) for DTE experiments with best effort for support LEO-LEO and LEO-GEO (geostationary orbit) links.

• The vendor shall design payload to operate at max power for at least an hour each day.

• The vendor shall design payload with sufficient power to run continuously (as permitted by host) in a transmit-inhibit mode.

• The vendor shall support activities to obtain authorization for permits to radiate.

• The vendor shall work with flight provider to qualify the payload and to secure a launch.

• The vendor shall support Technical Interchange Meetings (TIM) when appropriate.

• The vendor shall complete a Flight Readiness Review (FRR) with NASA

• The vendor shall position APAA test hardware in LEO with best effort by end of

CY22.

• The vendor shall support waveform development of massless payloads for testing in flight.

• The vendor shall plan and execute flight tests with NASA and flight provider.

• The vendor shall submit monthly status reports.