GULFSTREAM-IV NEXT GENERATION AIRBORNE SYNTHETIC APERTURE RADAR (AirSAR-NG) MODIFICATION

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Armstrong Flight Research Center (AFRC) is hereby soliciting information from potential sources to install a set of three Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) antennas on a Gulfstream G-IV aircraft. Currently, the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) operates three different SAR antennas (P Band, L Band, and Ka Band frequencies) that are installed in specially designed pods mounted underneath Gulfstream G-III aircraft as part of the Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar (UAVSAR) Program (See figure 1 in attached documents).

NASA AFRC plans to implement a Next Generation (NextGen) concept on the G-IV to capitalize on the increased range, speed, and size of the aircraft to provide a more capable platform to capture more data at less cost. NASA AFRC and JPL intend to complete in house, the design, analysis, fabrication, modification, and installation of the radar equipment racks and other mission support systems.

NASA AFRC is seeking capability statements from all interested parties, including all socioeconomic categories of Small Businesses and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU)/Minority Institutions (MI), and members of the underserved communities as defined by Executive Order 13985, Advancing Racial Equity And Support For Underserved Communities Through The Federal Government, for the purposes of determining the appropriate level of competition and/or small business subcontracting goals for Gulfstream-IV Next Generation Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (AirSAR-NG) Modification. The Government reserves the right to consider a Small, 8(a), Women-owned (WOSB), Service Disabled Veteran (SD-VOSB), Economically Disadvantaged Women-owned Small Business (EDWOSB) or HUBZone business set-aside based on responses received.

No solicitation exists; therefore, do not request a copy of the solicitation. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on SAM.gov.  Interested firms are responsible for monitoring this website for the release of any solicitation or synopsis.

Vendors having the capabilities necessary to meet or exceed the stated requirements are invited to submit appropriate documentation, literature, brochures, and references.

NASA requests responses to the following items as part of the vendor’s capabilities package. Information from these responses will be used to assist NASA in developing a potential solicitation.

1)   Provide examples of existing antenna/radome designs completed on Gulfstream aircraft via sketches, drawings, or photographs.  Comment on the process by which you may adapt these existing designs to meet the requirements in the Draft Statement of Work (SOW).  Also, provide details and comments on how the relocation of existing aircraft antennas or systems were completed for these existing designs on Gulfstream aircraft. 

2)   In addition to standard structural, aerodynamic, and stability analyses that would normally be completed for the installation of large items protruding from the aircraft’s outer mold line, are there other analyses that you would complete to verify airworthiness of the aircraft.

3)   A conceptual layout sketch layout and installation of the SAR antennas is included in the Draft SOW.  Potential offerors will be encouraged to provide improvements or alternatives to the layout and installation.  Provide your initial thoughts on the feasibility likelihood to either adopt the concept or propose an alternative.

4)   Depot maintenance inspection is required within the planned schedule for the aircraft modification.  To minimize overall schedule, NASA is considering the option of performing depot maintenance in conjunction with the aircraft modification.  If NASA were to include this option, how likely are you to provide a contract proposal?  Provide some examples of when you have successfully accomplished similar concurrent tasking in the past.

5)   Provide a rough order of magnitude (ROM) and your assessment of the proposed period of performance.

a)   Feasibility of completing modification design, fabrication, and installation within proposed period of performance.

b)   Feasibility of completing modification and depot maintenance within proposed period of performance

6)   If arranged, would your company be interested in a site survey to visit the aircraft at Langley Research Center?  Visit scheduling would be based on aircraft availability.  No government funding provided.

Please provide the following company specific information:

1)   Name and address of firm and Point of Contact information.

2)   Size of business

3)   Average annual revenue for past three years.

4)   Number of employees.

5)   Whether the firm is a Large, SB, SDB, HUBZone, WOSB, VOSB, SDVOSB, HBCU/MI and/or 8a.

6)   Number of years in business.

7)   Affiliate information: parent company, joint venture partners and potential teaming partners.

Please advise if this requirement is considered to be a commercial or commercial-type product. A commercial item is defined in FAR 2.101.

In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. The Government is under no obligation to issue a solicitation or to award any contract on the basis of this Request for Information (RFI). The Government will not pay for any information solicited. No evaluation letters and/or results will be issued to the respondents. 

All responses shall be submitted electronically via email to:

Kristina Dodson, Contract Specialistkristina.o.dodson@nasa.gov

Rosalia Toberman, Contracting Officer Rosalia.toberman-1@nasa.gov

no later than August 18, 2023, at 12:00 PM PST. All questions should be directed to the Contracting Officer identified above. Please reference 80AFRC23SS011 in any response.

This synopsis is for information and planning purposes only and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government nor will the Government pay for information solicited.  Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation.  This data will not be shared outside the Government; however, the Government may use this data to develop future requirements. 

NASA intends to publicize a listing of respondents in order to facilitate teaming arrangements. Should your firm desire not to be included in this listing, clearly indicate this desire in your response.