JPL Competitive (Best Value) RFP for Technology Development for Europa Lander Lidar

Added: Jun 30, 2017 7:39 pm The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), staffed with Caltech employees, and is a Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) under the sponsorship of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). As a member of the NASA family JPL is recognized as the agency's only FFRDC.

JPL is currently in pre-phase A development for a lander mission to Europa (referred herein as Europa Lander). Safe and accurate landing on hazardous terrain of Europa presents multiple challenges that are unique to Europa. For this reason, an active ranging sensor system (lidar) is required. The lidar is intended to provide dual functionality - altimetry and hazard mapping. This RFP is for Phase 1, systems engineering and trade studies with the objective of arriving at point designs and methodologies that are capable of delivering the required performance while being robust to the extreme Jovian/Europan environments and compatible with the Deorbit, Descent and Landing (DDL) concept of operations. This shall be done via detailed trade studies for components and architectures, analyses of environmental impacts on the sensor, and evaluation and progressive refinement of various sensor design options leading to an eventual point design by the end of Phase 3.

Because some of the documents are export controlled, it is required that interested proposers contact JPL Subcontracts Manager Mai Drummond in order to receive the solicitation documents.