Modern Modular Thrust Measurement System (TMS)

This Request for Information (RFI) is issued as market research. All requirements identified in
this RFI are tentative and will be finalized prior to the release of any request for proposal (RFP).
The Government may use the HERMES Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) Solicitation
FA9300-20-S-0001, for the eventual request RFP. The Government DOES NOT intend to
award a contract or purchase order in response to this RFI or otherwise pay for the information
submitted.

The information provided is entirely voluntary and will not impact the ability to bid on future
requirements. This RFI is for planning purposes only and shall not be considered a request for
proposal (RFP), request for quote (RFQ), or as an obligation on the part of the Government to
acquire any products or services. The information provided may be utilized by the Air Force
Research Laboratory (AFRL) in developing its acquisition strategy should a decision be made to
proceed with acquiring the items/services listed in this RFI. The information received in
response to this RFI may be included in one or more future solicitations.
All responses shall include the following information:
1. Company Name
2. Business Size for subject NAICS
3. Cage Code
4. Details on which line items your company is able to provide and any applicable restrictions.
AFRL is seeking U.S. sources with the capability to provide the items/services listed in this
RFI. All replies are to be provided to the Contracting Officer, Tyler Pittmon
tyler.pittmon@us.af.mil and the Contract Specialist, Sean Moore, sean.moore.24@us.af.mil.
All responses to this RFI must be received NO LATER THAN Tuesday, July 30, 2024, at
4:00 p.m. PST.

*****Requirements—Thrust Measurement System*****
AFRL/RQRO is upgrading their test stand capabilities and requires a modern modular
Thrust Measurement System (TMS) that can accommodate a variety of solid rocket motors.
The TMS will be used for collecting and delivering critical thrust data to future customers.
AFRL/RQRO is looking for a custom designed and built Thrust Measurement System
that…

*****Thrust Measurement System must meet the following additional requirements*****

• Is designed with a removable thrust abutment to be used either on a test pad, or inside a test cell at our altitude test facility.
•  The test cell will be the driving factor for size requirements.
• Is designed so that a motor can be mounted to the thrust abutment, and the whole TMS could be loaded into the test bed.
• Is capable of attaching to a solid rocket motor in the horizontal configuration.
• Motors connect to the TMS at either the head and/or the aft skirt.
• Is capable of measuring thrust forces in all 6 degrees of freedom, between 10 – 70 klbf of thrust and up to 10 degrees of gimbaled nozzle angle.
• Can be calibrated in-situ, with a motor installed.
• Is accurate to within 0.1% at 70 Klbf and 10 degrees of gimbal in thrust (axial), pitch (lateral), and yaw (lateral) components.

*****Questions*****
Interested parties to this RFI may provide recommendations they have for such a program. Interested
parties are not required to provide answers to questions, but rather where their respective areas of
expertise or alliances may allow performance of tasks to answer a specific question list below.

1. Is your organization interested (capable?) in performing all of the work implied, to include
engineering & design, fabrication, delivery & installation, and verification/checkouts, of the
TMS and its associated components (e.g. integrated lifting/winching system), or are you
responding with interest in a subpart of the work (e.g. Design only)?

2. What does your organization consider the life-cycle limit of the TMS and/or any key
components (e.g. load cells) to be, and how can this influence the design?

3. What are some possible methods to minimize slop or other movement within the TMS with
a load applied?

4. What are some possible methods to maximize the modularity of the TMS to account for
rockets of variable dimensions?

5. What are some possible methods to minimize the operational cost and effort typically
associated with calibrating multi-component thrust stands?

6. The government is considering the use of fixed price or cost-plus type contract vehicles.
From the perspective of your organization, please comment on the advantages and
disadvantages of these types of contract vehicles. Also comment on what you believe will
be the advantages disadvantages to the government with respect to these contract vehicles.

7. If the government utilizes a hybrid type contract vehicle containing both fixed price and
cost plus CLINs, what activities would your organization recommend be fixed price and
which activities should be cost plus.

8. Is your organization interested in submitting a whitepaper on this topic under the Hermes
BAA?