Partnership Opportunity Announcement (POA) for a NASA / MSFC Heliophysics Medium-Class Explorer (MIDEX) Spacecraft Bus

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center has issued a Partnership Opportunity Announcement (POA) for a Heliophysics Medium-Class Explorer (MIDEX) spacecraft bus, preparing for an anticipated Announcement of Opportunity expected in Q4 FY2025. This special notice seeks a teaming partner to develop a spacecraft bus for a future space mission targeting launch in February 2032. The POA is specifically designed to identify and select an industry partner capable of providing comprehensive spacecraft bus development, observatory integration, testing, launch support, and mission operations support. The total mission cost is capped at $300M in FY2025 dollars, which includes instruments, bus, testing, operations, and a 30% cost reserve. The announcement represents a strategic procurement process for NASA's ongoing heliophysics research and exploration initiatives.

Contractors interested in this opportunity must submit a Notice of Interest to receive detailed mission parameters, with initial proposal responses due by January 24, 2025, and partner selection expected by January 31, 2025. The evaluation of potential partners will focus on three key criteria: Technical Approach (30%), Cost (40%), and Relevant Experience/Past Performance (30%). No funds will be exchanged during the initial Pre-Phase A concept study, which has a $3M cost cap, but funding will be provided for subsequent phases if selected. Eligible contractors should be prepared to support proposal development, mission concept studies, and potentially full mission implementation, including spacecraft design, integration, testing, launch support, and mission operations. The payload will be provided as Government Furnished Equipment (GFE), and responses must be submitted in a presentation format not exceeding 30 pages. This opportunity is open to industry partners with demonstrated capabilities in spacecraft bus development and space mission support.