Request for Information (RFI) GEO Ground System Sustainment & Evolution

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has issued a Request for Information (RFI) regarding the Geostationary (GEO) Ground System Sustainment and Evolution project. This special notice is focused on gathering information from potential contractors about evolving the current ground system to support multiple satellite missions, including the existing GOES system, the upcoming Space Weather missions, and future Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO) satellites. The RFI is being managed by NOAA's National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service (NESDIS) and specifically targets the Office of Geostationary Earth Orbit Observations. While this is an information-gathering effort, it does not constitute a formal Request for Proposal (RFP) or guarantee future contract opportunities. The RFI aims to explore opportunities for streamlining, simplifying, and optimizing the ground system infrastructure using emerging technologies.

Contractors interested in participating must submit their responses by January 24, 2025, with submissions limited to 20 pages in PDF format. The government anticipates a contract award in fiscal year 2028 and is seeking innovative approaches to expand multi-mission support while minimizing lifecycle costs. Eligible participants include vendors, Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), and University Affiliated Research Centers (UARCs) with expertise in satellite ground systems, cloud migration, and advanced technological solutions. Key areas of interest include cloud migration strategies, command and control capabilities, zero trust architecture implementation, and vulnerability management. The ground system must support multiple satellites through fiscal year 2055, maintain FIPS-199 FISMA High categorization, and ensure cloud components meet at least FedRAMP Moderate approval standards. Vendors may also be invited to provide technical demonstrations via video conference and potentially participate in site visits to further discuss their proposed solutions.