Sensor Subsystem Assembly (SSA)

THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. NO PROPOSALS ARE TO BE SUBMITTED IN RESPONSE TO THIS NOTICE.

This notice is issued by the NASA/GSFC to solicit responses from interested parties. This document is for information and planning purposes and to allow industry the opportunity to verify reasonableness and feasibility of the requirement, as well as promote competition.

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) has a need for a Short-wave Infrared (SWIR) space-rated Sensor Subsystem Assembly (SSA) for use in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) as part of an Earth observing instrument concept.  A representation of the desired system is presented in Figure 1. The requested SSA is shown in blue with separately provided components shown for context. The spacecraft will receive digital readout of the detector, and perform all subsequent processing of the data. Spacecraft will provide onboard commanding of the SSA. This Request for Information (RFI) contains the requirements of the desired system. 

SEE ATTACHED FOR FIGURE 1

We invite responses from vendors that have an SSA that meets the enclosed requirements or have systems that can be modified in time to meet the instrument delivery schedule. The responses should include pricing, camera capability and performance, and mechanical, thermal, digital, power and flight software interfaces.

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.

All responses shall be submitted electronically via email to Steve Tompkins, Steve.Tompkins@nasa.gov no later than Friday, January 31st at 4pm EST. Please reference Sensor Subsystem Assembly ID # RFI_GSFC_Sensor_Subsystem_Assembly_FY25GJE 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. Respondents deemed fully qualified will be considered in any resultant teaming arrangement and/or solicitation for the requirement.

Assumptions: Assume the spacecraft will launch on an Antares or Falcon 9 to an 800 km sun synchronous orbit for at least three years of operation.

Requirements: This section outlines the needs of the SSA.  Requirements are explicitly labeled while other desired characteristics are provided as reference.

Programmatic

Instrument development start date:  November 17, 2025

Instrument Design Review: September 30, 2026

SSA delivery to I&T: October 15, 2027

Instrument delivery date: June 15, 2028

Technical Requirements

Mechanical

• Mass: ~1.5 kg
• Dimensions: ~10 cm x 10 cm x 10 cm
• Housing material: ~Aluminum
• Interface accommodations:
  • Optical subassembly mounted in front of SSA housing
  • SSA housing mounted to spacecraft structure through a spacecraft-provided interface
  • Desired SSA aperture with a keep out zone (KOZ) which does not vignette an f/5.1 beam
  • Desired focal plane is <5mm below housing interface plane

Thermal

• Internal thermal control by SSA
• Focal Plane Thermal Stability: + 0.1 °C
• Operational Range (spacecraft interface): ~ -10 °C to +30 °C
• Survival Range (spacecraft interface): ~ -20 °C to +40 °C

Electrical

• Input Power
  • Voltage:  28 VDC Unregulated (24 VDC to 35 VDC) 
  • Peak Power:  <48 W max 
  • Average Power Consumption expected less than 10 W
• Time synchronization Input
  • Function:  Used to synchronize the focal plane array readout
  • Type:  RS-422 or LVDS
• Command and Telemetry
  • Type:  RS-422 or LVDS UART
• FPA Data Output
  • Type:  Spacewire desired
• 12 bit minimum ADC
• Grounding: power-return isolated from housing

Detector: Minimum performance listed below meets the baseline requirements.  If detectors are available with larger area or more pixels please include those options.

• Format:
  • Minimum Dimensions (Required): 12.3 mm x 12.3 mm
  • Minimum pixels (Required): 1024 x 1024.
  • Pixel pitch: 12 um (desired),
• QE: > 60% at 870 nm, > 80% at 1550nm
• Dark signal rate: < 100 ke- / sec, (at 20 °C)
• Pixel Full Well: > 38 ke-
• Read noise (at 20 °C): < 25 e- RMS
• Fill factor: >99%
• Non-linearity: <1%
• Inoperable pixels (at 20 °C): <0.25%
• Removable window (used only for protection)

Radiation

• Total Ionizing Dose environment: 26 krad (Si) with 100 mils of aluminum shielding
• Total Non-Ionizing Dose Radiation Environment:  2E8 MeV/g (Si) with 100 mils of aluminum shielding
• SEE environments shall not cause unrecoverable failure, nor permanent degradation of, EEE parts or systems that adversely impact system performance or reliability.

SSA Functionality

• Minimum frame rate: 30 fps
• Commanding
  • Exposure time
  • FPA temperature setpoint
  • Remote power control on/off, Remote power reset
  • Camera configuration
  • Co-addition of frames up to 120x is desirable
• Telemetry
  • Minimum internally monitored and reported temperatures: Housing, FPA set point, FPA temperature, electronics board
  • Thermoelectric Control (TEC) voltage
  • Report TEC sensor temperature

 - Materials

• Low to no outgassing space flight compatible

  -Support

• Ground control software

 - SSA qualified to GSFC-STD-7000 rev B (GEVS), or equivalent

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RFI Instructions

Responses should include pricing, schedule, qualification approach, camera capability and performance, and mechanical, thermal, digital, power and FSW interfaces.

Provide a description of any flight heritage, including orbit altitude, inclination and flight duration.

Provide a ROM cost and schedule for one flight unit and one Engineering Test Unit of the SSA. Use current year (FY25) dollars for the cost estimate.