Request for Information for future Commercial LEO Destinations - Concept of Operations and Utilization

This is a modification 3 to the synopsis entitled "Request for Information for future Commercial LEO Destinations - Concept of Operations and Utilization" per notice synopsis ID "80JSC023CLDPCONOPSandUTILIZATIONRFI" which was posted on February 13, 2023. You are notified that the following changes are made: Issue Questions and Answers (1-9). See "Attachments/Links" section of this notice. The due date for responses is not extended. Offerors are responsible for monitoring this site for the release of the solicitation and any amendments. Potential offerors are responsible for downloading their own copy of the solicitation and amendments (if any). ***End of Modification 3*** This is a modification 2 to the synopsis entitled "Request for Information for future Commercial LEO Destinations - Concept of Operations and Utilization" per notice synopsis ID "80JSC023CLDPCONOPSandUTILIZATIONRFI" which was posted on February 13, 2023. You are notified that the following changes are made: Issue 1) the Questions and Answers. See "Attachments/Links" section of this notice. The due date for responses is not extended. Offerors are responsible for monitoring this site for the release of the solicitation and any amendments. Potential offerors are responsible for downloading their own copy of the solicitation and amendments (if any). ***End of Modification 2*** This is a modification 1 to the synopsis entitled "Request for Information for future Commercial LEO Destinations - Concept of Operations and Utilization" per noticesynopsis ID "80JSC023CLDPCONOPSandUTILIZATIONRFI" which was posted on February 13, 2023. You are notified that the following changes are made: Issue 1) the Informational Briefing charts that were presented at the Informational Briefing held on February 23, 2023, and 2) the Questions and Answers. See "Attachments/Links" section of this notice. The due date for responses is not extended. Offerors are responsible for monitoring this site for the release of the solicitation and any amendments. Potential offerors are responsible for downloading their own copy of the solicitation and amendments (if any). ***End of Modification 1*** This is a Combination Request for Information (RFI) and does not constitute a commitment, implied or otherwise, that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) will take action in this matter. This Combination RFI is limited to U.S. industries. NASA’s Commercial Low-Earth Orbit Development Program is seeking information from industry for two areas associated with NASAs development of future Commercial LEO Destinations: 1) Overall Concept of Operations, and 2) Utilization Needs. Response to these two areas is considered mutually exclusive. Therefore, you may respond to one or both areas. Please read this RFI carefully and follow the instructions. Background: As NASA plans for the retirement of the International Space Station at the end of the decade, the ability of private industry to take on the task of providing routine utilization of low-Earth orbit and maintaining a continuous U.S. presence in space is of vital importance to both NASA and U.S. goals. In a multiphase strategy, the Commercial Low-Earth Orbit Development Program (CLDP) is helping to spur the development of new low-Earth orbit space destinations and supporting systems (which includes the end-to-end services such as the in-orbit destination, visiting vehicles, and supporting launch vehicles and ground systems) from private industry. This RFI supports a NASA effort to maintain open communications with the private sector that could aid in the development and demonstration of safe, reliable, innovative, and cost-effective space destination capabilities. It is part of a NASA’s strategic and comprehensive approach that includes identifying long-term needs for services in low-Earth orbit and overall concept of operations as the agency prepares to become a customer in a commercial marketplace. See link: https://www.nasa.gov/leo- economy/low-earth-orbit-economy/. Purpose: NASA’s Commercial Low-Earth Orbit Development Program is releasing the second of several requests for information documenting the agency’s current assumptions, expectations, and plans for commercial destinations. This RFI is intended to gather industry comments on the provided white papers: ‘CLD Concept of Operations’ and ‘ Commercial Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Destinations (CLD) Capabilities of Interest and Resource Needs ’. Details on the request for information for each whitepaper are noted in the below sections. NASA is requesting feedback from industry through this RFI by March 30, 2023, 4 p.m. Central time . Informational Briefing for Concept of Operations and Utilization: NASA is planning to conduct a virtual Informational Briefing on February 23, 2023 from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm Central Time via Microsoft (MS) Teams. Interested Parties are invited to attend. An MS Teams invitation will be sent by the Kelly L. Rubio, Contracting Officer, to all participants that have RSVP’d. RSVP: Please RSVP for the Informational Briefing no later than February 16, 2023, 12:00 pm Central time with the following information: Company Name, or Individual Name Company Point of Contact: name, position/title, email address and phone number The RSVP should be submitted to [email protected] with the subject line: “RSVP to CLD Con Ops and Utilization Informational Briefing – INSERT COMPANY NAME” . RFI Details: CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS: Purpose: NASA requests your feedback on the white paper on the ‘Commercial LEO Destination Concept of Operations’ . (Attachment 1) (See Attachments/Links section of this notice): NASA requests your feedback to the attached white paper (Attachment 1) (See Attachment/Links section of this notice) and to the applicable following questions: Is there any wording in the current NASA Concept of Operations that conflicts or impacts your current planned? Concept of Operations Business Case Are there any aspects of the NASA Concept of Operations that need further clarification/expansion or any specific areas not addressed requiring feedback from NASA this year? NASA may use the results of this RFI in the development of an updated “Concept of Operations” document, CLDP-PLN-1110. NASA plans to release subsequent versions of the Concept of Operations document as well as drafts of the other program documents throughout the next few years to continue to provide insight to industry and to gather feedback for NASA. The Concept of Operations describes high-level government goals, objectives, and needs for the Commercial Low-Earth Orbit Development Program, vehicle(s), and missions. It also outlines government and commercial low-Earth orbit destination partner roles, responsibilities, interactions and expectations during various phases of government commercial low-Earth orbit destination operations. NASA’s Commercial Low-Earth Orbit Development Program oversees the agency’s multiphase strategy to spur the development of new commercial low-Earth orbit destinations and supporting systems, including end-to-end services, crew and cargo spacecraft, launch vehicles, and ground systems from commercial industry. NASA’s goal is to create a robust economy in low-Earth orbit where NASA can be one of many customers as the agency turns more focus to the exploration of the Moon and eventually Mars. Submission Instructions and Points of Contact: NASA has provided a response form (as an Excel spreadsheet) (Attachment 2) (See Attachments/Links section of this notice) to be submitted that delineates how your response should be provided. If additional documentation is necessary to support your response form submittal, you are allowed to submit additional documentation as no more than 20 single-sided pages via Microsoft Word or PDF. Both the response form and additional documentation should be submitted together via email to both [email protected] and [email protected] with the subject line: “RFI Feedback on CLD Con Ops– INSERT COMPANY NAME” , no later than March 30, 2023, 4 p.m. Central time. NASA reserves the right to share all information received in response to this RFI within the Commercial Low-Earth Orbit Development Program and other NASA program stakeholders, and to use all information submitted in response to this RFI in the formulation of the draft request for proposals. If it is necessary to submit competition sensitive data, or company proprietary information in your response to this RFI that data should be clearly segregated and marked as sensitive appropriately. This RFI is for informational purposes and not to be construed as a commitment or obligation on the part of the Government. One-on-One Briefings : NASA will consider conducting one-on-one briefings with companies expressing interest in discussing their approach to commercial operations and their differences with the NASA white paper released in this RFI. In order to be considered for a one-on-one briefing, you must provide your response in the Excel spreadsheet (Attachment 2), the additional documentation if needed, as well as a proposed agenda for the one-on-one briefing. One-on-One briefings will discuss the responses provided in the Excel spreadsheet (and additional information if submitted). Please submit your request for the one-on-one briefing no later than April 14, 2023, 4:00 p.m. Central time with the following information: Company Name, or Individual Name Company Point of Contact: name, position/title, email address and phone number Your request should be submitted to [email protected] with the subject line: “Request for CLD Con Ops One-on-One Briefing – INSERT COMPANY NAME”. The one-on-one briefings will be held after April 14, 2023. QUESTIONS: NASA encourages interested parties to submit questions during the RFI period via email entitled “ CLD Con Ops RFI Questions ” to both [email protected] and [email protected] no later than March 23, 2023, 4:00 p.m. Central time. Do not include company proprietary information or sensitive business information in your questions. Questions and Answers will be posted on sam.gov via ID Notice 80JSC023CLDPCONOPSandUTILIZATIONRFI. For any general questions related to the RFI please contact the Contracting Officer Kelly L. Rubio at [email protected] . RFI Details: UTILIZATION Purpose: NASA seeks feedback from all interested parties on the attached white paper ‘ Commercial Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Destinations (CLD) Capabilities of Interest and Resource Needs’ . This RFI gives industry an opportunity to provide feedback to the Commercial Low-Earth Orbit Development Program’s assumptions presented in the whitepaper. Information gathered from this RFI will also be used in the formulation of future utilization requirements. NASA requests your feedback to the attached white paper (Attachment 3) (See Attachment/Links section of this notice) and to the applicable following questions: Evaluate the capabilities and resources against industry future plans and identify areas of concern or misalignment. How does this list of capabilities and overall resources align with your current plans and/or non-NASA customer needs? Provide specific information on misalignments to help NASA assess the impacts on industry and inform NASA’s future Commercial Low-Earth Orbit Development Program strategy. Are you planning to provide additional capabilities that might be of interest to NASA? If so, can you provide some information about them? Do you have additional information you would like to share with NASA? Identify information that should be discussed in one-on-one meetings and information that could be discussed in an open workshop type forum. Submission Instructions and Points of Contact: NASA has provided a response form (as an Excel spreadsheet) (Attachment 4) (See Attachments/Links section of this notice) to be submitted that delineates how your response should be provided. If additional documentation is necessary to support your response form submittal, you are allowed to submit additional documentation as no more than 15 single-sided pages via Microsoft Word or PDF. Both the response form and additional documentation should be submitted together via email to both [email protected] and [email protected] with the subject line: “RFI Feedback on CLD Utilization– INSERT COMPANY NAME” , no later than March 30, 2023, 4 p.m. Central time. NASA reserves the right to share all information received in response to this RFI within the CLD Program and other NASA program stakeholders, and to use all information submitted in response to this RFI in the formulation of the draft request for proposals. If it is necessary to submit competition sensitive data, or company proprietary information in your response to this RFI that data should be clearly segregated and marked as sensitive appropriately. This RFI is for informational purposes and not to be construed as a commitment or obligation on the part of the Government. One-on-One Briefings: NASA will consider conducting one-on-one briefings with companies expressing interest in discussing their approach to commercial operations and their differences with the NASA white paper released in this RFI. In order to be considered for a one-on-one briefing, you must provide your response in the Excel spreadsheet (Attachment 4), the additional documentation if needed, as well as a proposed agenda for the one-on-one briefing. One-on-One briefings will discuss the responses provided in the Excel spreadsheet (and additional information if submitted). Please submit your request for the one-on-one briefing no later than April 14, 2023, 4:00 p.m. Central time with the following information: 1) Company Name, or Individual Name 2) Company Point of Contact: name, position/title, email address and phone number Your request should be submitted to [email protected] with the subject line: “Request for CLD Utilization One-on-One Briefing – INSERT COMPANY NAME”. The one-on-one briefings will be held after April 14, 2023. QUESTIONS: NASA encourages interested parties to submit questions during the RFI period via email entitled “ CLD Utilization RFI Questions ” to both [email protected] and [email protected] no later than March 23 2023, 4:00 PM Central time. Do not include company proprietary information or sensitive business information in your questions. Questions and Answers will be posted on sam.gov via ID Notice 80JSC023CLDPCONOPSandUTILIZATIONRFI. For any general questions related to the RFI please contact the Contracting Officer Kelly L. Rubio at [email protected] .