DISCLAIMER: It is emphasized that this RFI is for planning and information purposes only and is NOT to be construed as a commitment to enter into a contractual agreement, nor will the SBG team pay for information solicited. No solicitation exists; therefore, do not request a copy of the solicitation. The California Institute of Technology (Caltech) Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena CA, operating under a prime contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), is seeking responses from industry Partnership on the Surface Biology and Geology (SBG) Visible to Shortwave Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (VSWIR-IS) Instrument. This RFI is a request to get high-level feedback from industry for expression of interest to work on selected portions of the JPL-designed VSWIR-IS Instrument flight development. The Surface Biology and Geology (SBG) mission will provide global imaging spectroscopy measurements at fine spatial sampling (~30 m) of the land surface and adjacent coastal zones to address the objectives and questions identified in the 2017-2027 Decadal Survey for Earth Science and Applications from Space (ESAS 2017). SBG is specified as a Category 2 and Risk Classification C mission per NASA Procedural Requirements (NPR) 7120.5E, NASA Space Flight Program and Project Management Requirements, and NPR 8705.4 risk class C (baseline), Risk Classification for NASA Payloads, respectively. The SBG Project Manager resides at JPL and has overall responsibility and accountability for the technical, schedule, and cost performance of SBG. This RFI is a request to get high-level feedback from industry for expression of interest, with verifiable recent instrument expertise, to work on selected portions of the JPL-designed Visible and Short Wave Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (VSWIR-IS) Instrument flight development, similar to the recent launch Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) instrument to the International Space Station. A split of JPL/Partner responsibilities is provided in Table 1, (RFI Attachment 1). The major requirements are defined in Table 2. This is not a request for programmatic feedback such as cost or schedule; however, for information, a notional schedule is provided in Figure 1. JPL anticipates issuing an Request for Proposal (RFP) for the SBG VSWIR-IS Instrument work this Fall if the mission is authorized to proceed by NASA and sufficient funding is made available. By responding to this RFI, your company will influence the formulation of the future RFP. Experience with the development of VSWIR spectrometers or comparable space instruments, or portions thereof for civilian space agencies, will ultimately be an important consideration of a partner or set of partners for this development. As such, a summary of your organizations relevant experience in this regard is requested. HOW TO RESPOND: Submit your feedback, with a completed Table 1, via email to
[email protected] and
[email protected] , no later then September 30, 2022, at 3:00pm Pacific. Completed Table 1: Please indicate with an X in each row if you are interested (column Interested) or do not have the capabilities (column No Capability). For those areas in which you are expressing interest, please provide a summary of your organizations relevant experience over the last 5-10 years. You may list references to openly accessible publications. Programmatic assessments such as cost or schedule are not requested. We welcome other information you consider relevant. SBG VSWIR-IS ELEMENTS: Spectrometer (Fully managed and delivered by JPL). Entails mechanical accommodation, the focal plane array detector, and multiple optical components with specialized fabricated components at the JPL Micro Device Laboratory (MDL) cleanroom facility. Space qualified cryo-cooler with its radiator needs to be accommodated by the instrument structure. Well defined requirements and interfaces managed by JPL. Telescope Elements (Industry Partner) Consist of a mechanical enclosure which requires tightly controlled heat rejection subsystem. Requires structural and thermal analyses as well as supporting subsystem design and engineering. Optical System Engineering is managed by JPL. The prescriptions of all optical elements will be specified by JPL. Qualified partners may be offered the responsibilities to procure or fabricate, inspect, design the opto-mechanical accommodations for, integrate, and align within the telescope. Mechanical and thermal interfaces managed by instrument structure partner. Instrument Electronics (Figure 2) Well defined requirements and interfaces between electronics subssytems are managed by JPL but requires box level inputs from the Industry Partner. TMCU, Thermal & Motor Drive Control Unit (Industry Partner) Covers the instrument specific thermal control loops and the motor drive electronics for the cover. CCE, Cryo-cooler Electronics, DC to AC motor drive closed-loop temperature control (Space-qualified, off-the-shelf component, (JPL procured) Electronics for the spectrometer Cryo-cooler. Vendor contract established for space qualified hardware. FPIE/PSU, Focal Plane Interface Electronics and Power Supply Unit (Fully managed and delivered by JPL) High speed interface from focal plane signals to digital conversion with integrated low noise power conversion. C&DH, Command and Data Handling (Fully managed and delivered by JPL) High speed data processing, storage, compression, and package. SSDR, Solid State Digital Recorder (Industry Partner) Fast speed data storage for C&DH. Vendor contract established for space qualified hardware. Housekeeping (Industry Partner) Interface to C&DH for temperature sensors, voltage, and current sensors. Electronics GSE, ground support equipment (Industry Partner) Box level GSE to verify requirements at board level. Instrument level GSE to operate the instrument and simulate the spacecraft interfaces (thermal and electrical). Mechanical and thermal instrument structure (Industry Partner, see Figure 3) Accommodates all above mentioned instrument components. Overall thermal and structural design. Responsible for design, requirements support, fabrication, assembly. Interfaces to spacecraft. SBG VSWIR-IS Integration and Test Efforts (Industry Partner) Responsible for planning and timely execution of Instrument Integration and Test (II&T) phase, except for performance verifications at subsystem and instrument level. These phases, including preparations, are in collaboration with JPL experts. Delivery to spacecraft provider (Industry Partner) Deliver and integrate SGB VSWIR-IS with JPL Subject Matter Expert (SME) support, onto the spacecraft. Support Spacecraft level environmental tests, with JPL SME support. RESPONSE DEADLINE: All responses are requested on or before September 30, 2022 at 3:00PM (Pacific). QUESTIONS: Direct procurement questions by email to
[email protected] Direct technical questions by email to
[email protected]