NASA/LaRC plans to issue a Request for Offer (RFO) under NASA Procurement MidRange procedures on or about August 15, 2003 for a space-qualified UHF Communication Subsystem. The space-qualified UHF Communication Subsystem will support the Aerial Regional-scale Environmental Survey (ARES) Program which is contingent upon selection of the LaRC ARES proposal under step 2 of NASA Office of Space Science Mars Scout Announcement of Opportunity (AO) 02-OSS02, and the availability of funds. The ARES mission extends and complements the Mars Exploration Program by addressing two critical scientific themes: Near-surface Atmospheric Chemistry and Crustal Magnetism. ARES will obtain simultaneous, contiguous, and complementary measurements of the Mars atmosphere, surface, and interior at a scale not previously achieved. Measurements will be obtained in-situ, near the Mars surface, and over regional scale distances, yielding scientific advances in our understanding of the nature and variability of the Mars atmosphere, surface and interior. This mission is accomplished with an airplane system in one of the most scientifically intriguing regions of Mars, the Southern Highlands. The UHF Communication Subsystem includes a transceiver, a diplexer, RF switches, cabling and antennas. Contingent upon selection of the ARES Proposal under the above AO, and upon the availability of funds, NASA/LaRC intends to award a contract for the UHF Communication Subsystem and other requirements as defined below. Technical Requirement: NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) intends to solicit offerors to design, develop, test and deliver a space-qualified UHF Communication Subsystem for an Atmospheric Flight System (AFS) airplane for science investigations on planet Mars. The space-qualified UHF Communication Subsystem shall be designed, developed, and tested. The UHF Communication Subsystem consists of a dual output power level transceiver and peripheral adjunct communication components. The transceiver shall be capable of receiving commands at 4 Kbps continuously during Mars entry through end of level flight. The transceiver shall be capable of transmitting at a 10 Watt level from one port and a 40 Watt level from a second port (not simultaneously) to enable telemetry during entry (at 4Kbps only) and during level flight (at 4, 32, 128, or 256 Kbps) respectively. These transceiver functions must be compatible with a similar transceiver on the carrier spacecraft and with communication assets that may be in Mars orbit. The transceivers must have multiple-mode capabilities (various protocols, data encoding and decoding). The adjunct components in the space qualified UHF Communication Subsystem consist of a diplexer, RF switches, cabling and two types of antennas: 1) linear polarized and 2) circular polarized. The NAICS Code and Size Standard are 334220 and 1,500 employees, respectively. The Government does not intend to acquire a commercial item using FAR Part 12. See Note 26. A Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee (CPFF) contract is anticipated. The DPAS rating for this procurement is DO-C9. An ombudsman has been appointed. See NASA Specific Note "B". All qualified responsible sources may submit an offer which shall be considered by the agency. The anticipated offer due date is 30 days after the RFO is issued. The solicitation or RFO and any documents related to this procurement will be available over the Internet. These documents will be in Microsoft Office 97 format and will reside on a World Wide Web (WWW) server, which may be accessed using a WWW browser application. The Internet site, or URL, for the NASA/LaRC Business Opportunities home page is http://prod.nais.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/eps/bizops.cgi?gr=C&pin=23 It is the offeror's responsibility to monitor the Internet site for the release of the solicitation or RFO and amendments (if any). Potential offerors will be responsible for downloading their own copy of the solicitation and amendments (if any). Any referenced notes can be viewed at the following URL: http://genesis.gsfc.nasa.gov/nasanote.html Point of Contact: Technical questions should be directed to: Herbert R. Kowitz at
+1 (555) 000-0000 or e-mail:
contact@example.gov. Contractual related questions should be directed to: Randall Johnston at
+1 (555) 000-0000 or e-mail:
contact@example.gov. In responding reference RFO: 1-206-UHF. Any referenced notes can be viewed at the following URL: http://genesis.gsfc.nasa.gov/nasanote.html
