A--SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITY FOR WEB BASED VIDEO STREAMING FOR SPACE SHUTTLE RETURN TO FLIGHT MISSIONS (STS-114, STS-121)

INTRODUCTION The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Vision is: To improve life here, To extend life to there, To find life beyond. As Discovery and Atlantis are readied for their respective Return to Flight (RTF) Missions, NASA is preparing to meet public demand to see the launches and missions. NASA's primary method for disseminating content is via the NASA Web Portal (www.nasa.gov). Based on data from previous missions (Mars Exploration Rover Mission, Huygens Landing, etc) we expect 20 to 30 million visits to the NASA Web Portal with 250,000 to 500,000 Internet users also accessing NASA TV coverage via Web Streaming. The first RTF launch window is scheduled to take place in July. For complete Space Shuttle Return to Flight information, visit the NASA Web Portal (www.nasa.gov/returntoflight). In the existing portal infrastructure, if this demand increase materializes, NASA may have to cap the number of visitors and hours of web streaming coverage. This would force visitors to find content from other venues that may or may not cover the Return to Flight Missions. NASA is releasing this announcement to solicit in-kind proposals for web video streaming infrastructure and bandwidth services from Non-NASA entities to support increase public access for the Return to Flight Missions at no cost to NASA. NASA intends to enter into a Space Act Agreement with the selected sponsor(s) and the existing NASA Web Portal contractor to cover these actions. The existing NASA and the NASA Web Portal contractor will handle the integration of the selected sponsor(s) in-kind solution. NASA is seeking an Agreement that will take effect July 1, 2005, and last through December 31, 2005. In addition to these two Space Shuttle missions, NASA expects several other events to drive visitor levels to the site higher: the encounter of the Deep Space 1 spacecraft with Comet Tempel-1 expected July 4, 2005, two to three satellite launches and possibly a third Space Shuttle flight late in 2005. Because of the nature of the launch schedule, NASA will seek the option to extend this Agreement if the launch schedule changes. In addition, at the end of the Agreement term, and if mutually agreeable to the selected sponsor(s), NASA may seek options for extension under this Agreement. In exchange for this sponsorship NASA will consider offers to display the logo of the sponsor(s) and give credit to the sponsor(s) on the NASA Web Portal. NASA will consider other suitable, innovative concepts to acknowledge and publicize the Offeror's sponsorship. This Announcement is open through June 13, 2005. NASA will not issue paper copies of this announcement. NASA reserves the right to select for Space Act Agreement all, some or none of the proposals in response to this announcement. NASA provides no funding for reimbursement of proposal development costs. Material submitted in response to this Announcement will not be returned. It is the policy of NASA to safeguard all proposals as confidential and privileged information and NASA will not, without permission of the Offeror, use or disclose their contents for other than evaluation purposes.