Announcement for Detector Development Partners

This partnering synopsis solicits potential partners to participate in detector-related proposal development activities in support of upcoming Advanced Component Technology (ACT) Program, Earth Venture Program elements and other near-term opportunities solicited by SMD. These programs are science-driven, competitively selected opportunities that provide for pioneering Earth science technology development activities to enhance NASA's capability to better understand the current state of the Earth system. (1) The Advanced Component Technology Program funds the research, development, and demonstration of component- and subsystem-level technologies to reduce the risk, cost, size, mass, and development time of missions and infrastructure. The ACT brings instrument, platform, and information system components to a maturity level that allows their integration into other NASA-funded technology projects, such as those funded by the Instrument Incubator Program. The ACT advances core component technologies to a technology readiness level (TRL) that enables their eventual infusion into missions. Some components are directly infused into mission designs by flight projects. For more information on ACT visit https://esto.nasa.gov/technologists_overview.html (2) Earth Venture is a Program element within the Earth System Science Pathfinder Program (ESSP) consisting of a series of innovative, integrated, science-driven approaches to pressing Earth system science issues. The goal of NASA's Earth Venture mission portfolio is to provide frequent flight opportunities for high quality, high value, focused Earth science investigations that can be accomplished under a not-to-exceed cost cap and that can be developed and flown relatively quickly, generally in 4-5 years or less. For additional information on the Venture Class program element visit ESSP website: https://essp.nasa.gov/ . The schedule of opportunities is available at: https://essp.nasa.gov/essp/files/2019/06/ESSP-Solicitation-Plan-for-WEB-SITE-as-of-2019-06-19.pdf Participation in this partnering synopsis is open to all categories of U.S. and non-U.S. organizations, including educational institutions, industry, not-for-profit institutions, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, as well as NASA Centers and other U.S. Government Agencies. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Other Minority Universities (OMUs), small disadvantaged businesses (SDBs), veteran-owned small businesses, service disabled veteran-owned small businesses, HUBzone small businesses, and women-owned small businesses (WOSBs) are encouraged to apply. Participation by non-U.S. organizations is welcome but subject to NASA's policy of no exchange of funds, in which each government supports its own national participants and associated costs. Partners are sought for the development of a detector(s) for passive remote sensing of the incoming (or reflected short-wave radiation) and outgoing (or emitted long-wave) radiation from the Earth with high accuracy. Specific areas of interest include advancements in broadband radiometry and hyperspectral measurements with a wide spectral response (e.g., 0.3-100 microns) that are compatible with small satellites or cubesats. Recent advancements in uncooled detector arrays, metamaterials, new absorbers, etc. open up the opportunity for miniaturized sensors with high reliability, lower power consumption, and low mass. Ultimately, NASA LaRC's goal is to take advantage of more frequent launch opportunities with small satellites, potential technology demonstration opportunities, and engage industrial/academic partners to enable more rapid technological advancement and expansion of scientific knowledge. Specifically, NASA LaRC is seeking potential partners having demonstrated experience supporting one or more of the following areas related to detector development: (1) Detector design for space-based applications. (2) Ability to provide modeling and perform simulations in support of mission concepts (3) Electronics and packaging for space-based applications (4) Micromachining and prototyping facilities (5) Representative (although not inclusive) broadband detection capabilities include: - Spectral Response (0.3 to 100 microns (and beyond) ) - Pixel Pitch (20 to 100 microns) - Time Constant (Less than ~ 10ms) - Noise Equivalent Power (<7nW) - Absolute Spectral Response (>0.9 (0.3-100 microns) - Lifetime > 5 years - Dynamics Range 600 W/(m2-sr) - Non-linearity <2% - Other relevant factors If selected through this synopsis, it is expected that the selected partner(s) will work with NASA LaRC scientists and engineers to jointly develop and respond to future proposal opportunities. If the proposal is selected, NASA LaRC anticipates issuing contracts or other agreements to the selected partner(s) for performance of the proposed elements. This partnering opportunity does not guarantee selection for award of any contracts or other agreements, nor is it to be construed as a commitment by NASA to pay for the information solicited. Partner selections will be made by LaRC based on the listed criteria in the following order of importance: (1) Relevant experience, past performance, and technical spaceflight capabilities. The respondent's technical capability to build similar spaceflight hardware including but not limited to: (a) the respondent's ability to develop successful plans for meeting defined instrument requirements; (b) the ability of the respondent to complete projects on time and within the fixed budgets which are characteristic of NASA's competitive cost-capped opportunities, (c) ability to deliver flight hardware and (d) availability of key personnel skilled in similar space hardware. Resumes of key personnel are also welcome but will not count against the total page count. (2) Facilities. This criterion evaluates the proposers' facilities (e.g., development, testing, and characterization) to conduct the development or demonstration of the proposed task. The ability to characterize the performance of the detector against predefined figures of merit (e.g., NETD, NEP, responsivity and response time) and to conduct tests of packaging (e.g., TVAC, shock and random vibration, radiation testing) for prototypes and flight qualified hardware are areas considered important to this opportunity. The proposer should discuss facility availability, access, and the ability to meet the proposed objectives. NASA will not reimburse organizations for the cost of submitting information in response to this synopsis. NASA will not pay for technical assessment or proposal preparation costs incurred by team members. Responses to this partnering synopsis shall be limited to 10 pages in not less than 12-point font (or if using powerpoint, 20 slides). Responses must address the aforementioned evaluation criteria. All responses shall be submitted to LaRC electronically via email by 5:00pm EST on July 22, 2019 to Becky Bales (rebecca.w.bales@nasa.gov) and Brad Gardner (robert.b.gardner@nasa.gov). Procurement questions regarding this partnering synopsis should be directed to Brad Gardner (robert.b.gardner@nasa.gov).