B -- Responsive Space Operations -- Request for Information No. 2004-01

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)ON RESPONSIVE SPACE OPERATIONS (AS OF 30 JANUARY 2004) The National Security Space Architect (NSSA) is gathering information regarding responsive space operations. For the purpose of this RFI, - responsive space operations results from the ability of space-based services and products to respond to changes in needs, events, technologies, or other circumstances in a timely manner. NSSA is currently considering three general timeliness regimes: 1) Long-term responsiveness requiring the conceptualization, design, development, and deployment of new capabilities; 2) Mid-term responsiveness requiring the replenishment, reinforcement, replacement, repair, or modification of existing capabilities; and 3) Short-term responsiveness through the use of novel techniques or operational concepts to exploit latent capabilities. The information will be used to assist NSSA in developing architectures proposed for use in 2025. The NSSA is responsible for developing architectures across the range of National Security space mission areas. The architectural process integrates future needs and a broad spectrum of future military, civil, and commercial capabilities into candidate architectures; conducts independent analyses to assess the merits of each architecture; and presents recommendations and an investment strategy to the Undersecretary of the Air Force for Space/Director, National Reconnaissance Office and the National Security Space Senior Steering Group consisting of: - Assistant Secretary of Defense for Networks and Information Integration (ASD/NII); - Deputy Director of Central Intelligence for Community Management (DDCI/CM); and - Director, Force Structure, Resources, and Assessment Directorate (J8), Joint Staff This RFI seeks information which will help the NSSA assess responsive space operations capabilities employed, planned, or proposed by national security, civil, and commercial organizations. Of particular interest are innovative practices, concepts, standards, technologies, non-material applications, and associated commercial architectures. Specific questions are: 1) How would you characterize your customers needs for responsiveness? 2) How would you characterize your responsiveness to customers in these timeframes: a. Long-term acquisition of capabilities b. Modification of existing capabilities c. Exploiting latent portions of existing capabilities 3) What is your overall approach to changing your own capabilities in response to changes in customer needs, new technologies, or other elements of the environment? 4) How are you planning to improve your responsiveness in these areas? a. Space-based capabilities b. Terrestrial capabilities c. Non-material aspects including policies, procedures, and operations concepts 5) What standards are you considering developing, establishing or implementing to support long-term, mid-term, and short-term responsiveness? 6) What technologies do you plan to use to achieve, maintain, or improve long-term, mid-term, and short-term responsiveness? 7) What technologies do you consider high payoff for future responsive space operations capabilities, including those without current space funding support or government sponsorship? 8) To what extent should autonomy or automation be implemented in ground and space systems to support responsiveness? 9) Which commercial capabilities do you believe could be used to enhance the responsiveness of government space capabilities? 10) What type of capabilities do you anticipate using to support the responsiveness of your space-based capabilities proposed for use in 2025. 11) What international cooperation do you intend to be in place in 2025 to achieve better space responsiveness? 12) What interrelationship do you plan or desire to have with the government in 2025 from a responsive space operations perspective? 13) What interest do you have in providing selected services for responsive government space operations? 14) What interest do you have in providing a full range of responsive space operations services to the government? 15) What analytical tools or simulations would you recommend for assessing the performance, cost, and utility associated with responsive space operations? Answers should describe current responsive space capabilities of space operations, anticipated changes in future levels of responsiveness, and recommendations for architectural options for achieving space operations that are responsive in the long-term, mid-term, and short-term by 2025. Request contractors interested and capable of performing these functions submit the following information: 1) A capability package, limited to 20 pages or less, that includes: a. Contractor information to include, but not be limited to, the Contractor's name, address, point of contact, telephone number, fax number, and e-mail address. b. Business size (HUBZone, 8a, small, disadvantaged, woman owned, veteran owned, veteran disabled, etc.). For purposes of this Request for Information (RFI), the SIC Code is 9661 and the corresponding NAICS code is 927110. Industry size standards are published by the Small Business Administration and are available via the Internet at http://www.sba.gov/size. c. Company profile to include, but not be limited to, the number of employees, annual sales history, locations, security clearances, cage code, duns number, tax identification number, etc. d. Contract references in the past five years relevant to the request for information to include: contract number, agency supported, whether or not you were a prime or subcontractor, period of performance, original contract value, final or current contract value, technical monitor point of contact information (phone, fax, e-mail, etc.), contractor point of contact information (phone, fax, e-mail, etc.) and a brief description of the effort. 2) 1 to 2 page abstract detailing your proposed response. 3) A window is being set aside for market research presentations by interested commercial organizations on February 18-19, 2004 at NSSA, 11242 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, VA. A second opportunity for presentations will be available February 25-26 at Aerospace Corporation facilities in Los Angeles, CA. Presenting organizations may choose either venue for their convenience. Each session will consist of a thirty-minute presentation to be followed by a thirty-minute question-and-answer period. Classified meetings will be held the second day of each window, if required. Please contact Mrs. Natalie A. Sitkowski (E-mail: contact@example.gov), Contract Specialist for the 11th Contracting Squadron, no later than February 13, 2004 if you would like to participate. If warranted, follow-up trips or visits to an organization's location (e.g., demonstrations) can be arranged. Responses must be received no later than 3:00pm (Eastern Standard Time) on Friday, February 13, 2004 in order to be considered timely. This synopsis is for a Request for Information only and does not constitute a commitment on the part of the Government to purchase or acquire systems or services related to responsive space operations. This publication is for information only and does not signify any Government sponsorship of contractor charges against any Government contract for proposal efforts or a Government promise to pay for any information received in response to this announcement. POINT OF CONTACT: Mrs. Natalie A. Sitkowski (E-mail: contact@example.gov), Contract Specialist for the 11th Contracting Squadron.