Community Announcement: NASA Heliophysics Program Science Mission of Opportunity

NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD) intends to release a Third Stand Alone Missions of Opportunity Notice (SALMON-3) Program Element Appendix (PEA) for Heliophysics Science Missions of Opportunity (MO) by May 2018. The Heliophysics Division conducts Principal Investigator (PI)-led space science investigations in SMD's heliophysics programs under a not-to-exceed cost cap. Evaluation and selection for flight will nominally be made through a two-step competitive process. It is anticipated that two or more Heliophysics Science MO investigations will be selected for 9-month, $400K (RY) Phase A concept studies through this SALMON PEA. At the conclusion of these concept studies, it is planned that at least two Heliophysics Science MO investigations will be selected to continue into Phase B and subsequent mission phases. Multiple missions may be selected. The intent is that at least one of the two Heliophysics MOs will be selected for flight on the Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) Secondary Payload Adapter (ESPA). Heliophysics Science investigations must address NASA's heliophysics science objectives as described in 2014 Science Plan for NASA's Science Mission Directorate and Our Dynamic Space Environment: Heliophysics Science and Technology Roadmap for 2014-2033. Consistent with these documents, investigations should focus on understanding the Sun and its interactions with Earth and the solar system, including space weather. This opportunity will solicit Science Enhancement Options (SEOs) as part of the Concept Study Reports produced at the end of the Phase A concept studies; SEOs submitted as part of the Step-1 proposal will not be reviewed. SEOs are optional activities outside the scope of the baseline mission that have the potential to broaden the scientific impact of investigations. Two types of Mission of Opportunity (MO) may be proposed in response to this solicitation: (1) Partner Missions of Opportunity (PMOs), which may include CubeSats, and (2) Small Complete Missions (SCMs). SCMs are ISS payloads, hosted payloads, shared rides, SmallSats (including CubeSats), or suborbital class (Super Pressure Balloon (SPB), Long Duration Balloon (LDB) or Suborbital Reusable Launch Vehicle (sRLV)) investigations. SCMs may also be proposed for flight on the Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) Secondary Payload Adapter (ESPA) that will go to the Sun-Earth L1 location. The ESPA is intended to be an unpowered, non-propulsive, 5-port ESPA Grande ring. It is anticipated that the following classes of platforms will be provided by NASA for access to space, or near space. - International Space Station (ISS). - Balloon vehicles and balloon launch services for missions on high-altitude scientific balloons. - Platforms to host payloads on sRLVs. - Launch and deployment services for a single 1U, 1.5U, 2U, 3U, or 6U CubeSat for missions that utilize the CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI). - Constellations of CubeSats or other SmallSats that utilize the CSLI. - One port on the Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) Secondary Payload Adapter (ESPA) Grande. It is anticipated that this opportunity will solicit proposals for science investigations requiring the development and operation of space-based investigations. The projects are designated as Category 3 as defined in NPR 7120.5E, NASA Space Flight Program and Project Management Requirements. The payloads are designated as Class D as defined in NPR 8705.4 consistent with the new NASA Science Mission (SMD) Class-D Tailoring/Streamlining Decision Memorandum, except for PMOs, which depend on host mission's risk classification requirements that must be specified in the proposal. See https://soma.larc.nasa.gov/standardao/ClassD.html. Investigations will be cost capped, including all mission phases, reserves, and the cost of accommodation on and/or delivery to the host mission. The intended cost cap is as follows: - $80M (FY19) for SCMs and PMOs on the IMAP ESPA. - $55M (FY19) for SCMs and PMOs not on the IMAP ESPA. - $35M (FY19) for suborbital class SCMs. A 25% minimum reserve on Phases A-D and 15% minimum reserve on Phases E-F will be required within the cost cap. The time frame for the solicitation is intended to be: Release of Draft SALMON-3 PEA March 2018 (target) Release of final SALMON-3 PEA May 2018 (target) Pre-proposal conference 2-3 weeks after final SALMON-3 PEA release Proposals due 90 days after SALMON-3 PEA release Selection for competitive Phase A studies January 2019 (target) Concept study reports due December 2019 (target) Down-selection June 2020 (target) Launch readiness date NLT December 31, 2024 The Heliophysics Science SALMON-3 PEA will be based on the Standard PI-led Mission AO Template available at http://soma.larc.nasa.gov/standardao/sao_templates.html. Proposers should read the Heliophysics Science SALMON-3 PEA carefully when it is released. NASA has not approved the issuance of the Heliophysics Science SALMON-3 PEA and this notification does not obligate NASA to issue the SALMON-3 PEA and solicit proposals. Any costs incurred by prospective investigators in preparing submissions in response to this notification or the planned Heliophysics Science SALMON-3 PEA are incurred completely at the submitter's own risk. Further information will be posted on the Heliophysics Science MO Acquisition Page at https://soma.larc.nasa.gov/2018HelioMO/ as it becomes available. Questions may be addressed to Dr. James Spann, Heliophysics Science MO Lead Scientist, Science Mission Directorate, NASA, Washington, DC 20546; Email: contact@example.gov.