GeoXO Ocean Color (OCX) Phase A Request for Information

Amendment 2: To incorporate the updated OCX PORD and provide the following clarifying text: The OCX radiance file mentioned in OCXPORD-22 will be provided after contract award. Top of Atmosphere Radiances will be the L 1b product that will be employed to make water leaving radiances and other higher level products." Amendment 1: to incorporate the Master Equipment List (MEL) template as an attachment. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. NO PROPOSALS ARE TO BE SUBMITTED IN RESPONSE TO THIS NOTICE. 1.0 REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) This notice is issued by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) to seek information related to an instrument for Ocean Color observations (OCX) under consideration to be a part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO) program series of geostationary satellites. Specifically, two types of responses are sought: 1. Response Option 1: Phase A Study Draft Solicitation, SOW and Requirements Feedback The purpose of this portion of the RFI is to post a draft Statement of Work (SOW); in addition to draft technical documents to include the Performance and Operational Requirements Document (PORD), the Unique Instrument Interface Document (UIID), the General Interface Requirements Document (GIRD), and the Instrument Mission Assurance Requirements Document (IMAR), to solicit responses from vendors interested in bidding on a definition-phase study of a geostationary ocean color instrument (OCX). The SOW specifies the requirements for the definition-phase studies and design development as part of the OCX formulation activities. In addition, the Government is releasing draft sections of a potential future release of a request for proposal (RFP) , which includes only sections L (Instructions) and M (Evaluation Factors) for industry comment. 2. Response Option 2: Instrument Concepts Information is sought on instrument system design concepts to facilitate ongoing trade studies of feasible instrument capabilities and observational value relative to budget constraints to refine the mission architecture and to prepare for a potential, future release of a request for proposal (RFP) to procure up to four (4) Ocean Color (OCX) instruments and/or related services for the GeoXO program series of geostationary satellites. The design of the OCX instrument should be consistent with the Performance and Operational Requirements Document (PORD), the Unique Instrument Interface Document (UIID), the General Interface Requirements Document (GIRD) requirement set and be capable of meeting Instrument Mission Assurance Requirements (IMAR). Please note that the submission due dates for the two options differ and are defined in sections 5.1.1 and 5.1.2 below. 2.0 BACKGROUND The GOES program currently consists of the GOES-R series satellites. The GOES-R series represented a generational change in both spacecraft and instrument performance over previous GOES N-P series. The Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO) program is the follow-on to the GOES-R series, with initial launch capability in 2032. The current planned architecture for the GeoXO series consists of three satellites operating in geostationary orbit. The nominal locations are 75 degrees west (GeoXO East) 137 degrees west (GeoXO West) and 90 degrees west longitude (GeoXO Central), however the exact locations are dependent on NOAA user needs. The four (4) OCX instruments will each be accommodated on either a GeoXO East or GeoXO West. The OCX will be a multi-channel, UV through infrared, passive imaging radiometer that is a Class C instrument with a 10 year mission lifetime and a 0.6 reliability requirement as defined in the Performance and Operational Requirements Document (PORD). The GeoXO study team is assessing candidate mission architectures to meet mission observation objectives that can be accommodated within cost and schedule constraints as part of pre-Phase A and Phase A activities leading to a Systems Requirements Review (SRR) anticipated to occur in the 2nd quarter of FY2022. To facilitate this assessment , Phase A studies are planned to study instrument concepts relative to the current performance requirements and assess the prescribed trade studies. The Government anticipates awarding up to two firm fixed price contracts, of up to 20 months duration and approximately $5M each for this definition-phase (Phase A) study. The Final Study Report is due up to 12 months after contract award with the Risk Mitigation Report and Technology Development Report due up to 20 months after contract award. Any proposed technology development or risk mitigation efforts would be included in the fixed price. Through response Option 1 of this RFI, the Government is seeking feedback as to the reasonableness and clarity of the Phase A study scope and requirements. Due to the timing of the start and end of the Phase A studies, the government is also requesting initial instrument concept information (through response to Option 2) to facilitate processes and trade studies to achieve SRR as scheduled. The study team plans to use the information provided in combination with studies of all mission elements to help assess overall mission architecture options relative to observational objectives and cost and schedule constraints. 3.0 GeoXO OCX OBSERVATION GOALS AND OBJECTIVES NOAA users have a need for persistent top of the atmosphere radiances for water leaving radiances (ocean color) of targeted areas of North America provided by an ocean color-capable instrument. This instrument would be a new development for the GOES constellation. The instrument performance objectives would be to provide fine spatial resolution in the wavelengths capable of measuring biological changes in regions such as the US EEZ and US Great Lakes. The GeoXO Ocean Color Instrument (OCX) is a hyperspectral imaging radiometer that will provide daytime coverage of the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the ultraviolet (UV) spectrum. The OCX will provide a daylight temporal coverage re-visit time of 3 hours (baseline), with a performance goal of less than 2 hours. The OCX remotely collects imagery of the Earth's coastal waters for harmful algal blooms, water turbidity, and general water quality, fisheries management, habitat quality/assessment/mapping, pollution tracking, biogeochemical processing in coastal regions, warnings and predictions. The OCX objectives are as follows: a) Provide new NOAA ocean color operational data that will be used by NOAA and other public and private agencies to produce forecasts of water quality pollution including turbidity and harmful algal blooms. b) Provide ocean color operational data that will be used to expand knowledge of coastal waters and ocean processes in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). 4.0 REFERENCE PARAMETERS The following reference parameters should be considered in the responses to this RFI. 4.1 Notional Schedule Key dates for the current notional GeoXO mission schedule are as follows. This hypothetical schedule may or may not be or become the planned mission schedule. Launch Readiness Date East/West FM1: June 2032 Launch Readiness Date East/West FM2: April 2035 Launch Readiness Date East/West FM3: April 2039 Launch Readiness Date East/West FM4: October 2042 If a RFP for the instrument is released, it is anticipated to follow the schedule below: OCX Phase A Study Award: Q1 FY2022 OCX Development Contract Award: Q1 FY2024 4.2 Instrument Requirements Any future procurement for the GeoXO series ocean color instrument will require the instrument to meet certain functional and performance requirements in agreement with the Performance and Operational Requirements Document (PORD), General Interface Requirements Document (GIRD), and the Unique Instrument Interface Document (UIID) provided as attachment reference to this RFI. 4.2.1 GeoXO OCX Performance and Operational Requirements (PORD) document The Performance and Operational Requirements Document (PORD) sets the performance requirements for the Ocean Color (OCX) instrument. The OCX may incorporate additional capabilities described in Appendix 1. 4.2.2 General Interface Requirements Document (GIRD) The General Interface Requirements Document (GIRD) defines the mechanical, thermal, electrical power, command and data handling and contamination control interface requirements imposed on both the instruments and spacecraft for the Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO) Series System. It also defines the general environments to which the satellite will be subjected. The spacecraft contractor and the instrument contractor shall each meet their respective interface requirements defined in this document. 4.2.3 Unique Instrument Interface Documents (UIID) The purpose of the Unique Instrument Interface Document (UIID) is three-fold. The first is to allocate GeoXO spacecraft resources (including optical and thermal fields of views) to each instrument. The second is to serve as a core building block on which the instruments-to-spacecraft interfaces can be designed. Third, the UIID document exceptions to the GIRD requirements and constraints, and defines the special requirements not specifically covered in the GIRD. 4.3 Safety and Mission Assurance Processes Any future procurement for OCX will require a design and mission assurance program that meet the Safety and Mission Assurance (SMA) processes defined in the GeoXO Instrument Mission Assurance Requirements (IMAR) document found as a reference document to this RFI. To that end, concepts should be capable of meeting these requirements. 5.0 INFORMATION REQUESTED Disclaimers: This is a request for information and is for planning and information purposes only. This is not a request for proposal or quotation, nor is this a solicitation for a contract or grant award. This RFI does not obligate the government in any way. The Government will not reimburse the respondents for any costs associated with the information submitted in response to this request. No solicitation exists; therefore, do not request a copy of the solicitation. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on sam.gov (https://www.sam.gov). It is the interested party's responsibility to monitor these sites for the release of any solicitation or synopsis. The information is requested for planning purposes only, subject to FAR Clause 52.215-3, entitled "Solicitation for Information for Planning Purposes. As part of the study and review process, the study team intends on using material provided to assess concept feasibility, which includes distribution and presentation of material as part of review processes. Only material suitable for internal Government distribution shall be submitted. Any restricted information should be marked accordingly. The U.S. Government will protect all restricted information received from respondents, and distribution of any material will be based on a strict need-to-know basis. However, note that the submissions may be subject to review by experts outside of the civil service, including limited NASA and NOAA contractors, each of whom is bound to protect restricted data from unauthorized use or disclosure per their respective contracts. No classified material should be provided. Submittals identified as containing such material shall be destroyed and not considered further. To the full extent that it is protected pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act and other laws and regulations, information identified by a respondent as - Proprietary or Confidential will be kept confidential. The Government will treat any cost information in confidence. The Government may use this information to finalize any possible future RFP. As part of its assessment of industry capabilities, NASA may contact respondents to this RFI for clarifications or further information and/or hold an Industry Day, which will be one-on-one meetings between the Government and each company to be scheduled after the receipt of all responses. Please include a statement in your response if you are interested in attending a one-on-one meeting. 5.1 Response Submission and Deadlines Interested parties should submit a response to one or more of the following response options with a written statement of interest or capability and discussion per the requested information and structure per the respective response option. Respondents do not have to respond to all of the options. Interested parties or organizations may respond to more than one option. Each response should be separate from responses to other options and limited to the page limits per response option. Responses should be in Microsoft Word (.doc or docx) or Portable Document Format (.pdf). The appendix for the Master Equipment List (MEL) should follow the templates provided and should be in Microsoft Excel format (.xls or .xlsx). The appendix is not included in the page count. 5.1.1 Response Option 1 Deadline Responses for feedback on the draft solicitation, SOW, and requirements should be submitted via electronic mail (e-mail) to the points of contact below by June 7, 2021, no later than 5 pm Eastern Time. The subject line of the submission should be "RFI for draft GeoXO OCX Study Requirements". 5.1.2 Response Option 2 Deadline Responses for instrument concepts should be submitted via electronic mail (e-mail) to the points of contact below by July 16, 2021, no later than 5 pm Eastern Time. The subject line of the submission should be "RFI for GeoXO OCX Instrument Concepts". Respondents are highly encouraged to submit any questions regarding Option 1 request to the points of contact below within 1 week of release of this RFI and for Option 2 request within 4 weeks of release of this RFI to allow the Government time to develop responses prior to the due date for submissions. The subject line of questions should be "Questions regarding RFI for GeoXO OCX." As practicable, questions and any responses provided will be posted to the same location as the RFI prior to the response due date to assist all potential respondents. The Government reserves the discretion to determine which questions are practical to respond to and might not respond to all questions/concerns submitted. Points of Contact Darlene Harkins, Contracting Officer darlene.harkins@nasa.gov 5.2 Response Option 1: Phase A Study Draft Solicitation, SOW and Requirements Feedback This portion of the RFI is for information and planning purposes to allow industry the opportunity to provide feedback on the scope and requirements of the Phase A study, to verify reasonableness and feasibility, and promote competition. The Government is requesting information on the following with a total page limit of 5 pages, not including items 4 and 5 : Organization information: Organization name and address, point-of-contact name, E-mail address, phone number. Phase A Scope: Comments and discussion regarding the feasibility of Phase A study scope, given the cost and schedule constraints. Please explain any areas deemed not feasible. Draft Requirements Feedback: Provide feedback on the clarity of the requirements in the SOW, PORD, UIID, GIRD and IMAR. For comments related to a specific requirement, please reference the exact document and requirement number. Draft Solicitation Feedback: Provide comments related to the draft sections L (Instructions) and M (Evaluation Factors). Areas of Development: Provide input as to areas of development that would benefit from early effort to improve technology readiness or mitigate development risk. Capability Statement: In addition to information above, interested firms having the necessary specialized capabilities to meet the requirements outlined in the attached documents should submit a brief capability statement indicating the ability to perform all aspects of this effort. 5.3 Response Option 2: Instrument Concepts This portion of the RFI requests instrument system design concept and development plan information to facilitate ongoing trade studies to assess feasible instrument capabilities and associated observational value relative to budget constraints to refine the mission architecture Please provide the following information that addresses the requested concept and plan for this response option relative to the reference parameters in section 4.0 with a total page limit of 12 pages, not including item 4: 1. Organization information: Organization name and address, point-of-contact name, E-mail address, phone number. 2. Abstract: Provide a brief summary of the instrument concept and approach for measuring water leaving radiances. 3. Instrument Concept: 3.1. Describe and explain the concept design and capabilities of proposed instrument and how it meets instrument reference parameters in section 4.2, including measurement and performance characteristics in a table format that includes values for: spectral range, spectral resolution and sampling, spatial resolution, coverage area, revisit time, polarization sensitivity, and estimated SNR. Include explanations of how the instrument concept addresses Image Navigation and Registration (INR). 3.2. Describe the design concept and methods planned for providing calibrated instrument data, including initial transfer to orbit and monitoring through the mission life. 3.3. Describe the planned redundancy to meet the required reliability and mission life. 3.4. Provide the heritage, maturity, and TRL (Technology Readiness Level) (Reference: https://esto.nasa.gov/files/trl_definitions.pdf) of the proposed instrument and its subsystems and any necessary projected maturation plan to achieve TRL 6 by the Preliminary Design Review. 3.5. Provide: mass; total power allocation, volume, data rate; identify breakpoints in the trade space where instrument size, mass and power changes significantly. 3.6. Identify and describe key technical, schedule and cost drivers. 4. Master Equipment List (MEL): 4.1. Develop an initial Master Equipment List (MEL) for the concept. 4.2. The MEL shall document the mass, power, and TRL of each major sub-component. 5. Instrument Accommodation Needs: Describe the instrument accommodation needs that should be levied on the spacecraft, such as technical resources, interfaces, fields of view for operation including thermal control, and any other special accommodation needs. 6. Development Approach: Outline the approach and timeline for developing and testing the instrument concept, including the recommended plan and fidelity for engineering development units (Prototypes, Engineering Models, etc) and solutions to developing the quantities of flight instruments. 7. System Integration and Environmental Test (I&T): Describe the planned or recommended process and available facilities to integrate and functionally test multiple instrument builds, including pre-launch performance characterization and calibration. 8. Schedule Estimate: 8.1. Provide an initial top-level schedule that shows planned development activities for the planned instrument quantities, including indication of milestone review timeframes, the start of system I&T and delivery of the first instrument, and start of system I&T and delivery of subsequent units. 8.2. Identify known long lead procurement items.