Lunar Rover Navigation Cameras

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Ames Research Center (ARC) is hereby soliciting information under this Request for Information (RFI) to determine whether or not there are interested and available vendor sources capable of meeting the identified requirements. This document is for information and planning purposes only and to allow industry the opportunity to verify reasonableness and feasibility of the requirement, as well as promote competition. NASA/ARC is interested in engineering cameras (i.e., not science instruments) for planetary rover missions on the Moon. This RFI seeks information about cameras that can be spaceflight qualified and potentially delivered as soon as 2019 for lunar mission use. The cameras must be small, lightweight, low power, and capable of imaging natural terrain hazards (rocks, craters, slopes, etc.). The notional specifications for the camera systems are provided in the attachment titled "Table 1 - Notional Camera Specifications". Organizations having the capabilities necessary to meet or exceed the stated requirements are invited to submit appropriate documentation, literature, brochures, and references. ARC is seeking capability statements from all interested parties, including but not limited to, educational, industrial, and not-for-profit organizations, Small, Small Disadvantaged (SDB), 8(a), Woman-Owned (WOSB), Veteran Owned (VOSB), Service-Disabled Veteran Owned (SDVOSB), Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) businesses, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU)/Minority Institutions (MI) for the purposes of determining the appropriate level of competition and/or small business subcontracting goals. The Government reserves the right to consider a Small, 8(a), WOSB, SDVOSB, or HUBZone business set-aside based on responses hereto. Responses to this RFI should address the following: (1) Organization/Company Info: a. Name and address of firm, b. Cage Code and DUNS Number (if available), c. Points of contact name(s) with phone number(s) and email address(es), d. Website (if applicable), and name of parent organization (if applicable). e. Business size (Based on NAICS code) and/or Socioeconomic designation (i.e., large, small, SDB, WOSB, VOSB, SDVOSB), f. Average annual revenue for past 3 years and number of employees; g. List of customers covering the past five years (highlight relevant work performed, contract numbers, contract type, dollar value of each procurement), h. Whether the firm is under a GSA Schedule Contract for this product (based on the above and below technical specifications identified in this announcement). Please provide contract number if applicable. (2) Technical: a. Proposed technical specifications of the camera(s), including but not limited to parameters listed in Table 1. b. Proposed technical specifications for optional digital recording capabilities, which can simultaneously record and playback camera image data, including but not limited to: number of cameras supported (4 to 8), number of simultaneous camera data streams, support for image subsampling, support for stereo image processing, and support for compression (lossy and/or lossless). c. System operation in the lunar environment, in terms of how the camera system(s) would be designed to tolerate lunar temperature, radiation, vacuum, etc. including possible use in permanently shadowed regions. Respondents should minimize, but describe any accommodation support required from a rover (thermal management, avionics, interfaces, etc.). d. Design for launch and surface mobility conditions, in terms of how the camera system(s) would tolerate shock and vibration during quiescent (non-operational) and active (operational) mission phases. Respondents should list assumptions that have significant design impact. e. Maturity of the technology at a subsystem level (i.e., what parts of the system have been flight qualified, when and by whom or under what project), description of Technology Readiness Level (TRL), and near-term plans / approach for qualification of any components that do not yet have flight heritage. f. Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) cost estimate -- broken down by key subsystems -- and timeline for the design, fabrication, and testing of a spaceflight-qualified system (in FY15 dollars). The ROM should include engineering development unit cost, certification unit cost, and flight unit cost. (2) Information regarding existing or planned instruments with respect to section 2 above (include written and illustrated concepts, ideas, and description of capabilities). Please also advise if the requirement is considered to be a commercial or commercial-type service. A commercial item is defined in FAR 2.101 and in NASA Specific Numbered Note A. (3) Identification of partnerships (if any) represented in the response. This includes but is not limited to joint venture partners, potential teaming partners, prime contractor (if potential sub) or subcontractors (if potential prime). (4) In addition information requested in items 1-3, ARC is soliciting feedback on the applicable classification codes. Does the selection of NAICS code 333316 (Photographic and Photocopying Equipment Manufacturing) with size standard 1000 employees seem appropriate? If not, what alternative NAICS code do you suggest, and why? Interested firms are requested to submit their response to this RFI via email only to Mia Blessing at email maria.t.blessing@nasa.gov, no later than 2:00PM PST on stated response date. Submissions shall be compatible with and accessible using Microsoft Office or Adobe Acrobat software applications. When responding, reference NNA16ZTI002L -- LUNAR ROVER NAVIGATION CAMERAS. Documents and attachments should be in Microsoft WORD, POWERPOINT, or PDF format. Files should not be greater than 15 pages (no less than 10 point font except in figure captions). Due to mailbox limitations, attachments should not exceed 10MB. All information received in response to this RFI that is marked "Proprietary" will be handled and protected accordingly. As applicable, NASA may provide proprietary information to its support service contractors who are under an obligation to keep third-party proprietary information in confidence. By submitting a response to this RFI, the responder is deemed to have consented to release of proprietary information to such NASA support service contractors. Following this initial feedback, as part of its market research, NASA may conduct one-on-one meetings with potential offerors. These meetings will allow for exchange of information and will provide an opportunity for potential offerors to provide feedback on the Government's preliminary requirements and acquisition approach. Pursuant to FAR 52.215-3, entitled "Request for Information or Solicitation for Planning Purposes," this information is being made available for market research, information, and planning purposes and to allow industry the opportunity to verify reasonableness and feasibility of the requirement, as well as promote competition. This RFI is subject to review or cancellation at any time and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to enter into a contract. The Government will not pay for the information submitted in response to this request and respondents will not be notified of the results. This announcement does not constitute a Request for Proposal. Please do not request for a copy of the solicitation, as no solicitation exists at this time. If a firm requirement is developed and a solicitation is issued, the solicitation will be made available on the Federal Business Opportunities (FBO) website (http://www.fbo.gov). It is the responsibility of offerors and interested parties to monitor the Internet site for the release of the solicitation and amendments, if any and will be responsible for downloading their own copy of the documents. NASA Clause 1852.215-84, Ombudsman, is applicable. The Center Ombudsman for this acquisition can be found at http://prod.nais.nasa.gov/pub/pub_library/Omb.html. Information about major upcoming ARC procurement actions is available at http://ec.msfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/eis/admin/admin.cgi?center=ARC.