Mars Sample Return Earth Entry Vehicle

**This is an Amended Sources Sought, as NASA has revised the requirements from the original September/October 2020 posting to include Fabrication and Assembly/Integration/Test (combination of Parts 1 & 2 from original sources sought), the need for High Temperature Mold fabrication, Contractor design/analysis capability for Aerothermal Structure (ATS), and a capability for build-to-print of up to thirteen (13) Containment Assurance Modules (CAMs) for testing and flight. NASA requests potential offerors to submit a capability statement addressing the full requirement as described below. Alternatively, if an offeror previously submitted a response, NASA requests an update to the previously submitted capabilities addressing the full requirement with the added elements noted.** The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Langley Research Center (LARC) is seeking capability statements from industry that can provide design, analysis, fabrication, assembly, integration and test services, for the Mars Sample Return Earth Entry Vehicle (MSR-EEV) Project. NASA LARC encourages responses from all interested parties, including all socioeconomic categories of Small Businesses and Historically Black Colleges and Universities /Minority Institutions, 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), Women-owned, Service Disabled Veteran, Economically Disadvantaged Women-owned Small Business or HUBZone business set-aside based on responses received. As a proposed part of the potential Mars Sample Return (MSR) campaign, the MSR-EEV is a passive entry capsule being developed by NASA to return Mars soil and rock samples back to Earth. The MSR-EEV is launched as part of the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center's Capture, Containment and Return System (CCRS) on the European Space Agency (ESA) Earth Return Orbiter (ERO) in the 2026 timeframe. The ERO's mission includes rendezvous and capture of the Mars Orbiting Sample (OS) placed in orbit by the Sample Return Lander (SRL). The OS is processed through the CCRS where it is encapsulated with primary and secondary containment vessels and assembled into the EEV, which is then closed out with the Containment Assurance Module (CAM) Lid to form the final Earth Entry System (EES) assembly. ERO provides EES return transport to Earth, and positioning/spin eject release for reentry and landing. [See Attachment - EEV_Sources Sought__FIGURESv00.pdf Figure A] The MSR-EES aerodynamically decelerates during atmospheric transit and lands without a parachute at a pre-determined landing site. Because the EES does not rely on a parachute, it will impact the ground with a velocity as high as 50 m/s (112 mph). It is critical that the capsule structure survives the soil impact and that the impact loads imparted on the Mars samples do not exceed acceptable limits. The MSR-EES is expected to be 1.1 to 1.4 meters in diameter with a 45-degree sphere cone geometry, and consists of an AeroThermal Structure (ATS) with Integral Composite Stiffened Structure (ICoSS) [Ref 1 & 2] and a CAM - crushable energy absorber that encapsulates the contained OS [See Attachment - EEV_Sources Sought__FIGURESv00.pdf Figure B]. The ATS fore- and aft- body exterior surfaces are covered with a high-performance Thermal Protection System (TPS) that is Government-furnished by NASA Ames Research Center (ARC) in near final machined form. Fore-body TPS is a single piece 3-D Medium Density Carbon Phenolic (3MDCP) based on Heatshield for Extreme Entry Environments Technology (HEEET) [ref 3] and the aft-body TPS will be either tiled Phenolic Infused Carbon Ablator (PICA) or 3MDCP. The CAM will be manufactured using LARC furnished build-to-print drawings through Task Orders issued under this effort. The OS, Primary and Secondary Containment Vessels, and the CAM Lid are also government furnished by the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Initial EEV engineering development units produced by the Government are planned to allow early risk reduction of the integrated assembly build. These initial EEV development units include a Manufacturing Demonstration Unit (MDU) and TPS Integration Unit (INT) that address mass critical composite manufacturing and TPS integration assembly methods. Three (3) additional EEV test units are planned to assess the vehicle performance. Final EEV flight builds include a flight model and a flight spare. The seven (7) EEV builds currently planned are described below. EEV-MDU: The Manufacturing Demonstration Unit (MDU) proves out the mold design, composite fabrication, and integration techniques with flight materials. The MDU includes precision alignment of release fittings, CAM fit check, and inspection/test technique development. TPS will not be included on this build. The EEV-MDU will be produced by the Government. EEV-INT: The TPS Integration Unit (INT) build provides the first full scale TPS integration opportunity and will incorporate MDU lessons learned. This unit will be used in the first drop tests (ref 2) along with the next unit (see DTU below) to verify the vehicle performance in soil and hard surface landings. The EEV-INT will be produced by the Government. The timing of the EEV-INT integration and test activity may allow for Contractor participation. EEV-DTU: The Drop Test Unit (DTU) is used to verify the vehicle performance for soil landings and hard surface landings. The unit will consist of flight structures utilizing certified flight materials similar to the INT unit. The INT and DTU unit will include representations of the OS and Primary/Secondary Containment Vessels (provided by JPL) and instrumented with accelerometers and rate sensors. The DTU will be dropped from a helicopter multiple times into expected soil conditions at the planned landing site, and then a final drop test will be conducted onto a hard surface. EEV-AM: The Assembly, Integration, and Test (AIT) Model (AM) is the first flight-like build with full size forebody TPS. This unit is delivered to GSFC for CCRS AIT activities and subsequently to ESA for spacecraft AIT activities. EEV-ETU: The Engineering Test Unit (ETU) will be the first opportunity to build and test the fully integrated flight-like EEV before building the actual flight unit. All materials and components incorporated into the ETU will be the flight designs. The ETU will undergo a series of mechanical and environmental tests similar to those for the flight unit. Testing will conclude with drop tests into soil at the planned landing site and onto a hard surface. EEV-PFM: The Proto-Flight Model (PFM) is the primary EEV flight unit that will be integrated to the CCRS for the mission. EEV-SPARE: The EEV Spare (SPARE) unit is the back-up EEV flight unit for the mission that will be used if there are unresolvable issues with the PFM. The EEV-MDU and the EEV-INT will be produced by the Government. The Government anticipates an overlapping schedule for producing the remaining five (5) units (DTU, AM, ETU, PFM, SPARE) to meet the manufacturing timeline required by the project schedule. The anticipated timeframes for the deliveries of the fully integrated first unit (DTU) and final unit (SPARE) are approximately June 2023 and June 2024, respectively. The EEV-MDU and EEV-INT builds are anticipated to be very similar to the final flight configuration. The Government will retain responsibility for EEV engineering and analysis throughout the contract period of performance, and will also be the approving authority for the final EEV engineering design and fabrication products produced by the Contractor. The Government will provide a preliminary EEV design as a starting point for the Contactor to develop design drawings and fabrication specifications. The Government's intent is for the Contractor to collaborate with the Government to finalize the EEV design and to utilize the Contractor's design, manufacturing, integration, and testing expertise to refine the design enabling expeditious production and incorporating lessons learned from each EEV build. ATS Design and Analysis Transition the government's preliminary design into final design and engineering production drawings. This includes incorporating relevant experience, materials availability, and manufacturability to meet the required EEV production and delivery schedule. Efforts include structural finite element analysis of the EEV composite ATS aeroshell given government provided launch and atmospheric entry environments. Performed design and analysis will also be responsive to government inputs following government-performed landing analysis and vehicle drop tests. ATS Composite Structure Fabrication Develop approach, process, fabrication drawings, procurement, control, inspection and execution for the manufacture of each of the ATS integral composite structure builds [DTU, AM, ETU, FM, SPARE] and up to 13 build-to-print CAMs. Activities include transitioning the design and manufacturing development into an implementable production environment with associated fabrication drawings, work instruction, and quality/cleanliness control appropriate for space flight composite material hardware. This element includes planning, procuring, refurbishing, furnishing, and/or standing up facilities and related assets required for housing the ATS composite structure fabrication and performing the required acceptance tests. This includes description of facility documentation, approval, and certification processes. Specific detail on cleanliness control and any related planetary protection experiences should be included. This element also includes the planning, design, procuring, building, testing, and managing Ground Support Equipment (GSE) necessary for the ATS fabrication, including high temperature molds, vehicle carts, dollies, breakover and lifting equipment, measuring equipment, fixtures, containers, jigs, and other hardware needed to handle the ATS structure. Vehicle Assembly, Integration, and Testing Participate in review of the initial draft Government EEV assembly, integration, and testing plans. Develop final approach, and implement EEV assembly, integration, and testing activities including: Physical assembly of the EEV for each build, including integration of the CAM, CAM Interface Assembly, OS Secondary Containment Vessel, and TPS components into the ATS Receipt processing/inventory control Handling and assembly fixtures Assembly process and control Contamination/Cleanliness Control Inspection methods and application Pre- and post- ship processing Planning and execution of integrated EEV physical acceptance checkouts, inspections, and material property (witness sample) tests to ensure correct assembly and integration. Develop final qualification test planning and execution including mass properties, thermal-vac, vibration, shock, and acoustic testing. Participate in government-planned impact testing at landing site test range. This element includes planning, procuring, refurbishing, furnishing, and/or standing up facilities and related assets required for housing the fabrication, assembly, integration and test activities for the EEV unit builds and performing the required acceptance and qualification tests. This includes description of facility documentation, approval, and certification processes. Specific detail on cleanliness control and any related planetary protection experiences should be included. This element also includes the planning, design, procuring, building, testing, and managing GSE necessary to perform any of the Fabrication, Assembly, Integration, and Test tasks specifically related to the EEV integrated units or subassemblies. This includes vehicle carts, dollies, breakover and lifting equipment, measuring equipment, fixtures, containers, jigs, and other hardware needed to handle the EEV or its subassemblies. This also includes providing engineering support to review, assess, and participate in EEV design work to ensure proper logistical and physical compatibility and operability between the GSE and the EEV build units and subassemblies. *Please note: the information provided describes only the currently contemplated possible scope of services and may vary from the work scope in a final Performance Work Statement (PWS) included in any Request for Proposals (RFP). STATEMENTS OF CAPABILITIES NASA LARC is seeking capability statements from all interested parties, regardless of business size or status as stated above, for the purposes of determining the appropriate level of competition for this requirement. Interested parties that have the experience base, expertise, and capabilities necessary to meet or exceed the stated requirements are invited to submit a response to this sources sought notice. Response Instructions: We request responses no later than 4:00 p.m. on 2 March 2021 - in the form of written and illustrated concepts, ideas, and descriptions of capabilities and experience. Responses shall be submitted electronically via email to Michelle Crawford (michelle.l.crawford@nasa.gov). Phone calls will not be accepted. The subject line of the submission should be - Sources Sought MSR-EEV - March 2021 and attachments should be in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, or PDF format. Submissions should not be greater than fifteen (15) pages (no less than 12-point font, except in figure captions) and contain the following information: Name of submitter and contact information, phone number, email address, and address of firm Identification of business size under anticipated NAICS code 336414 CAGE code/DUNs number Number of years in business and list of customers for the past five years: The Government encourages respondents to provide a list of customers for the past five years that helps demonstrate the respondent firm's capabilities and experiences. (Interested parties may opt to present a subset of past customers that is most relevant to the requirement.) Discussion of past experiences and performances relevant to the requirements above, including supporting evidence from past projects or programs. To include workmanship certifications and qualifications (e.g. ISO9001, AS9100). Statement of current capabilities and qualifications that address the respondent's ability to provide support which meets the requirements specified above. PLACE OF CONTRACT PERFORMANCE No contractor personnel are expected to be located on-site at NASA LARC, but they will travel occasionally to LARC, the Goddard Space Flight Center, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Kennedy Space Center (KSC), and possibly other NASA facilities to support reviews and technical interchange meetings. Some activities will require the prime contractor to host government personnel at the prime contractor's facility. DISCLAIMER It is not NASA's intent to publicly disclose vendor proprietary information obtained from this Sources Sought. 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. It is emphasized that this synopsis is for planning and information purposes only (subject to FAR Clause 52.215-3, "Request for Information or Solicitation for Planning Purposes") and is NOT to be construed as a commitment by the Government to enter into a contractual agreement, nor will the Government pay for information solicited. NASA will decide on whether to proceed with a procurement action, based on the responses received. No solicitation exists; therefore, do not request a copy of the solicitation. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized in beta.SAM.gov. Interested firms are responsible for monitoring these sites for the release of any solicitation or synopsis. The Government intends to review all responses submitted by Industry. At our discretion, NASA may hold meetings with respondents as needed to clarify responses and obtain further details. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation. References [1] Kellas S., - Integrated Composite Stiffener Structure (ICoSS) Concept for Planetary Entry Vehicles, 57th AIAA/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference, San Diego California, Jan. 2016. [2] Kellas S., - Passive Earth Entry Vehicle Landing Test, IEEE Aerospace Conference, Big Sky, MT March 2017. [3] Venkatapathy, E., Ellerby, D., Gage, P., Prabhu, D., Gasch, M., Kazemba, C., Kellerman, C., Langston, S., Libben, B., Mahzari, M. and Milos, F., Entry system technology readiness for ice-giant probe missions, Space Science Reviews, 216(2), pp.1-21.