Next generation NanoSIMS HR instrument with Cryogenic capability

This contract focuses on developing an advanced NanoSIMS HR instrument with cryogenic capabilities aimed at significantly enhancing the analysis of extraterrestrial materials. The upgraded instrument will enable unprecedented isotopic studies of soluble organics and fluid inclusions, allowing investigations at finer grain scales that current technology cannot access. These improvements are expected to facilitate groundbreaking discoveries of new presolar and nebular grains, providing critical insights into the origins of the solar system, the first-formed solids, and the organic and volatile content of primitive asteroids, specifically applied to samples like those returned from the Ryugu asteroid and future missions. The new NanoSIMS HR will be an improvement over the existing NanoSIMS 50L at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, offering unparalleled spatial resolution, precision, and accuracy in isotopic characterization of fine-grained sample constituents. This capability is critical to preparing for the analysis of samples being returned by Artemis and other exploratory missions, thereby advancing NASA’s scientific research objectives in cosmochemistry and planetary science. The solicitation was posted by NASA JSC, with contacts provided for more information. The place of performance and set-aside details remain to be determined.