Partnering Opportunity for Advanced Component Technology (ACT)

This partnering synopsis solicits potential partners to participate in a proposal development activity that addresses the technical objectives and development of an advanced component and subsystem in response to the release in April 2020 of the Advanced Component Technology (ACT) within the Research Opportunities In Space And Earth Sciences - 2020 (ROSES-2020), NNH20ZDA001N, that is managed by NASA's Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO). ACT supports the development of a range of advanced observation and information systems technologies to meet the demand of future Earth science measurements and activities addressing the full scientific measurement process. This includes, but is not limited to, instruments needed to make specific observations, data systems, and information products that render observations useful to the scientific community in a timely manner. Participation by U.S. and non-U.S. organizations, including educational institutions, industry, not-for-profit institutions, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, as well as NASA Centers and other U.S. Government Agencies. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Other Minority Universities (OMUs), small disadvantaged businesses (SDBs), veteran-owned small businesses, service disabled veteran-owned small businesses, HUBzone small businesses, and women-owned small businesses (WOSBs) is encouraged. Participation by non-U.S. organizations is welcome but subject to NASA's policy of no exchange of funds, in which each government supports its own national participants and associated costs. Partners are sought for the development of an ACT proposal and to design and fabricate an Electronic and Photonic Integrated Circuit (EPIC) lidar transceiver at 1.55 - m. In particular, NASA LaRC is seeking potential partners having demonstrated expertise and experience in following primary areas: The partner may propose capabilities related to EPIC lidar transceiver with a power-scalable pulsed Photonic-Integrated-Circuit (PIC) - based lidar transmitter and local oscillator, and Electronic-Integrated-Circuit (EIC) - based coherent lidar receiver, and integration between PIC and EIC for a coherent wind lidar system at NASA LaRC. The partner shall design, manufacture/fabricate, and deliver a PIC-based lidar transmitter and local oscillator, which offers both pulsed and continuous-wave (CW) laser output. The pulsed laser output beam shall be a single-frequency, power-scalable, and polarized laser beam with pulse energy of >10nJ and pulse duration of about 500ns at the pulse repetition frequency (PRF) of 5-10 kHz. The beam quality shall be a M^2 value of 1.2 or less. The CW laser beam shall be linearly polarized and should have a frequency-shift of about 180 MHz from the pulsed laser beam. The CW laser beam shall be directed to dual-balanced Photo Diodes (PDs) through the waveguides for optical heterodyne detection. Partners are also invited to propose an approach to design and fabricate the EIC-based dual-balanced optical heterodyne lidar receiver including PD associated TIA and electronic optional/power amplifiers with a gain of ~50dB (gain adjustable preferred) and a bandwidth of ~500 MHz (10 MHz-500MHz). The EIC shall be able to integrate with the PIC. If selected through this synopsis, it is expected that the selected partner(s) will work with NASA LaRC scientists and engineers to jointly develop the proposal. If the proposal is selected, NASA LaRC anticipates issuing contracts or other agreements to the selected partner(s) for performance of the proposed tasks. This partnering opportunity does not guarantee selection for award of any contracts or other agreements, nor is it to be construed as a commitment by NASA to pay for the information solicited. It is expected that the partner(s) selected would provide (at no cost to NASA) technical requirements, conceptual designs, technical data, proposal input, project schedules, and cost estimates for space-based instrument concepts. If the proposal is selected, it is anticipated that the partner(s) will work with LaRC on design, development, integration, and testing of the proposed requested subsystems. Partner selections will be made by LaRC based on the listed criteria in the following order of importance: (1) Relevant Experience, past performance. This criterion evaluates the proposers relevant recent experience, past performance in similar development activities. Substantive evidence of successful participation in similar developments should be included. (2) Technical Capability and key personnel. This criterion evaluates technical capability to perform the development and key personnel available to support the development. Evidence of staffing estimates with available key personnel shall be included. Past successful programs and technical contributions shall be included. (3) Facilities. This criterion evaluates the proposers facilities (development, testing, and analyses) to conduct the development or demonstration of the proposed task. Instrument facilities for testing of space hardware and prototype hardware are considered important to this opportunity. The proposer should discuss facility availability, access, and the ability to meet the proposed objectives. (4) Cost and Schedule control. The proposer shall provide evidence of past performance of controls of cost and schedule on similar development and provide examples of management processes utilized to effect and track cost and schedule. NASA will not reimburse organizations for the cost of submitting information in response to this synopsis. NASA will not pay for technical assessment or proposal preparation costs incurred by the team members. RESPONSE INSTRUCTIONS: Responses to this partnering synopsis shall be limited to 10 pages in not less than 12-point font. Responses must address the aforementioned evaluation criteria. All responses shall be submitted to LaRC electronically via email by 5:00pm EST on July 15, 2020 to Songsheng Chen (songsheng.chen-1@nasa.gov) and Octavia Hicks (octavia.l.hicks@nasa.gov). Technical and Programmatic questions should be directed Songsheng Chen at Procurement questions should be directed to Octavia Hicks.