Request for Information (RFI) for Enterprise Space Terminal

**Update - 19 April 2023 - This RFI is being updated to ask the following questions and change the POCs** A. SSC is investigating the use of Other Transaction Authority for this project, and is seeking industry feedback on its ability to meet at least one of the Other Transaction Authority conditions below: At least one nontraditional defense contractor or a not-for-profit research institute participating to a significant extent in the prototype project. All significant participants in the transaction other than the Federal Government are small businesses or nontraditional defense contractors. At least one third of the total cost of the prototype project is to be paid out of funds provided by parties to the transaction other than the Federal Government. Definition of Nontraditional Defense Contractor: An entity that is not currently performing and has not performed, for at least the one-year period preceding the solicitation of sources by DoD for the procurement or transaction, any contract or subcontract for the DoD that is subject to full coverage under the cost accounting standards prescribed pursuant to section 1502 of title 41 and the regulations implementing such section (see 10 U.S.C. 2302(9)). B. SSC requests information on EST production capacity. SSC projects a need for over 100 ESTs in the 2026-2030 timeframe. Please describe ability to scale production to meet this need or part of this need. C. SSC is interested in industry's ideas on alternative or innovative ways to structure and/or contract for the project to support industry participation in the near and long term, given that this is an area projected to have significant future growth. Submit all responses and inquiries to: Primary Contracting: Ms. Kathleen Scholefield kathleen.scholefield@spaceforce.mil Contract Specialist: Ms. Tina Fleming tina_mae.fleming@spaceforce.mil **Update - 20 January 2023 - The RFI was updated to clarify that the due date is Pacific Standard Time and to add a Question & Answer File in Attachments.** 1.0 General Information: Disclaimer: This Request for Information (RFI) is issued solely for information and planning purposes (market research). This RFI does not constitute a solicitation (Request for Proposal (RFP) or Request for Quotations (RFQ)) or a promise to issue a solicitation in the future. This RFI does not commit the Government to contract for any supply or service whatsoever. Furthermore, the Government is not, at this time seeking proposals and will not accept any unsolicited proposals. Respondents are advised that the Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this RFI. All costs associated with responding to this RFI will be solely at the responding party's expense. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future RFP, if any is issued. Any information submitted by respondents to this RFI is strictly voluntary. All submissions become Government property and will not be returned. Proprietary information will be safeguarded in accordance with the applicable Government regulations. Proprietary information or trade secrets shall be clearly identified. Questions relating to RFI should directed exclusively by email to the POC listed in Section 4.0, Submission details. Companies wishing to respond to this RFI should send responses via electronic mail no later than 7 February 2023 at 4:00 PM Pacific Standard Time to the POCs listed in Section 4.0. 2.0 Description: Space Systems Command (SSC) is pursuing an enterprise laser communications solution for spacecraft crosslinks in the Beyond Low Earth Orbit (bLEO) regimes for a wide variety of future space platforms at crosslink ranges from a low of 10,000km to 2x GEO. Future space systems will require reliable, high-throughput intra- and inter-constellation communications with the flexibility to form the future backbone of a resilient mesh network ensuring C2 and information path diversity. In the near-term, an enterprise solution enables economies of scale to be applied to the production of lasercom crosslink terminals supporting space users in the bLEO regime. SSC recognizes that significant investment in lasercom crosslinks has already been applied by the LEO commercial users, the Space Development Agency, the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency, and the Air Force Research Laboratory among others. It is not the intent of SSC to initiate another technology development program for lasercom crosslinks but rather capitalize on work previously accomplished or in progress. SSC has identified the optical modem as foundational for the future production of Enterprise Space Terminals (ESTs). The intent for this RFI is threefold: (1) Explore industry's capabilities to produce an enterprise optical modem design while emphasizing Size, Weight, and Power - Cost (SWAP-C) savings opportunities through modular, scalable, miniaturized, and/or application specific integration circuit (ASIC), high efficiency field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) and photonic integrated circuit (PIC) based designs. (2) Identify representative bLEO EST configurations using the enterprise modem coupled with one or more optical telescope and amplifier subsystem designs. (3) Provide rough order of magnitude (ROM) cost and schedule information at the terminal level (using the enterprise modem) for future planning. 3.0 Information Requested: (1) Enterprise Modem: SSC seeks to identify vendors who have experience in developing optical crosslink modems that meet bLEO characteristics. SSC is interested in an enterprise modem that operates in common lasercom standards including 1550nm-band wavelengths, phase modulated waveforms (e.g., DPSK, BPSK, QPSK, etc.), and both symmetric and asymmetric transmit /receive data-rate operations. See attached notional graphic (center figure). Vendors should address key features that support data rates between 300Mbps and 20Gbps, link ranges of up to 80,000km, suitable channel encoding standards (e.g. DVB-S2, 5G-NR), and channel interleaving techniques. The vendor should also address modem design attributes and assumptions that drive requirements into the terminal's optical module design and/or free-space pointing, acquisition, and tracking implementation. The modem should be able to operate in all orbital regimes with reasonable design life for bLEO spacecraft. As producibility and design efficiency are of high interest to SSC, vendors should also address producing modems at reasonable production rates using domestic suppliers. Modem optimization should be addressed and may include miniaturization, ASICs, high efficiency FPGAs, and PICs to achieve SWAP-C design efficiencies. As part of the design, the vendor should address scalability, modularity, reliability, standard interfaces between the modem and the other elements of the EST, and standard interfaces external to the EST. Vendors should also suggest a ROM cost per modem based on the above attributes and a set of vendor assumptions. (See section (3)a. below) (2) Representative Enterprise Space Terminal: Using the above enterprise modem, the vendor will discuss a fully integrated, representative EST of the vendor's choice with the following features. See attached notional graphic (entire figure). The terminal will be comprised of three subsystems: the optical module, which is responsible for the free-space lasercom to the fiber interface of the terminal; an amplifier module, used to amplify transmitted light and pre-amplify received light; and the enterprise modem. The terminal will operate in GEO-to-GEO (180 degree opposing longitudes) and GEO-to-LEO use cases (these cases may utilize two different terminal designs), supporting symmetric data rates of 3Gbps. The modem in the terminal will be reconfigurable with up to three on-orbit selectable waveforms. The terminal's optical module will be capable of coupling the free-space lasercom signal into a single-mode fiber and have a hemispherical Field of Regard. The vendor should include all assumptions for their design(s), which may include technical, programmatic, contractual, supply vendors, and rationales for deviations from the requested use cases. (3) Cost & Schedule Examples: SSC also seeks additional cost and schedule information on the following design cases at the appropriate Work Breakdown Structure level and at a minimum address first level program management, systems engineering, hardware, software, and assembly/integration/test costs. Vendors should also address similar types of assumptions as part of their submission as discussed in section (2) above. For developmental items, include non-recurring (NRE) costs and for production items, include unique first time NRE costs (integration and test) and single unit recurring (RE) cost (first article production acceptable). a. Provide a one-page schedule, ROM, and set of assumptions for an Engineering Manufacturing Development (EMD) program that produces a production - ready SWAP-C optimized modem design (major milestones, duration, etc.). The ROM should include the NRE for the development and the notional cost per modem. b. Using (one of) the representative EST discussed in section (2) above and the modem above (assume ASICs), provide a one-page schedule, ROM, and set of assumptions for the first article EST production example. This design case represents a SWAP-C ASIC optimized modem within the production terminal. c. Using (one of) the representative EST discussed in section (2) above and the modem above (assume FPGAs), provide a one-page schedule, ROM, and set of assumptions for the first article EST production example. This design case represents a SWAP-C high efficiency FPGA optimized modem within the production terminal. 4.0 Submission Details: Responses shall include a cover page with the following: Submitter's Name and Parent Company, if applicable Business Address: Street, City, State, and Zip code Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code Unique Entity ID Company socio-economic status Point of Contact (i.e., POC, company representative) POC Telephone number and email address Responses, in entirety, shall be limited to the page count as described below. Responders may choose not to answer all three parts in Section 3.0 Information Requested, above. Documents should be formatted in accordance with the following: Single-spaced and one sided One-inch margins US letter-size (8.5 x 11) Use 12-point font (Times New Roman), and Be formatted with Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat Reader Version Page counts to be limited as described below: 2 pages maximum for company capabilities and experience 6 pages maximum for Section 3.0, Part 1: enterprise optical modem 2 pages maximum for Section 3.0, Part 2: Representative EST(s) 1 page maximum for each schedule and 1 page for the ROM and assumptions (2 pages total per design case) Submissions shall not exceed a 5 MB email limit for all items associated with the response. Hard copy responses will not be accepted. The Government will not accept company literature or marketing materials. All information in response to this RFI that is marked proprietary will be handled accordingly. The Government shall not be liable for or suffer any consequential damages for any proprietary information not properly identified. Proprietary information will be safeguarded in accordance with applicable regulations. SSC has entered into contracts with Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) and/or Systems Engineering and Technical Assistance staff working for the Government. These could include, but are not limited to: The Aerospace Corporation, The MITRE Corporation, SAVI LLC, ACT-I, LinQuest Corporation, and Systems Planning and Analysis, Inc. These companies support the Government by performing technical reviews, systems engineering and integration analyses, cost estimation, and other advisory services. Respondents are hereby notified that all responses will be provided to SSC support contractors for services to SSC. If Respondents disagree to the release of its RFI response to any of the aforementioned firms, the Respondent must clearly state this restriction in the cover letter accompanying the RFI response. Foreign firms are advised that they will not be allowed to participate in this acquisition at the prime contractor level; however, provided they are eligible to do business with the US Government they may be eligible to participate at the subcontractor level. The research and test data produced under a resultant contract may contain Military Critical Technology List (MCTL) information whose export is restricted by Export Control Act (Title 22, U.S. Sec 2751, et seq.) or the Export Administration Act of 1979, as amended (Title 50, U.S.C., App. 2401, et seq.). Request certification and registration from the Defense Logistics Services Center (DLSC), Federal Center, 74 North Washington, Battle Creek, MI 49016-3412 as soon as possible. Points of Contact Submit all responses and inquiries to: Primary Contracting: Capt Tabitha Gomez; tabitha.gomez@spaceforce.mil Primary Technical: William - Dan Mack; dan.mack@aero.org