Tetra Request for Information

The Space and Missile Systems Center, Advanced Systems and Development Directorate (SMC/AD), Los Angeles Air Force Base, CA, Program Office is releasing this request for information notice to inform interested parties of the U.S. Government's (USG) interest in establishing a small satellite prototyping effort, Tetra. In addition, the USG is seeking input, comments, and questions from industry and interested parties concerning the acquisition approach and a forthcoming solicitation. SMC/AD is exploring opportunities and assessing the feasibility of the rapid production and delivery of a series of small satellites with the objective of testing and demonstrating technologies, tactics, techniques, and procedures in a variety of space mission areas. An additional objective of the program is to demonstrate the capabilities, and cost and schedule savings realized with a family of prototypes enabled by a flexible spacecraft architecture. The architecture is anticipated to demonstrate capability in mission areas including Communication, Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR), Precision Navigation and Timing (PNT), Weather, and Space Situational Awareness (SSA). The architecture is anticipated to support space vehicle (SV) designs for operation in GEO; leveraging design commonality between mission areas where feasible to reduce cost and schedule on subsequent space vehicles without sacrificing substantial performance. The architecture must support the execution of disparate mission types with no more than one year between launch readiness on each mission. The program is anticipated to demonstrate capability in at least two of the five aforementioned mission areas in a span of no more than four years from program initiation, in at least three launches. A program goal is to maximize the capability to take advantage of available dedicated and rideshare opportunities e.g. Long Duration Propulsive Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) Secondary Payload Adapters (LDPE). See FedBizOps FA8818-17-R-0002 for information about LDPE. The Government currently anticipates having a requirement for the first space vehicle prototype to be launch ready by Oct 2019, the second by Oct 2020, and the third by Oct 2021. As an objective, each of the launches may include two SVs. Anticipated SV Requirements 1. Each SV should be a cubesat 12U to 27U in size. 2. Each SV must be maneuverable with at least 100 m/s delta-V capability at high thrust. Low thrust, high Isp capability is desirable when coupled with high thrust capability. The intent is to provide constellation management capabilities for multiple ball constellations. 3. Each SV's ground system must be compatible with the Multi-Mission Space Operations Center 2.1 baseline. 4. Up and down-link communications must be Type 1 encrypted. 5. Each prototype must perform its primary capability (after checkout) for a minimum of 6 months, with a goal of 1 year. 6. Each spacecraft must be able to integrate at least a 4U/20W payload provided as GFE. Anticipated Project Deliverables 1. One or more launch ready space vehicle prototypes per launch opportunity 2. Functionality and verification documentation/artifacts from space vehicle testing demonstrating mission capability 3. Engineering and test support to the GFE payload; verification testing artifacts as necessary. 4. Systems engineering support to mission users and ground integration if applicable. 5. Systems engineering support for launch integration and launch site integration support. 6. Software user's guides and documentation 7. Ground software to command and receive data and telemetry 8. Mission operations engineering support and flight/ground software sustainment during mission operations Responses The USG is soliciting responses to this Request for Information from interested parties capable of performing the aforementioned scope of work. Responses should be emailed to the primary and secondary Points of Contact listed below. At a minimum, provide the following: 1. Name of company, name of corporate point of contact (POC), name of technical POC, telephone number for each POC, mailing address, e-mail addresses of each POC, CAGE Code, and other pertinent information. 2. Feedback about the draft USG objectives and scope of the Tetra Satellite prototyping program. The USG is interested in the following information, to be provided as an attachment. 1. A brief description of your technical approach to satisfying the aforementioned program objectives and requirements. Provide any suggested changes, edits, challenges, or alternatives to the anticipated SV requirements or deliverables. Focus suggestions on changes that enable technical feasibility on the desired timeline. 2. A high-level, draft systems architecture which includes major components (i.e. ground command and control system, antenna, communication system, space vehicle). 3. A high-level program schedule from authority to proceed to launch readiness. Assume that no schedule is required for integration of a GFE payload. 4. Identify items and processes that are on the critical path. 5. A rough-order of magnitude cost estimate for program costs including all aforementioned deliverables. Assume that a single GEO capable SV is built in the first year and two GEO SVs are built in each of the next two years. 6. Identify developmental and/or high technical risk systems or processes required to meet the anticipated objectives. 7. Identify if you company is a small business or qualifies as a non-traditional contractor as defined in 10 U.S.C. 2371b. Please submit responses in a single .doc or .pdf file. Proprietary information should be minimized and MUST BE CLEARLY MARKED. Please be advised that all submissions become Government property and will not be returned. The NAICS for this effort is 541715 Research and Development in the Physical Engineering and Life Sciences (2017). The Small Business Size Standard is 1250 employees. This notice solicits information for planning purposes only, shall not be construed as an invitation to bid, request for quotation, request for proposal, or a commitment by the U.S. Government. The U.S. Government does not intend to award a contract or any other type of agreement on the basis of this announcement. All information is to be submitted at no cost or obligation to the Government. The U.S. Government is not obligated to notify respondents of the results of this announcement. The U.S. Government reserves the right to reject, in whole, or in part, any private sector input as a result of this announcement. If a formal solicitation is generated at a later date, a separate solicitation notice will be published. Interested parties are responsible for adequately marking proprietary or competition sensitive information contained in their response. The U.S. Government team includes Aerospace Corporation and support contractors who will have access to the RFI responses. Responses should not include sensitive or classified information. Foreign-owned, controlled, or influenced firms are advised that security restrictions may apply that may preclude their participation in these efforts.