GOES Instrument of Opportunity

last updated 19 October 1999

Options for an "Instrument of Opportunity" (IoO) to fit into the optional slot on GOES-N/O should be exercised beginning 4 years in advance of the handover date, with a flight model of the IOO delivered 2.5 years in advance. Soemwhat less development time is possible, but at higher costs for accomodation, integration and testing.

NASA Candidates

NASA's candidates for an IoO are:

NOAA IoO Annnouncement, 19 October 1999

PART: U.S. GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENTS
SUBPART: SERVICES
CLASSCOD: A--Research and Development
OFFADD: U.S. Department of Commerce/National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration/OFA/AGFS/AMD - OFA51, 1305 East West Highway - Station 7604,
Silver Spring, Maryland 20910

SUBJECT: A--BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT FOR GEOSTATIONARY SATELLITE INSTRUMENT OF OPPORTUNITY

SOL 52-DGNE-0-90008
DUE 111999 
POC Edward F. Tennant, Jr., Contracting Officer, telephone 301-713-0823
DESC: This CBD notice constitutes a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) within
the context of Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 35.016. Proposals
submitted in response to this BAA must be received not later than 1600
local time on November 19, 1999 at the following address: U.S. Department
of Commerce, NOAA, General Contracts Branch (Code OFA512), 1305 East-West
Highway, Station #7604, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910-3281. Proposals
should reference BAA No. 52-DGNE-0-90008 and should be addressed to the
attention of Ed Tennant. Proposals should be submitted in an original and
five copies. Opportunity to respond to this BAA is open to government
agencies, academic institutions, private sector organizations, and other
interested parties. NOAA's next series of GOES satellites (GOES N-O) are
targeted for launch in 2002 and 2004. Each carries operational instruments
for observing weather, monitoring the solar-space environment, and relaying
reports from remote environmental platforms on earth. Each is designed to
carry an ancillary "instrument of opportunity" that may use the
spacecraft's existing power, communications, and command and control
subsystems. NOAA is prepared to offer the use of this "instrument of
opportunity" space on its GOES N (and possibly GOES O) spacecraft for
experimental payloads that are related to its overall mission. Proposed
payload concepts need not be limited to remote-sensing instrument
prototypes, and may include any apparatus with general applicability to
NOAA's future geostationary spacecraft operations or mission objectives. In
general, NOAA would require that any potential payload must (a) not add
risk to the operational GOES mission in any way (e.g., electromagnetic
interference, pointing accuracy degradation, thermal loading beyond limits,
etc.); (b) be delivered to NASA for integration onto GOES N no later than
August 31, 2000 or for GOES O no later than October 31, 2001; and (c)
successfully complete a payload test plan, approved by NASA and NOAA, prior
to the delivery date. Specific constraints on any potential payload are
detailed in an interface control document (ICD) which defines the
instrument of opportunity space on GOES N. This ICD is available to
interested parties on request: (Contact Gus Comeyne, NOAA/NESDIS,
301-457-5225, extension 110; Email: gcomeyne@nesdis.noaa.gov) The following
table summarizes some high-level environmental parameters of this space:
Maximum mass: 50 kgs; Maximum power consumption: 150 watts; Volume: Approx.
0.15 cubic meters; Dimensional envelope: Approx. 43 (w) x 53 (l) x 50 (h)cm
(irregularly shaped); Maximum supportable data rate: 100 kbs; Location on
spacecraft: Earth-nadir face; Uncompensated momentum: Max. 0.06 ft-lb-sec
in spacecraft roll-yaw axis. NOAA will provide no funding for the design,
fabrication, or testing of the instrument of opportunity. NOAA will
consider sharing costs of integrating the payload onto the GOES N or GOES O
spacecraft, under an agreement to be negotiated with the payload provider.
However, at this time, NOAA has no funding identified for this purpose.
NOAA will provide launch, operations, and data acquisition for the
experimental payload, and will deliver instrument telemetry and data to the
provider via the internet or other pre-determined means. NOAA assumes
unrestricted rights to collect, analyze, and redistribute the data. NOAA
will not be held accountable for any loss incurred by the payload provider
associated with this project. This includes, but is not limited to, any
loss due to a failure at any time of the satellite or the launch vehicle.
Proposals submitted in response to this BAA must include the following: (a)
a general description of the purpose of the experimental payload; (b) a
statement describing the applicability of the payload to NOAA's space-based
mission interests; (c) a general engineering concept for the payload; (d) a
statement declaring the likelihood of the payload fitting into defined
mission-of-opportunity space on GOES N or GOES O; and (e) a top-level
development schedule. Responses that include a description of expected
costs and sources of funding (Internal R& D funds, grants, etc.) would be
beneficial to NOAA reviewers. A panel of experts from NOAA will conduct
Scientific Review of proposals for possible selection based on the
following criteria, which shall be equally weighted in importance: (a) the
applicability of the proposed payload to NOAA's space-based mission
interests; and (b) the design maturity and engineering feasibility of the
payload to accomplish its stated goals. No proposed payload that can not be
fabricated and tested within NOAA's schedule constraints will be considered
for selection. Furthermore, no proposed payload will be considered for
flight if the evaluation panel determines that the payload poses a risk to
NOAA's GOES mission. The selection official, based on the results of the
evaluation conducted by the panel of experts, may determine that no payload
is acceptable for flight or that one or more payloads are acceptable for
flight. The selection official will rank proposals that are determined to
be acceptable for flight. The Contracting Officer will negotiate with the
highest-ranked proposer for the GOES N mission of opportunity space. If
agreement on terms and conditions can be reached, NOAA will enter into an
agreement with the proposer. If agreement on terms and conditions can not
be reached, the Contracting Officer will eliminate the proposer from
consideration, and will negotiate with the second-highest ranked proposer
to attempt to reach agreement on terms and conditions. The Contracting
Officer will continue in this manner until either agreement on terms and
conditions are reached with a proposer or the Contracting Officer has
exhausted the list of proposals that the selection official determined to
be acceptable for flight on GOES N. NOAA will treat the GOES O mission of
opportunity space in the same manner as just described for the GOES N
mission of opportunity space; provided, however, that NOAA may elect to use
a mission of opportunity instrument of its own on GOES O. General
information about NOAA's geostationary satellite program can be found at
http://www.oso.noaa.gov/goes. 

CITE: (W-288 SN392189)


+----------------------------------------------------+
| Gerald J. Dittberner, Ph.D., CCM                   |
| GOES Program Manager                               |
| NOAA/NESDIS/OSD                                    |
| Ph:  301-457-5225 x113                             |
| Fax: 301-457-5722                                  |
| gdittberner@nesdis.noaa.gov                        |
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