WASHINGTON - The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has issued a request for proposal (RFP) to industry for paid Design Reference Missions (DRM) as it looks to find commercial solutions for space exploration.
Guiding principles for commercial services include utilizing innovative commercial space systems, particularly those aligned with NASA's Moon-to-Mars initiatives, to expedite Martian exploration; facilitate one or more missions per Mars launch opportunity through profitable partnerships with U.S. industry; significantly reduce costs while maintaining an acceptable level of risk; empower U.S. industry leadership in deep space endeavors; and progress towards establishing a sustainable human-robotic presence on Mars.
As part of the Mars Exploration Program (MEP) draft plan, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) says each DRM proposal is expected to be self-contained and will undergo separate evaluations. NASA notes that JPL retains the right to consider only one proposal if a proposer opts to submit proposals for two DRMs. JPL intends to award multiple Fixed Price Non-Research & Development study subcontracts, each valued at $200,000 for one DRM or a maximum of $300,000 for two DRMs.
MEP envisions one or more government payloads per Mars opportunity, with compensation for transportation and payload hosting services. It should be noted that launch services are excluded from these studies but may be included in future services at NASA's discretion. MEP is open to compensating continuous services at Mars, such as proximity and Earth communications and Mars imaging. Furthermore, the company providing services may extend its offerings to other commercial and international clients simultaneously with MEP to contribute to the development of a profitable Mars economy. Future service scenarios outlined in the Design Reference Missions (DRMs) in the Exhibits provide critical cost and program information for the subsequent phases of the MEP plan.
For these studies, services encompass the complete spectrum of what the industry can profitably provide, including design, construction, integration, testing, and operations for the specified DRMs. NASA MEP assumes that the industry owns the assets and can offer services to entities beyond NASA. The MEP aims to minimize the extent of government contributions to maximize cost savings, acknowledging the potential necessity of a public-private partnership (PPP) period to fully realize services and mutually mitigate risks. Furthermore, MEP recognizes that Mars-specific services have applicability to deep space exploration and encourage the utilization of services and products for broader scientific and exploratory endeavors.
NASA notes that proposals are due by 27 February 2024 at 6 p.m. Eastern. Jessica Luong is the primary point of contact for this project and can be emailed at [email protected]. Additional information can be viewed at https://sam.gov/opp/2e8a0f38466b47808cde036eac9a2a86/view.
