NASA seeks proposals for phase a study of space weather magnetograph instrument

Summary points

• The instrument must measure line-of-sight magnetic fields on the solar photosphere, with optional vector-measurement concepts and Doppler velocity observations.
• The Phase A study requires design concepts, trade studies, technical analyses, TRL assessments, risk identification, and cost and schedule development aligned with NASA’s SPEC, IMAR, and SOW.
• NASA’s guiding assumptions include an engineering development unit, one flight unit, Class C hardware, and a notional schedule leading to a fiscal year 2031 launch readiness date.

WASHINGTON - The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., is inviting industry to submit proposals for a Phase A instrument study for the Space Weather Geostationary PHOtospheric Magnetograph Imager (PHOMI). a sensor planned to fly on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Space Weather Geostationary satellite series. The instrument will help provide high-resolution mapping of the solar photospheric magnetic field, a critical data source for modeling solar wind velocity, density, and magnetic polarity.

NASA is seeking concepts for photospheric magnetograph imagers capable of producing line-of-sight measurements of the photospheric magnetic field. Doppler velocity observations are also of interest. While only line-of-sight measurements are required, NASA is asking offerors to identify any impacts on size, weight, power, cost and risk if the instrument design were extended to vector magnetic field measurements.

Project requirements

The Phase A study will be used to develop a detailed design concept, along with cost, schedule, and risk assessments, as NASA refines requirements for the eventual flight mission. The project will also require the contractor to meet baseline specifications in NASA’s Statement of Work, the PHOMI Requirements Specification and the Instrument Mission Assurance Requirements. NASA anticipates that industry partners completing the study will be positioned to enter a System Requirements Review about one month after an implementation contract award, followed by a Preliminary Design Review.

Related: NASA and NOAA launch three missions to study the Sun and protect against space weather

NASA is conducting the procurement as a full and open competition under NAICS code 541330 for engineering services, with a 25.5 million dollar small business size standard. The contract will be firm fixed price, performed entirely at the contractor’s facilities and expected to run nine months. NASA anticipates awarding the contract in February 2026.

The study requires a top-level set of deliverables, including a sensor design concept that meets baseline requirements, performance assessments against the specification, government-defined and industry-proposed trade studies, technical analyses, a notional development schedule, cost analysis, a Technology Readiness Level assessment, and a technology development plan. NASA also requires identification of development risks, applicable technology maturation work, and documentation of hardware and software heritage assumptions.

Company requirements

Offerors must base flight hardware cost and schedule estimates on NASA’s guiding assumptions for the future mission, including the development of one engineering development unit with representative spacecraft interfaces, one flight unit with parts to support sparing, and a notional schedule that targets a flight contract award in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2027 and a launch readiness date in the third quarter of fiscal year 2031. No government-furnished equipment will be provided, and any proposed use of government-owned equipment must be identified and justified. The sensor will be Class C and will undergo SRR, IBR, PDR, CDR, PER, and PSR reviews for the first flight build.

Offerors are encouraged to review the final solicitation in full, including instructions in sections L and M. The agency also noted a potential organizational conflict of interest under NFS clause 1852.209-71. 

Proposals for this solicitation are due 05 December 2025 at 3 p.m. Eastern and must be submitted through NASA’s Enterprise File Sharing and Sync Box platform. NASA recommends that bidders verify their corporate IT settings in advance to avoid firewall or upload issues. The point of contact for the acquisition is Kyle Vann at [email protected]. More information is available at https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/a1e7601a7be84a308f6e761c57adf5d5/view.