NASA SALMON AO Amendment 9: SOFIA Second Generation Instrument Investigations

NNH08ZDA009O-SOFIA2G
Release Date: July 8, 2011
Preproposal Teleconference: August 4, 2011
Notice of Intent to propose Due: August 15, 2011
Proposals Due: October 7, 2011

With this amendment, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Announcement of Opportunity (AO) NNH08ZDA009O, “Stand Alone Missions of Opportunity Notice (SALMON),” is amended to establish a new Program Element Appendix (PEA) as Appendix H8, SOFIA Second Generation Instrument Investigations. This PEA is a call for science investigations that include the development, delivery, and use of second generation instruments for the SOFIA observatory. SOFIA, the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, consists of a German-built 2.7-meter (2.5-meter useable aperture) telescope mounted in a Boeing 747-SP aircraft supplied and modified by NASA. Flying at altitudes up to 45,000-feet, SOFIA observes from above more than 99 percent of Earth’s atmospheric water vapor, thereby opening windows to the universe not available from the ground. SOFIA offers international science teams up to 1000 cloud-free, high-altitude science observi
ng hours per year during its two decade design lifetime. Additional information on SOFIA may be found at http://www.sofia.usra.edu/ .

Proposals from any category of organizations or institutions, U.S or non-U.S. (but non-German), are welcome to respond to this solicitation. Specific categories of organizations and institutions that are welcome to respond include, but are not limited to, educational, industrial, and not-for-profit organizations, Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), University Affiliated Research Centers (UARCs), NASA Centers, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and other Government agencies. This solicitation will be open from July 8, 2011, through October 7, 2011. Upon the release date, the full text of the AO and all appendices will be available electronically at http://nspires.nasaprs.com/ (select “Solicitations” then “Open Solicitations” then “NNH08ZDA009O”). A preproposal teleconference will be held; details will be posted at http://soma.larc.nasa.gov/SOFIA/ when available.

Direct questions specifically regarding the NASA solicitation to Dr. Paul Hertz, NASA SOFIA Program Scientist, Science Mission Directorate, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, DC 20546; Tel.: (202) 358-0986; E-mail: paul.hertz@nasa.gov (subject line to read “SOFIA Instrument AO”).

This notice constitutes a NASA Research Announcement as contemplated in FAR 6.102(d)(2).