SPACE TECHNOLOGY GRANT FROM NASA: OPPORTUNITY FOR ADVANCING EMERGING SPACE TECHNOLOGY SYSTEM CAPABILITIES

1. Open the NSPIRES homepage at http://nspires.nasaprs.com/
2. Select “Solicitations”
3. Select “Open Solicitations”
4. Select “NNH15ZOA001K

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) continues to embrace public-private partnerships to achieve its strategic goals for expanding capabilities and opportunities in space. NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) is seeking potential partners through this ACO that focus on industry-developed space technologies that can enhance commercial space and benefit future NASA missions. NASA’s investments in partnership with industry can accelerate the availability and reduce costs for the development and infusion of these emerging space system capabilities. Specifically, NASA is seeking to provide technical expertise, test facilities, hardware, and software to aid industry partners in maturing capabilities that can enable or enhance space vehicle systems and/or mature other closely related subsystems.

NASA is soliciting proposals from all interested U.S. private sector enterprises that wish to enter into non-reimbursable Space Act Agreements (SAA) to collaborate for the accelerated development and testing of critical technologies for emerging space system capabilities. Technologies developed under these public-private partnerships should target a schedule of no more than two years for infusion of these new capabilities into operational space systems.

These SAAs will serve as an agency-level mechanism for NASA and its partners to agree to a series of mutually beneficial activities, which are expected to be consistent with NASA’s 2014 Strategic Plan. There must be specific, identifiable alignment with NASA Strategic Goal 1: Expand the frontiers of knowledge, capability, and opportunity in Space, Objective 1.7: Transform NASA missions and advance the Nation’s capabilities by maturing crosscutting and innovative space technologies, and National Space Policy Goal 1: Energize competitive domestic industries. The following topics are anticipated:

Topic 1: Nanosat and Suborbital Reusable Launch Systems Development Topic 2: Wireless Power Transfer Development Topic 3: TPS Materials and Systems Development Topic 4: Green Propellant Thruster Technology Qualification Topic 5: Small, Affordable, High Performance Liquid Rocket Engine Development

All U.S. private sector entities, including non-profits, may propose under this ACO. NASA will not consider proposals that do not include a domestic entity as the lead proposer. All private sector entities must partner with a NASA Center. The offeror may propose additional teaming arrangements (e.g. academia, non-profit, Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), NASA civil servants, JPL) to optimize the potential for rapid development and infusion of the space technology. Only one proposal per topic per offeror is permitted.

All proposals must be submitted electronically through NSPIRES by an authorized organizational representative (AOR). Registration Information and NSPIRES tutorials can be found at: http://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/ under Getting Started. Potential proposers and their proposing organizations are urged to familiarize themselves with the submission system, ensure they are registered in NSPIRES, and submit the required proposal materials well in advance of the deadline. Interested proposers should monitor the NSPIRES website or subscribe to the electronic notification system for release of this solicitation and any amendments.

Technical, programmatic, and procurement comments and questions may be addressed by e-mail to HQ-STMD-EmergingCapabilitiesACO@nasaprs.com . Responses to inquiries will be answered by e-mail and may also be included in the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document located on the NSPIRES page associated with the solicitation; anonymity of persons/institutions who submit questions will be preserved.