R&D- SPACE: FLIGHT (ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENT)

IGF::OT::IGF 1.1 BACKGROUND THE NEXT ION PROPULSION TECHNOLOGY HAS BEEN IN DEVELOPMENT BY THE NASA IN-SPACE PROPULSION TECHNOLOGY PROJECT, WITHIN THE SCIENCE MISSION DIRECTORATE (SMD), FOR USE IN A WIDE ARRAY OF ROBOTIC SCIENCE MISSIONS. A NEXT ION PROPULSION SYSTEM TYPICALLY CONSISTS OF GRIDDED ION THRUSTERS, POWER PROCESSING UNITS (PPUS), THRUSTER GIMBALS, A XENON PROPELLANT FEED SYSTEM, AND A CONTROL INTERFACE FUNCTIONALITY CAPTURED EITHER IN A DEDICATED UNIT OR DISTRIBUTED BETWEEN THE ION PROPULSION SYSTEM AND THE SPACECRAFT. NEXT IS APPLICABLE TO A BROAD ARRAY OF PLANETARY SCIENCE MISSIONS, INCLUDING DISCOVERY, NEW FRONTIERS AND FLAGSHIP MISSIONS AND ALSO HAS APPLICATION TO MULTIPLE CONCEPTUAL ASTROPHYSICS SCIENCE MISSIONS. 1.2 BASIS FOR PROCUREMENT THE NASA SMD PLANETARY SCIENCE DIVISION IS OFFERING NEXT FLIGHT HARDWARE, SPECIFICALLY TWO THRUSTERS AND TWO PPUS, AS GOVERNMENT-FURNISHED EQUIPMENT (GFE) FOR THE NEXT DISCOVERY MISSION ANNOUNCEMENT OF OPPORTUNITY (AO). THE DISCOVERY AO IS TARGETED FOR RELEASE IN OCTOBER 2014. REFER TO NASA SOLICITATION NUMBER NNH14ZDA009J FOR FURTHER INFORMATION REGARDING THE DISCOVERY AO AND TARGET SCHEDULES. NASA DESIRES FOR THE NEXT SYSTEM TO BE AVAILABLE TO FUTURE USERS AS A COMMERCIAL PRODUCT. NASA ENCOURAGES AND WILL CONSIDER MODIFICATIONS OR ALTERNATIVES TO THE EXISTING DESIGN, PARTICULARLY THE PPU DESIGN, TO FACILITATE MORE CONSISTENT USE IN NON-NASA APPLICATIONS. THEREFORE, THE FRAMEWORK FOR THIS PROCUREMENT AND THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT OF WORK IS FOR COST-SHARED DEVELOPMENT WHICH RESULTS IN PRODUCT USE FOR BOTH NASA AND NON-NASA MISSIONS. THE NASA PROJECT TO PROVIDE THIS GFE HARDWARE IS REFERRED TO AS THE NEXT-C PROJECT THROUGHOUT THIS DOCUMENT.