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| Science & Technology |
| NASA seeks help from private rocketeers |
| 2005-12-07 |
| CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - With the space shuttles due to retire, NASA is looking for private companies interested in taking over the potentially lucrative business of flying cargo and crew to the international space station. LINK: NASA Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) Demonstrations Description NASA/JSC plans to solicit proposals from industry for Earth to orbit space flight demonstrations of any combination of the following mission capabilities: Period 1 a) External unpressurized cargo delivery and disposal, b) Internal pressurized cargo delivery and disposal, c) Internal pressurized cargo delivery, return and recovery. Option Period 2 d) Crew Transportation. Period 1 demonstration(s) will culminate with a rendezvous and docking or berthing with the International Space Station and either disposal or reentry and recovery, depending on the selected mission. Proposals will also be solicited for mission capability d), crew transportation, but only as an option to Period 1 proposals for mission capability c) as listed above. The Period 2 demonstrations will consist of one or more crewed missions to the International Space Station. The option will be considered for execution only after the successful demonstration of Period 1 mission capability c). The objective of these space flight capability demonstrations is to stimulate commercial enterprises in space and lead to innovative, cost effective access to low-Earth orbit. It is anticipated that upon the successful demonstration of any one of the mission capabilities prior to 2010 timeframe, NASA may issue a request for proposals to competitively procure commercial orbital transportation services to resupply the International Space Station. NASA anticipates that these services will be needed through at least 2015. NASA intends to use its Space Act authority or other non-FAR authority to enter into funded agreements resulting from this announcement. One or more initial agreements are anticipated. Because a purpose of this investment is to facilitate commercial orbital transportation service capabilities for, in part, U.S. Government use, responders need to be aware that in making awards, NASA is constrained by statutory and U.S. space transportation policy requirements. NASA anticipates releasing a draft of our announcement on or about November 22, 2005. The draft announcement briefing at NASA Johnson Space Center is tentatively planned for November 29, 2005. Additional information regarding the draft announcement briefing will be forthcoming. Comments on the draft will be due on December 06, 2005. Final issuance of the announcement will be on or about December 20, 2005. Responses will be due on January 27, 2006, and final agreements are planned to be executed in May 2006. Please notify the Contracting Officer of your intent to respond by noon local time December 6, 2005. This non-binding letter of intent should include the company name, president, address, phone number, and point of contact. Please provide an e-mail address, in order to expedite communications. It is the respondent's responsibility to monitor the Internet site for the release of the announcement. Potential respondents will be responsible for downloading their own copy of the announcement and amendments (if any). Any referenced numbered notes may be viewed at the following URLs linked below. An ombudsman has been appointed -- See NASA Specific Note "B". The announcement and any related documents will be available over the Internet. These documents will reside on a World-Wide Web (WWW) server, which may be accessed using a WWW browser application. The Internet site, or URL, for the NASA/JSC Business Opportunities page is Link All questions must be submitted in writing to the Contracting Officer (e-mail or FAX). Telephone questions will not be accepted. |
| Posted by:3dc |