By Marina Malenic
NASA said last week that it has received “excellent response” from the commercial reusable suborbital spaceflight industry to a request for information (RFI) released in December.
The agency announced that it is considering two significant procurement actions in the area of commercial reusable suborbital spaceflight services. To that end, it is “requesting technical and programmatic input to improve the government’s understanding of flight opportunities to aid potential science investigators in scoping and designing possible future suborbital investigations,” according to the RFI posted on the Federal Business Opportunities web site. “Responses are welcome from all interested parties, especially potential providers of suborbital spaceflight services.”
In an update to the announcement, NASA announced last week that it will continue to accept submissions, “up to the point of any resulting NASA procurement action.”
“For those companies who have not submitted their company capabilities, the Contracting Officer will continue to accept any and all information as specified by the RFI,” the document states. “For companies who have already submitted documentation, they are also encouraged to submit any capability updates in an ongoing basis, up to the point of any associated NASA procurement action.”
According to the original RFI, NASA is seeking: 1) a potential procurement of reusable suborbital spaceflight services; and 2) a solicitation of research investigations that will utilize those commercial reusable suborbital spaceflight services.
The agency late last year established the Commercial Reusable Suborbital Research Program (CRuSR) Office at Ames Research Center, Calif. The office was designated to oversee the effort.
In preparation for future onboard experiments, the RFI states, NASA expects that its payloads may require new services in the areas of: power, data handling, telemetry, internal mounting surfaces, external attachments or ports, viewing portals, attitude control and pointing, day/night flight opportunities, and flight operations at remote field locations.
NASA is interested in opportunities for externally-mounted experiments as well, the RFI states. Early in 2008, the agency issued a similar request.
It is NASA’s intent to solicit reusable suborbital spaceflight services as early as 2010, according to the latest RFI. That would lead to a pilot program of suborbital flight operations after flight opportunities become available.
“The agency welcomes input from industry and other interested parties on approaches to procuring these services while allowing for continued private capital investment in this emerging market,” the document states.
Following review of responses to the RFI, according to an agency spokesman, NASA plans to meet with interested parties at Ames Research Center.