Responsive, Radiation-hardened GEO Rideshare Capability

OUSD (R&E) CRITICAL TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Space Technology The technology within this topic is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), 22 CFR Parts 120-130, which controls the export and import of defense-related material and services, including export of sensitive technical data, or the Export Administration Regulation (EAR), 15 CFR Parts 730-774, which controls dual use items. Offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals (FNs), their country(ies) of origin, the type of visa or work permit possessed, and the statement of work (SOW) tasks intended for accomplishment by the FN(s) in accordance with the Announcement. Offerors are advised foreign nationals proposed to perform on this topic may be restricted due to the technical data under US Export Control Laws. OBJECTIVE: The objectives of this topic are to: 1) Flight qualify a dispenser and associated hardware that has the capability to rapidly (i.e., within 30-60 days of launch and without perturbing/delaying existing schedules) manifest critical rideshare payloads on a primary mission intended for a geostationary orbit (GEO). 2) Demonstrate, either operationally on-orbit or on the ground, the capability to operate, store, maintain thermal and power requirements in a GEO environment for the payload(s) for a pre-determined period of time, and then responsively deploy the payload(s) upon command. DESCRIPTION: Despite advances in responsive space, the ability to manifest and de-manifest satellites/payloads from a mission, particularly rideshare payloads, still requires either flying a mass simulator in place of a de-manifested payload or re-running a costly and schedule intensive coupled loads analysis (CLA). In both cases, there will be a monetary cost and possible mission delays associated with the change(s). Increases in cost or changes to schedule can be even more deleterious for missions intended for GEO, which can already be difficult for small rideshare payloads to reach. The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) needs a demonstrated capability that can overcome both manifest and GEO-access issues. This capability would enable responsive manifesting/de-manifesting of payloads on the ground without penalties to cost or schedule. Furthermore, this capability would reduce the interface between any rideshares and the primary mission to a non-unique, standardized interface. Once on orbit, the capability would demonstrate the ability to host and maintain the health of payloads in GEO independent of the primary mission for, potentially, multiple years until the payload is needed to respond to a threat and the capability responsively deploys it. PHASE I: This topic is intended for technology proven ready to move directly into Phase II. Therefore, Phase I awards will not be made for this topic. The applicant is required to provide detail and documentation in the D2P2 proposal which demonstrates accomplishment of a Phase I-type effort, including a feasibility study. This includes determining, insofar as possible, the scientific and technical merit and feasibility of ideas appearing to have commercial potential. It must have validated the product-mission fit between the proposed solution and a potential U.S. Air Force (USAF) and/or U.S. Space Force (USSF) stakeholder. The applicant should have defined a clear, immediately actionable plan with the proposed solution and the U.S. Department of Air Force (DAF) customer and end-user. The feasibility study should have: 1. Clearly identified potential stakeholders of the adapted solution for solving USAF and/or USSF need(s). 2. Described the pathway to integrating with DAF operations, to include how the applicant plans to accomplish core technology development, navigate applicable regulatory processes, and integrate with other relevant systems and/or processes. 3. Describe if and how the solution can be used by other DoD or U.S. Government (USG) customers. PHASE II: In Phase II, the objective is to develop and flight qualify a dispenser and associated hardware capable of rapidly manifesting critical rideshare payloads for primary missions intended for Geostationary Orbit (GEO). Additionally, the phase involves demonstrating the capability to store, maintain, and then operate payloads in a GEO environment for extended durations, ensuring mission resiliency and reducing costs and schedule risks associated with manifesting and de-manifesting payloads intended for GEO. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: In Phase III and for dual-use applications, the matured capabilities can be seamlessly integrated into both commercial and military space endeavors necessitating agile payload deployment and replenishment of systems within GEO. For commercial satellite deployment services, this technology offers streamlined payload manifesting, minimizing costs attributed to launch disruptions or revisions on commercial GEO launches. On the military front, these capabilities fortify mission resilience, facilitating swift deployment of vital payloads to counter emergent threats, thereby reinforcing national security interests in space. REFERENCES: 1. https://spacenews.com/nro-to-conduct-responsive-space-mission-with-firefly-and-xtenti/.; 2. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/firefly-aerospace-and-xtenti-collaborate-to-conduct-responsive-space-demonstration-in-support-of-the-nro-301894888.html.; 3. How Hard Is Going To Space?. Many people believe the complexity and... | by Tory Bruno | Medium .; KEYWORDS: Responsive space, Rideshare missions, Geostationary orbit (GEO), Flight qualification, Dispenser hardware, Payload storage, Mission resiliency