Fri, May 27, 2011
Contracts To Be Awarded To Multiple Vendors
NASA is seeking proposals for services from commercial
suborbital flight providers and payload integrators to support the
agency's Flight Opportunities Program, which is part of NASA's
Office of the Chief Technologist. NASA will award contracts to
multiple vendors capable of providing payload integration and
flight services on commercial suborbital reusable launch vehicles.
The flights will carry a variety of payloads to help meet the
agency's technology and innovation goals enabling future missions
and benefiting America's commercial aerospace industries.
"Partnering with U.S. suborbital reusable launch vehicle
providers for integration of technology payloads and launch
services is an effective way to use the innovations of American
industry while meeting the technology development needs of the
nation's space program," said NASA Chief Technologist Bobby Braun
at the agency's headquarters in Washington.
NASA's Office of Chief Technologist intends to mature
crosscutting technologies to flight readiness status for future
space missions. As part of this strategy, NASA will provide
frequent flight opportunities for payloads on suborbital reusable
launch vehicles capable of flying to various altitudes, including
above 62 miles, but not reaching low-Earth orbit.
Each successful vendor will receive an indefinite-delivery,
indefinite-quantity contract. This request for proposals is a
continuation of efforts aligned with the NASA Authorization Act of
2010, with funding provided by the fiscal year 2011 Continuing
Resolution. The Flight Opportunities Program is managed at NASA's
Dryden Flight Research Center in Edwards, CA. It combines the
Facilitated Access to the Space environment for Technology and
Commercial Reusable Suborbital Research efforts.
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