Synopsis - May 02, 2013

General Information

Solicitation Number: RFI-2013SpaceGeodesySLR Posted Date: May 02, 2013 FedBizOpps Posted Date: May 02, 2013 Recovery and Reinvestment Act Action: No Original Response Date: Jun 07, 2013 Current Response Date: Jun 07, 2013 Classification Code: A -- Research and Development NAICS Code: 541712

Contracting Office Address

NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 210.Y, Greenbelt, MD 20771

Description

Description

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Space Geodesy Project (SGP) is soliciting information to improve its understanding of the interest, capabilities, and Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) estimates for planning the construction, deployment, and operation of the next generation Space Geodesy (SG) Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) Stations that will be part of a new NASA's Space Geodetic Network (SGN). NASA is considering the construction of up to ten new SLR stations that will contribute to the larger Global Geodetic Observing System (GGOS).

One of the main objectives of SGP is to produce the necessary observations for realization of the Terrestrial Reference Frame (TRF). Scientific objectives dictate the desire for a TRF definition with accuracy of 1 mm and stable to 0.1mm/yr (millimeters per year), including geocenter and with a scale accurate to 0.1ppb (parts per billion), and stable to 0.01 ppb/yr. (Source: Gross et al., 2009). This is a factor of 10-20 beyond current capability.

The NASA SGN will comprise integrated, multi-technique next generation space geodetic observing systems, as the core NASA contribution to a global network designed to produce the higher quality data required to maintain the Terrestrial Reference Frame and provide information essential for fully realizing the measurement potential of the current and coming generation of Earth Observing spacecraft. It is anticipated that to achieve the desired level of accuracy and stability the SG sites will collocate and use in unison several key techniques of observation, including Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI), Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR), Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) and Doppler Orbitography and Radiopositioning Integrated by Satellite (DORIS). Other secondary instruments (such as gravimeters) may be added.

Read more:

NASA GSFC Solicitation: Space Geodesy SLR