Synopsis - Feb 15, 2013

General Information

Solicitation Number: NNH13ZDA007L Posted Date: Feb 15, 2013 FedBizOpps Posted Date: Feb 15, 2013 Recovery and Reinvestment Act Action: No Original Response Date: Apr 01, 2013 Current Response Date: Apr 01, 2013 Classification Code: A -- Research and Development NAICS Code: 541712

Contracting Office Address

NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA Headquarters Acquisition Branch, Code 210.H, Greenbelt, MD 20771

Description

1. Scope of the Program

This announcement seeks proposals for participation in a select group of four scientists to help define the possible and appropriate mission and constellation concepts for future gravity field missions and, more specifically, elements of future gravity constellations. These four scientists will participate in a joint NASA/European Space Agency (ESA) Gravity Constellation Study Team (GCST).

The past decade has seen remarkable progress in the advance of space-based measurements of the Earth's gravity field and its temporal changes. The combined missions of NASA's Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and ESA's Global Ocean Circulation Experiment (GOCE) have demonstrated new technologies and the importance of gravity field dynamics in understanding mass transport within the Earth System. The importance of these scientific results led NASA and the GFZ, the German Research Centre for Geosciences, to support a GRACE Follow-On (GRACE FO) mission to continue these measurement products. GRACE FO will also demonstrate laser interferometry to improve measurement resolution of future satellite gravity missions. GRACE FO is scheduled for launch in 2017.

NASA and ESA recognize the substantial contributions of these Gravity Field missions to our understanding of the changes in the Earth's environment and resources. NASA and ESA have agreed to cooperate in the development of future space based gravity field measurement strategies beyond GRACE FO and GOCE. The agencies recognize that future missions should exploit new technologies and mission measurement strategies to improve the scientific value and societal benefits from the gravity measurements, and they agree, in principle, to seek to define future gravity field measurements that remain within affordable and cost effective budget projections and employ the assets of both agencies in a complementary fashion. The GCST will be expected to consider the synergistic opportunities presented by likely operational missions within the 2020 - 2030 timeframe.

Continued here:

NASA Solicitation: Request for Information Constellation Study for Future Earth Gravity Field Missions