Global Positioning System (GPS) Rapid Prototype Demonstration Tranche 0

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)

Title: Global Positioning System (GPS) Rapid Prototype Demonstration Tranche 0

1. Purpose of the Request for Information (RFI)

THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY. This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes it does not constitute a solicitation Request for Proposal (RFP) or Request for Quotations (RFQ) or a promise to issue a solicitation in the future. This request for information does not commit the Government to contract for any supply or service whatsoever. Further, SSC is not at this time seeking proposals and will not accept unsolicited proposals. Responders are advised that the U.S. Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this RFI; all costs associated with responding to this RFI will be solely at the interested party's expense. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future RFP, if any is issued. This RFI is available on the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) website at https://sam.gov/SAM/. It is the responsibility of the potential responders to monitor this site for additional information pertaining to this RFI.

2. Description

The US military must preserve its asymmetrical advantage given a contested, degraded, and operationally limited space environment. The capabilities provided by GPS are critical to not only the US military, but millions of civil users nationwide and billions around the world. The Department of Defense, United States Space Force, Space Systems Command (SSC) seeks to identify mechanisms to provide GPS resiliency and responsiveness while reducing lifecycle costs.

Space Systems Command (SSC) is currently conducting market research by seeking capability statements from potential sources for development, integration, and delivery for launch of a rapidly prototyped Global Positioning System (GPS) Navigation satellite with an objective to significantly reduce Size, Weight, Power, and Cost (SWaP-C), reduce production time, reduce time to orbit, optimize/maximize satellites per launch, and broaden launch vehicle compatibility. Responses to this request will aid in the determination of the market's ability to compete for the GPS Rapid Prototype Demonstration as well as potential future prototyping, demonstrations, and procurements.

The intent of this overall effort is to explore opportunities for non-traditional and/or traditional space vendors to rapidly manufacture, integrate, and make available for launch, navigation payloads that are interoperable with existing and future GPS User Equipment while minimizing change to current and future GPS ground control segments. The results of this rapid prototyping and demonstration effort are aimed towards lowering life cycle costs and reducing schedule for future GPS constellations.

Tranche 0 is envisioned to be the on-orbit demonstration of a rapid prototype satellite with the following capabilities (in priority order)

1. Broadcast of a viable and reliable subset of GPS signals compatible with current GPS User Equipment.
2. Contract award to available for launch (AFL) in 6-12 months
3. Operations at Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) (at 20,000 km)

Interested suppliers should have the ability to demonstrate GPS payload development and fabrication capability as well as satellite integration rapidly from contract award. Partnering is understood and encouraged for those without an end-to-end ability to provide the full rapid prototype. Rapid prototype satellite operations from current GPS Medium-Earth Orbit (MEO) and capability to provide modernized GPS signals are secondary to the schedule priority for the initial prototype. In answering the specific questions below, responses should include clarity on the Responder's ability to meet the priorities, potential tradeoffs, limitations, and risks.

3. Reference Documentation

1. GPS ICDs and ISs (https://www.gps.gov/technical/icwg/)
2. GPS Performance Standards and Specifications (https://www.gps.gov/technical/ps/)

4. Security/Classification

Responses should be Unclassified but may contain Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). Responses should be properly marked if they contain CUI and/or Proprietary information. If a respondent thinks their paper is severely hampered by the lack of inclusion of classified information, please contact the POCs below.

Respondents acknowledge that all materials and technical data provided to the Government as part of this RFI is authorized to be released or disclosed to covered Government support contractors as defined in DFARS 252.227-7015 unless specifically marked with restriction. Respondents shall conspicuously and legibly mark the appropriate legend on all technical data that qualify for such markings in accordance with DFARS 252.227-7013.

Respondents that include in their submissions data that they do not want disclosed to the public for any purpose, or used by the Government except for evaluation purposes, shall mark the title page with the follow legend:

This white paper includes data that shall not be disclosed outside the government and shall not be duplicated, used, or disclosed - in whole or in part - for any purpose other than to evaluate the white paper.

Mark each sheet of data to be restricted with the following legend:

Use or disclosure of data contained on this sheet is subject to the restriction on the title page of this white paper.

5. Response Instructions

Interested industry respondents are requested to provide a white paper organized into four sections: a) White Paper cover sheet (one page), b) Executive Summary c) Corporate Capabilities and technical competency, and d) Comments, ideas, assessments, recommendations, and information with regards to GPS Rapid Prototype Demonstration Objectives:

1. 10 page limit, including coversheet
2. White Paper Cover Sheet single spaced 8.5 x 11 pages, 1 margins, 11 size font, Microsoft Word file or Portable Document Format (PDF), not to exceed 10 mb in size, a non-proprietary one-page cover sheet that identifies this RFI number and title, name of your firm/organization, and your technical and administrative Points of Contact (POCs) - including names, titles, postal address, phone and fax numbers, email addresses, and CAGE code (if applicable).
3. Self-contained responses only. (no link to further details allowed)
4. The Government is not interested in receiving company literature already publicly available, or marketing materials in response to this RFI. Please do not submit them. Significant claims or reports of success must be justified with specific citations, and/or references.
5. Submission deadline is 21 calendar days from posting date.
6. Submit responses to the contacts at the bottom of this RFI with the email subject Global Positioning System (GPS) Rapid Prototype Demonstration Tranche 0: [Organization Name]

6. Request for Information Objectives

The Government is studying ways to reduce lifecycle cost and increase the pace of GPS satellite development, production, and on-orbit deployment. The objective of the questions in this RFI is to understand the current capabilities and state of the art of companies operating in the PNT and broader satellite industry. The Government is developing a vision for tranches of demonstration prototype satellites of increasingly complex capabilities. The initial tranche would demonstrate the ability to transmit a subset of GPS User Equipment compatible signals from MEO from a vehicle made Available for Launch (AFL) in six months from contract award and sized appropriately to allow multiple satellites to be launched per mission. Subsequent tranches are envisioned as demonstration prototypes that show increasing complexity and growing capabilities, focusing on reducing cost and schedule of a full constellation and introducing new capabilities like a broader GPS signal set, Regional Military Protection (Spot Beam), and optical crosslinks. Responses to the RFI should clearly describe a rapid prototype on-orbit demonstration of the initial tranche, as well as describe how that prototype could be transitioned to an on-orbit capability with 3-to-5-year design life and designed for multi-manifest and multi-launch, and the company's vision of demonstrations for future tranches. The Government is open to novel approaches to this project; respondents should not be discouraged if there are aspects of the RFI to which they cannot respond.

Responses may address any or all of the following, relevant to the above objective:

1. Overview of current PNT capabilities and design
2. Experience with satellite systems
   1. Description of the maturity of satellite designs
   2. Description of experience with ground Command and Control (C2) interfaces
   3. Description of experience with national security space system and cyber requirements
3. Overall demonstration budgetary estimate, and estimates of size, weight, and power (SWAP), and design life of the prototype space vehicle. Include a list of ground rules and assumptions for the budget estimate
4. Description of technical and manufacturing risk drivers
   1. Identify Critical Technologies including their risks and maturity, technology readiness levels (TRLs), and critical components and software that may need to be utilized or developed
   2. Identify cost and technical drivers for transitioning the demonstration prototype to a vehicle with a design life range of 3-to-5 years
5. Experience adapting Spacecraft or Spacecraft Subsystems for the natural radiation environment experienced by GPS satellites at its orbital altitude in MEO
6. Meaningful demonstrations you would recommend conducting to burn down risks during design and development of an on-orbit prototype space vehicle
7. Corporate investments you have made that improve your ability to successfully develop/deliver Spacecraft/Payloads
8. Description of how you would meet the rapid timelines consistent with the objectives. Include the following:
   1. How many months to reach design maturity sufficient for a rapid prototype
   2. How many months to reach integrated space vehicle (payload and bus) AFL
   3. Potential trades to accelerate schedule
9. Risks and or opportunities you see related to the objective of this effort.

7. Submittal Instructions

Email white papers to SSC.CGEF.Workflow@spaceforce.mil.

In the body of the email, please also provide the following information:

Company/Institute Name:

CAGE Code:

DUNS Number:

Address:

Point of Contact:

Phone Number:

E mail Address:

Web Page URL:

Is your company registered in the System Award Management (SAM) (Yes/No):

List your North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Codes:

Based on the NAICS Code, state whether your company is:

Small Business (Yes / No)

Woman Owned Small Business (Yes / No)

Small Disadvantaged Business (Yes / No)

8(a) Certified (Yes / No)

HUBZone Certified (Yes / No)

Veteran Owned Small Business (Yes / No)

Service Disabled Veteran Small Business (Yes / No)

A statement as to whether your company is domestically or foreign owned (if foreign, please indicate the country of ownership).

State any proposed teaming/joint venture partners or major subcontracts required to support your white paper solution(s)