The International Space Station. Credit: NASA
Showing posts with label NASA DEVELOPMENTS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NASA DEVELOPMENTS. Show all posts

Friday, March 23, 2012

NASA SEARCHING FOR PROPOSALS FOR HEAVY- LIFT ROCKET


The following excerpt is from the NASA website: 
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, 
Ala., has issued a NASA Research Announcement (NRA) for advanced 
development proposals to support the nation's next heavy-lift rocket, 
the Space Launch System (SLS). 

NASA is soliciting proposals from industry and academia for innovative 
advanced development in areas including concept development, trades 
and analyses, propulsion, structures, materials, manufacturing, 
avionics and software. These efforts will focus on affordability and 
sustainability of the SLS as it evolves from a 70-metric-ton vehicle 
to a 130-metric-ton vehicle. 

"We look forward to hearing from both industry and academia on 
advanced development solutions that will enable the full capability 
of the evolved Space Launch System," said Mindy Niedermeyer, the 
evaluation team chair. "It's an exciting time for NASA. These 
solutions will create entirely new developments in space technology, 
taking humans farther in space than ever before." 

NASA anticipates making multiple awards in response to this 
solicitation with approximately $48 million in total funding. Of this 
total amount, the funding anticipated for the base year (Fiscal Year 
2013) is $22 million, with $14.5 million for the first year option 
(Fiscal Year 2014), and $11.5 million for the second year option 
(Fiscal Year 15). Total funding to be allocated to academic awards 
for this NRA is approximately $1.5 million per year. Individual 
academic awards are expected to be valued up to $250,000 per year. 
The deadline to submit proposals is May 15, 2012.