Author Topic: NASA Releases Draft RFP for CCtCap (i.e., Phase 2 of Certification)  (Read 94181 times)

Offline AnalogMan

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It would be interesting if SpaceX could use a crewed Dragon variant for the Feb 2015 CRS delivery of the new docking mech.
That's how ATLAS was going to be installed.

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/nasa-develops-new-docking-system-for-constellation-220598/

RePosting part of this interesting info before it gets lost....

"The first two manned Orion crew exploration vehicle flights to the International Space Station, scheduled from September 2015, will deliver a new NASA-developed docking adaptor.

These will be fitted to the two ISS ports the Space Shuttle currently uses to dock with the station, and which from 2015 will be used by CEV.

Fitted to the ISS's Russia-designed Androgynous Peripheral Attach System, the new APAS To Low Impact Docking System Adaptor System, or ATLAS, will see Orion, which uses NASA's LIDS, dock with ATLAS' LIDS interface.

It would resolve the issue of how Orion docks with the ISS's APAS from CEV's expected initial operating capability date of September 2015, while in Moon missions from 2020 it will use LIDS to dock with NASA's Altair Lunar Lander"


I don't understand why this six-year old information is interesting.  Long overtaken by subsequent developments.

Offline jacqmans

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May 30, 2014

NASA and Industry Complete First Phase to Certify New Crew Transportation Systems

Development is Major Step toward Returning Human Space Launches to U.S. Soil

NASA's Commercial Crew Program and industry have completed the first step in the certification process that will enable American-made commercial spacecraft safely to ferry astronauts from U.S. soil to and from the International Space Station by 2017. The completion of the Certification Products Contracts (CPC) marks critical progress in the development of next-generation American space transportation systems that are safe, reliable and cost-effective.

"We’re making great strides toward returning human spaceflight launch capability to U.S. soil," said Phil McAlister, director of Commercial Spaceflight at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "This certification is important to ensuring our crew members have reliable transportation to and from the space station where they are conducting research essential to advancing human exploration farther into the solar system."

Under the contracts, The Boeing Company, Sierra Nevada Corporation Space Systems (SNC) and Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) completed reviews detailing how each plans to meet NASA's certification requirements to transport space station crew members to and from the orbiting laboratory. NASA awarded the contracts totaling $30 million in December 2012.

"There’s more than one correct way to build a spacecraft, and CPC has been an invaluable learning process for our industry partners and the agency," said Kathy Lueders, NASA Commercial Crew Program manager. "It is extremely exciting to see the unique approach each company brings to the table.”

Throughout the CPC process, the companies provided plans to show safety has been a key element in the design of their spacecraft and demonstrate how their systems will meet NASA’s performance requirements.

"It's allowed them to mature their plans and gave us additional insight into each company’s approach," said Ed Burns, systems engineering and integration acting manager for NASA's Commercial Crew Program. "It also gave our NASA team and the partners a chance to work together towards certifying their systems."

The second phase of the certification process, the Commercial Crew Transportation Capability (CCtCap), is open to any company with system designs at a maturity level consistent with the completion of the first certification phase. NASA will announce one or more CCtCap awards later this year. This second phase will include at least one crewed flight test per awardee to verify the spacecraft can dock to the space station and all its systems perform as expected. Contracts also will include at least two, and as many as six, crewed, post-certification missions to enable NASA to meet its station crew rotation requirements.

Although CCtCap will enable NASA to acquire a capability to transport crews to the space station, NASA intends that U.S. providers market and use their systems for other customers.

For more information about NASA’s Commercial Crew Program and its aerospace industry partners, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew
Jacques :-)

Offline AnalogMan

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The most relevant documents in the final RFP are the following two documents:

This point keeps coming up. The minimum amounts of post-certification missions (PCM) for Boeing and SpaceX is 2 each. The maximum is 6 on a combined basis. In other words, they are likely to get 2 or 3 PCM each. The price of the awards includes 6 missions for each company because it assumes the worst case scenario: that the other provider will not make it to certification.

Quote from: page 10 of the Final RFP
The maximum potential number of Post Certification Missions which may be ordered under this contract is six (6). If multiple awards are made, the maximum number of all PCMs awarded under all contracts when combined will not exceed six (6). The maximum potential total value of all Post Certification Mission Task Orders which may be ordered under this contract is six (6) missions.


No, the maximum potential number of flights was changed to be on a per-contract basis in amendment 2 of the RFP

"The minimum quantity of Post Certification Missions in this contract is two (2).  PCM task orders will not be issued until the Contractor has accomplished the criteria shown in clause H.19, Post Certification Mission Payments, Milestones and ATP Criteria, paragraph (a).

The maximum potential number of Post Certification Missions which may be ordered under this contract is six (6)."
[end of clause]

https://prod.nais.nasa.gov/eps/eps_data/158768-AMEND-002-002.docx
https://prod.nais.nasa.gov/eps/eps_data/158768-AMEND-002-001.pdf

"The purpose of this amendment is to allow for a maximum potential number of Post Certification Missions (PCMs) of six (6) per CCtCap contract award."
« Last Edit: 09/17/2014 11:44 pm by AnalogMan »

Offline yg1968

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Good find! Thanks! I didn't realize that you could amend a final RFP. The amendment was made on April 22, 2014 (after the final RFP was issued).

Incidentally, here is the latest (updated) RFP documents. The first document (158768-AMEND-002-002.pdf) amends the second one which is the RFP (Amendment-001 RFP NNK14467515R - CCtCap.pdf). Document 158768-AMEND-002-001.pdf explains the modification to the number of post-certification missions.

https://prod.nais.nasa.gov/cgibin/eps/sol.cgi?acqid=158768
« Last Edit: 02/17/2024 03:19 pm by yg1968 »

Offline yg1968

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I just realized the post-certification missions have to be ordered before September 2019 but they don't have to be completed before that time. Here is what the RFP says on this:

Quote
I.6 52.216-18 ORDERING (OCT 1995) (Applicable to IDIQ CLINs 002 and 003)
(a) Any supplies and services to be furnished under this contract shall be ordered by issuance of delivery orders or task orders by the individuals or activities designated in the Schedule. Such orders may be issued up to 5-years from the effective date of the contract.
(b) All delivery orders or task orders are subject to the terms and conditions of this contract. In the event of conflict between a delivery order or task order and this contract, the contract shall control.
(c) If mailed, a delivery order or task order is considered "issued" when the Government deposits the order in the mail. Orders may be issued orally, by facsimile, or by electronic commerce methods only if authorized in the Schedule.
« Last Edit: 09/19/2014 01:59 am by yg1968 »

Offline joek

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Given the CCtCap awards to Boeing and SpaceX, the net of the amendment means that there will now be a maximum of 12 post-certification missions (instead of 6) and that--all other things equal--up to 4 of those missions will be competitively bid between Boeing and SpaceX.

Offline yg1968

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Yes. Here is what the RFP has to say on this issue:

Quote from: RFP
H.8 POST CERTIFICATION MISSION TASK ORDERING PROCEDURES
(APPLICABLE TO CLIN 002)

(a) Requirements for Competition.
In the event that two (2) or more commercial crew transportation contracts are awarded, a fair opportunity to be considered for task orders issued under this contract based upon the specific task order requirements will be provided, unless the Contracting Officer determines that one of the following apply:
(1) The Agency need is of such urgency that competing the requirements among Contractors would result in unacceptable delays;
(2) Only one Contractor is capable of providing the service at the level of quality required because the service ordered is unique or highly specialized;
(3) The order must be issued on a sole-source basis in the interest of economy and efficiency because it is a logical follow-on to an order issued under the contract, provided that all Contractors were given a fair opportunity to be considered for the original order; or
(4) It is necessary to place an order to satisfy the minimum guarantee per clause B.4, Post Certification Missions (IDIQ) (CLIN 002).
« Last Edit: 09/21/2014 02:30 am by yg1968 »

Offline Patchouli

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Thanks again yg.  A few other bits of note:
1. Mission Suitability Evaluation adds "Inherent Capabilities in excess of NASA requirements ..."
2. Pricing Evaluation adds "All other Government Furnished Property and Services (outside of CCtCap) will be evaluated to determine whether a competitive advantage exists ..."
3. Waiver of requirement for certified cost data for contractor but not subcontractors (seems odd?).
4. Cargo has been eliminated (was optional CLIN in draft RFP).
5. A number of clarifications concerning FAA regulations:
a) FAA license not required for test flights, but required for post-certification missions.
b) Crew is an employee of the licensee; NASA astronauts would be spaceflight participants.  Good discussion of the ruling here.


Old post but number 4 explains why the CST-100 was able to win even though cargo capacity is very limited compared to Spacex's and SNC's vehicles.

On number 2 The definition of competitive seems a little loose.
 To say Spacex has a cost advantage would be a huge under statement.
But then the Falcon 9 even in expendable mode is a much lower cost LV then the Atlas V.
SNC wouldn't be able to match Spacex on cost either since they still have the large reoccurring cost of the Atlas V but would likely have gotten closer then Boeing.
The space vehicle side of their costs seem like they would have been have been similar to Dragon.


« Last Edit: 09/21/2014 03:43 pm by Patchouli »

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