The GSFC Heliophysics instrument, which will be proposed in the upcoming Exploreropportunity, will be studying the thermosphere.National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Science Mission Directorate (SMD) isreleasing two draft solicitations for community review and comment: the Draft Explorer2010 Announcement of Opportunity (AO) and the Draft Explorer 2010 Missions of Opportunity(MO) Program Element Appendix (PEA) for the Stand Alone Missions of Opportunity Notice(SALMON) AO. The Explorer Program conducts Principal Investigator (PI)-led space scienceinvestigations in SMD's astrophysics and heliophysics programs. Explorer investigationsare intended to obtain an understanding of the Sun and its effects on Earth and the SolarSystem and/or to discover the origin, structure, evolution, and destiny of the Universeand search for Earth-like planets. Schedule (dates are subject to change):Expected AO release Early Fall 2010Proposals (Step 1) due date 3 months after AO releasePhase A selection Summer 2011Phase BCD (Step 2) proposals due 12 months after selectionMission selection 16 months after selectionLaunch tbdEnd of operations Launch + 2.33 yearsThis partnership opportunity is being issued to select a teaming partner to support theAO MO elements throughout the system life cycle (Phases A through E): System Engineering support to resolve payload accommodation issues Spacecraft modifications and accommodations for the payload Payload integration on the spacecraft Environmental Test Program of the fully integrated spacecraft Mission Ops SupportThere will be no exchange of funds between the teaming partners for the AO proposalcycle. If the proposed mission is selected for a Phase A Concept Study, limited fundingwill be available according to the budget developed during proposal preparation. If theproposed mission is selected for flight, partner(s) will be funded according to thebudget developed during AO proposal phase.Potential partners are asked to contact the NASA team within 2 weeks after release ofthis document. This contact shall not be considered binding, but shall serve to help theNASA team disseminate all relevant information to potential partners. Potential partnersshould ask questions during the first week after release of this document. All questionsand answers will be sent to those who express a desire to respond, while the source ofthe questions shall be held confidential. For purposes of this partnership opportunity,the contact is Bob Caffrey ([email protected])Electronic responses to the Partnership Opportunity Document shall:1) Not exceed 30 power point slides (unlimited backup material).2) Address all requirements described in this document.3) Provide a Point of Contact to address questions from NASA.Responses will be treated as proprietary information and controlled as such.Potential partners shall deliver their responses by 5 p.m. (Eastern Time) on November 1,2010. Please provide email response to:Bob [email protected] Code 460Goddard Space Flight CenterGreenbelt, MD 20771The requested information through this POD is for preliminary planning purposes only anddoes not constitute a commitment, implied or otherwise, that NASA will solicit thesubmitter for a procurement of any related effort in the future. NASA will not beresponsible for any costs incurred by submitters in furnishing this information. This solicitation/synopsis is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government norwill the Government pay for the information solicited. An ombudsman has been appointed.See Internet Note B. The documents for this partnership opportunity will be inMicrosoft Office Suite (Word 6.0, Excel 5.0, or PowerPoint 4.0) format and will reside ona World Wide Web (WWW) server, which may be accessed using a WWW browser application. The WWW address, or URL, of the NASA/GSFC Business Opportunities home page ishttp://procurement.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/EPS/bizops.cgi?gr=C&pin=51. It is the offerors responsibility to monitor this cite for the release of thePartnership Opportunity Document and amendments (if any). Potential offerors will beresponsible for downloading their own copy of the Partnership Opportunity Document andamendments, if any. Any referenced notes can be viewed at the following URL:http://genesis.gsfc.nasa.gov/nasanote.html.

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