BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT: Designing a Microwave Sensor with Simultaneous Imaging and Sounding Capabilities (MSSIS)

** AMENDMENT 001 **

• The Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) has been updated and has been attached to this posting titled "Amendment 001_Broad Agency Announcement_NOAA OSAAP JV_MSSIS"
• The Community Day Presentation and slide deck has been provided and is now included in the attachments/links section of this posting
• The attendee list for the MSSIS Community Day is now provided in the attachments/links section of this posting.
• A consolidated spreadsheet of the Questions & Answers (Q&A) received for the MSSIS BAA is now included in the attachments/links section of this posting.

The "Designing a Microwave Sensor with Simultaneous Imaging and Sounding Capabilities" Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) is posted in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 35.016. The United States Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Environmental and Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS), Office of Systems Architecture and Advanced Planning (OSAAP) is requesting for submission of white papers to conduct studies that will investigate whether or not it is feasible to develop a microwasve sensor that could have both imaging and sounding capabilities simultaneously. The studies will also look to evaluate the value and impact of such a sensor on Numerical Weather Prediction and extreme weather monitoring and prediction. This BAA is exploratory only and currently there is no planned mission for MSSIS.

NOAA intends to build and expand on previous studies that have been commissioned in the past few years to leverage new microwave technologies to meet NOAA next-generation needs beyond Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) and Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) programs. NOAA is encouraged to enhance the measurement of the various oceanographic metrics, of the planetary boundary layer, and to assess smallsats/cubesats capabilities in complementing large satellites. Therefore, NOAA is interested in studying designs of microwave remote sensing sensors that could have both imaging and sounding capabilities. Combining these capabilities is expected to present significant advantages, both at the scientific and programmatic levels. Additional details and technical requirements are included in the attached documents.

A virtual Community Day will be held on April 24, 2023 to allow for engagement with the Government on this requirement. It is required that all partners from industry, academia, and Government pre-register for this event at the link listed in the attachments/links section of this posting titled, "MSSIS - VIRTUAL COMMUNITY DAY: Registration Form."

Attendees are encouraged to submit questions pertaining to the BAA in advance of Community Day to ensure that thorough responses to these inquiries are incorporated into the presentations and question response sessions. All questions shall be submitted NO LATER THAN April 27, 2023 at 12:00 PM to the Contracting Officer, Gabriela Bravo (gabriela.bravo@noaa.gov), and Contract Specialists, Bryton Curtis (bryton.curtis@noaa.gov) and Jadwiga Baranowski (jadwiga.baranowski@noaa.gov). Upon registration for the event, attendees will have the opportunity to register for a limited number of 1-on-1 Question and Answer breakout sessions with Government representatives. The purpose of these 1-on-1 sessions is to give industry partners the opportunity to ask Government representatives questions that may reveal information that is sensitive in nature pertaining to their approach. A link to the registration page for the NOAA MSSIS BAA 1-on-1 sessions is listed in the attachments/links section of this posting titled, "MSSIS - COMMUNITY DAY: 1-on-1 Session Sign-up Sheet."

** Registration for both the Community Day and the 1-on-1 sessions occurs on a third party site. You will be exiting the government site to register. **