Space Weather (SW) Next Instruments for Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) and Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO)

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service (NESDIS), Office of Space Weather Observations (SWO) is soliciting information through this RFI to survey vendor interest and capabilities. Information received will be used in the preparation and support of the development of an acquisition strategy and for a potential, future release of a Request For Proposal (RFP) to procure, develop and fabricate instruments for the SW Next Program observations in geosynchronous (GEO) and highly eccentric orbits (HEO). For the purpose of this RFI, the notional launch date for both GEO and HEO observatories is 2032. The GEO observatory has a notional mission life of 7 years while that of the HEO observatory is 5 years.  Prospective vendors may assume that the notional HEO orbit is a Tundra orbit.   

The purpose of this RFI is to solicit vendor interest and capabilities to produce one or more of the instruments listed below on a satellite in GEO and/or HEO as indicated:

• GEO
  • In-situ particle (electrons, protons, ions) flux sensors
  • Magnetometer
  • Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) imager
  • EUV irradiance sensor
  • Photospheric magnetograph imager
  • Heliospheric imager
  • Ionosphere/Thermosphere (I/T) Imager
• HEO
  • In-situ particle (electrons, protons, ions) flux sensor
  • Magnetometer
  • Auroral imager

Please see attachment for additional details concerning Question/Comment deadline and submission instructions.