The Applied Engineering and Technology Directorate, Code 500, of the Goddard Space Flight Center plans to enter into a contract with General Dynamics Decision Systems, Inc. on a sole source basis, to provide the development of a Crosslink Channel Simulator (CCS)to NASA/GSFC for use in the Formation Flying Testbed (FFTB). This FY04 effort is an augmentation of the prototype CCS that was developed and delivered successfully in FY03 by General Dynamics Decision Systems, Inc.
The CCS is required to introduce environmental effects including signal delay, attenuation, and Doppler shift into the radio frequency (RF) channel between two or more satellite crosslinks based on satellite state information, which is provided as input. These requirements are necessary for the Technology Readiness Level advancement of satellite crosslink transceivers, which are enabling technology for formation flying missions such as MMS and ST-9 (Formation Flying).
The planned deliverable is an extension of the prototype that General Dynamics delivered in FY03; it is expected that the hardware in the prototype will serve as the foundation for the FY04 delivery unit. Since the prototype delivery unit contains General Dynamic's proprietary hardware and software, General Dynamics is the only company with the capability to utilize and extend the functionality of the prototype unit. Any other source would have to duplicate or significantly overlap the engineering and hardware costs of the prototype development, which would exceed the cost and schedule constraints of the FFTB.
The statutory authority for Other Than Full and Open Competition is 10 U.S.C. 2304 (c)(1), Only One Responsible Source. Any other firm desiring consideration must fully identify its capabilities or submit a proposal within (15) days of publication of this synopsis, to the Goddard Space Flight Center office and individual listed.
