2018 Heliophysics Science Missions of Opportunity

NASA Approves Heliophysics Missions to Explore Sun, Earth's Aurora

NASA Selects Heliophysics Missions of Opportunity for Space Science Research and Technology Demonstration

NASA has chosen two new science proposals for nine-month concept studies to advance our understanding of how the particles and energy in space - shown here flowing from the Sun in an illustration of the solar wind - affect the fundamental nature of space. One proposal will ultimately be chosen to launch along with NASA's upcoming Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe in October 2024. ( credit:NASA)

NASA has selected three proposals for concept studies of missions that could help us better understand the dynamic space weather system driven by the Sun that manifests near Earth. The proposals examine what drives different parts of that system and ultimately could help us predict and mitigate its effects on spacecraft and astronauts, as NASA's Artemis program looks to send the first woman and the next man to the Moon by 2024.

"NASA's research to understand the space we travel through relies on exploring key details about a vast system from the Sun, to Earth, to the edges of the solar system," said Peg Luce, deputy director for heliophysics in the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "Each of these proposals could add a significant tool from a unique vantage point to help us understand that system."

Each of these Heliophysics Mission of Opportunity proposals will receive $400,000 to conduct a nine-month mission concept study. After the study period, NASA will choose one proposal to go forward to launch. Each potential mission has a separate launch opportunity and time frame.

The proposals were selected based on potential science value and feasibility of development plans. The total cost for the mission ultimately chosen will be capped at $55 million and is funded by NASA's Heliophysics Explorers' program.

The selected proposals are:

Extreme Ultraviolet High-Throughput Spectroscopic Telescope (EUVST) Epsilon Mission

EUVST would aim to provide an answer to a fundamental question in solar physics: How does the interplay of solar material - a hot plasma - and magnetic fields drive solar activity and eruptions, such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections? The mission would launch with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Solar-C mission, planned for 2025. EUVST would observe simultaneously, for the first time and over a wide range of the lower solar atmosphere, how magnetic fields and plasma interact. Those observations could help us learn more about how the two systems contribute to the dynamic atmosphere around the Sun. The principal investigator for EUVST is Clarence Korendyke at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory in Washington.

Aeronomy at Earth: Tools for Heliophysics Exploration and Research (AETHER)

AETHER would explore the ionosphere-thermosphere system and its response to geomagnetic storms. From a position aboard the International Space Station, it could gather observations of the ionosphere - the area of our atmosphere that overlaps with the lower regions of space. These observations would be complemented by ground observations of electrons in the same region. The mission would provide information on how the neutral, terrestrial-weather-driven thermosphere interacts with the ionosphere's charged particles. Understanding how the neutral atmosphere affects the ions and vice versa is key to better understanding the complex space weather system surrounding our planet, which affects spacecraft and astronauts flying through it.

The launch of AETHER would be no later than 2024. The principal investigator for AETHER is James Clemmons at the University of New Hampshire in Durham.

Electrojet Zeeman Imaging Explorer (EZIE)

EZIE would focus on an electric current known as the auroral electrojet, which circles through the atmosphere around 60 to 90 miles above Earth, near the poles. Using three SmallSats to measure magnetic fields, EZIE would observe the structure of electrojets and explore what causes them and how they evolve. Electrojets are part of a larger space weather system that can lead to oscillations in Earth's magnetic fields, creating geomagnetic storms that can interfere with spacecraft and – at their most intense – utility grids on the ground. Knowing how electrojets form and grow could contribute to ultimately predicting such storms. EZIE would launch as part of the agency's CubeSat Launch Initiative. EZIE also would launch no later than 2024. The principal investigator for EZIE is Jeng-Hwa Yee at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland.

For information about NASA and space science, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/sunearth

NASA has selected two proposals for concept studies that could help us better understand the fundamental nature of space and how it changes in response to planetary atmospheres, radiation from the Sun, and interstellar particles. The proposals will advance NASA's heliophysics program and could lead to better protection for both technology and humans as we travel farther from home.

Each of these Heliophysics Science Mission of Opportunity proposals will receive $400,000 to conduct a nine-month mission concept study. After the studies, NASA will choose one proposal to launch as a secondary payload on the agency's Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP).

The proposals were selected based on potential science value and feasibility of development plans. Total cost of this Mission of Opportunity is capped at $75 million and is funded by NASA's Solar Terrestrial Probes program.

The selected proposals are:

Spatial/Spectral Imaging of Heliospheric Lyman Alpha (SIHLA)

SIHLA would map the entire sky to determine the shape and underlying mechanisms of the boundary between the heliosphere, the area of our Sun's magnetic influence, and the interstellar medium, a boundary known as the heliopause. The observations would gather far-ultraviolet light emitted from hydrogen atoms. This wavelength is key for examining many astrophysical phenomena, including planetary atmospheres and comets, because so much of the universe is composed of hydrogen. SIHLA will focus on mapping the velocity and distribution of the solar wind - the outpouring of particles from the Sun - helping to resolve our understanding of what drives structure in the solar wind and heliopause. This is an area of research undergoing rapid evolution due to data from NASA missions, such as Voyager, Parker Solar Probe and Interstellar Boundary Explorer.

The principal investigator for SIHLA is Larry Paxton at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland.

Global Lyman-alpha Imagers of the Dynamic Exosphere (GLIDE)

The GLIDE mission would study variability in Earth's exosphere, the uppermost region of its atmosphere, by tracking far ultraviolet light emitted from hydrogen. The proposed mission would fill an existing measurement gap, as only a handful of such images previously have been made from outside the exosphere. The mission would gather observations at a high rate, with a view of the entire exosphere, ensuring a truly global and comprehensive set of data. Understanding the ways in which Earth's exosphere changes in response to influences of the Sun above or the atmosphere below, would provide us with better ways to forecast and, ultimately, mitigate the ways in which space weather can interfere with radio communications in space.

The principal investigator for GLIDE is Lara Waldrop at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana.

IMAP currently is scheduled to launch in October 2024 to orbit a point between Earth and the Sun known as the first Lagrangian point, or L1. From there, IMAP will help researchers better understand the interstellar boundary region, where particles from the Sun collide with material from the rest of the galaxy. This distant area controls the amount of harmful cosmic radiation entering the heliosphere, the magnetic bubble that shields our solar system from charged particles surrounding it. Cosmic rays from the galaxy and beyond affect astronauts and can harm technological systems. They also may play a role in the presence of life in the universe.

From the start of IMAP mission formulation, NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD) planned to include secondary spacecraft on the launch under the agency's new SMD Rideshare Initiative, which cuts costs by sending multiple missions on a single launch. This launch will also include a Heliophysics Technology Demonstration Mission of Opportunity - which will be announced separately - to test technologies that can enable future science missions, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Space Weather Follow-On mission, which will expand that agency's space weather forecasting capabilities.

"Launching missions together like this is a great way to ensure maximum science return while keeping costs low," said Peg Luce, deputy director of NASA''s Heliophysics Division. "We carefully select new heliophysics spacecraft to complement the well-placed spacecraft NASA has in orbit to study this vast solar wind system - and our rideshare initiative increases our opportunities to send such key missions into space."

For information about NASA and space science, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/sunearth

AMENDMENT 10 TO THE NASA ANNOUNCEMENT OF OPPORTUNITY (AO)
ENTITLED
"THIRD STAND ALONE MISSION OF OPPORTUNITY NOTICE (SALMON-3),"
NNH17ZDA004O, RELEASED MARCH 22, 2017

SALMON-3 AO Amendment 10: Seven Changes in Sections, 4, 6 and 8 of PEA M: 2018 Heliophysics Science Mission of Opportunity (MO) NNH17ZDA004O-HPSMO originally released August 7, 2018.

Amendment 10 released September 26, 2018 has seven changes listed in summary in order of their section number location:

• In Section 4.3, Requirements M-1 and M-2 are changed to remove technology products,
• In Sections 6.1.2 and 6.2.2 changes modify notification proposal submission requirements
• In Section 8.2 it is noted that SALMON-3 Requirement 75 on budget limits prior to KDP-C is not superseded by PEA M

In PEA M: 2018 Heliophysics Science Mission of Opportunity (MO) NNH17ZDA004O-HPSMO, bold text indicates an addition and a strike through indicates a deletion as follows:

Under 4.3.1 Data Analysis
 
A Data Analysis Plan including approaches for data retrieval, validation, and preliminary analysis shall be described. The technology and any [amended September 26, 2018] science products (e.g., flight data, ancillary or calibration data, theoretical calculations, higher order analytical or data products, laboratory data, etc.) shall be identified, including a list of the specific data products and the individual team members responsible for the data products. This requirement, in conjunction with 0 of this PEA, supersedes Requirement B-23 in Appendix B of the SALMON-3 AO.

Under 4.3.3 Delivery of Data to Archive
 
A Data Management and Archive Plan, including approaches for the release of peer-reviewed publications, the release of the research data that underlie the results and findings in peer-reviewed publications, and the archiving of all technology and any [amended September 26, 2018] science products shall be described. The technology and any [amended September 26, 2018] science products (e.g., flight data, ancillary or calibration data, theoretical calculations, higher order analytical or data products, laboratory data, etc.) shall be identified, including a list of the specific data products and the individual team members responsible for the data products. The Data Management and Archive Plan shall be in compliance with requirements and the guidelines in the NASA Plan for Increasing Access to the Results of Scientific Research (available through the Program Library) or a justification shall be provided that this is not necessary given the nature of the work proposed (see Section 4.4.1 of the SALMON-3 AO). The Data Management and Archive Plan shall identify the appropriate NASA data archive and the formats and standards to be used. It shall include an estimate of the raw data volume and the data latency by product for submission of raw and reduced data, to the data archive, in physical units accessible to the science community. This requirement, in conjunction with 0 of this PEA, supersedes Requirement B-23 in Appendix B of the SALMON-3 AO.

Under 6.2.1 Required Notification Proposal
 
The science objectives of the proposed mission and the PI, Co-I, and institutions cannot be changed between submissions of the Notification Proposal and the Full Proposal. Requests for changes to Co-Investigators after the Notification Proposal submission must be approved by NASA before this is allowed; these requests for changes must be submitted to the PEA POC through the email address HQHPDMO@mail.nasa.gov as soon as possible, but no later than 2 weeks before the due date for Full Proposals. [amended September 26, 2018].
 
Proposers shall submit electronically through NSPIRES a Notification Proposal that names the organizational lead from each organization and the organization's role; identifies all investigators, the proposed science objectives, general mission architecture, a list of instruments, and identification of new technologies that may be employed as part of the mission; and answers PEA-specific questions. The science objectives of the proposed investigation and the PI, Co-ICo-I, and institutions cannot be changed between submissions of the Notification Proposal and the Full (Step-1) Proposal. Requests for changes to Co-Investigators after the Notification Proposal submission must be approved by NASA before this is allowed; these requests for changes must be submitted to the PEA POC through the email address HQHPDMO@mail.nasa.gov as soon as possible, but no later than 2 weeks before the due date for Full Proposals. [amended September 26, 2018].

Under 6.2.2 Submission of Proposals
 
Full (Step-1) Proposals shall have the same science objectives, PI, Co-I, and institutions as the Notification Proposal. Requests for changes to Co-Investigators after the Notification Proposal submission must be approved by NASA before this is allowed; these requests for changes must be submitted to the PEA POC through the email address HQHPDMO@mail.nasa.gov as soon as possible, but no later than 2 weeks before the due date for Full Proposals. [amended September 26, 2018].

Under 8.2 Exceptions to General SALMON-3 Requirements

Questions on PEA M may be addressed by Email to the HPSMO Lead Scientist: Dr. J. Daniel Moses, Email: hq-hpdmo@mail.nasa.gov (subject line to read "HPSMO").

Responses to these inquiries will be posted on the question and answer section of the Acquisition homepage for the 2018 Heliophysics Science MO PEA M at: https://soma.larc.nasa.gov/2018HelioMO/

AMENDMENT 8 TO THE NASA ANNOUNCEMENT OF OPPORTUNITY (AO)
ENTITLED
"THIRD STAND ALONE MISSION OF OPPORTUNITY NOTICE (SALMON-3),"
NNH17ZDA004O, RELEASED MARCH 22, 2017

SALMON-3 AO Amendment 8: Due Date Changes in PEA L: 2018 Heliophysics Technology Demonstration Mission of Opportunity (MO) NNH17ZDA004O-HPTDMO originally released August 6, 2018 and PEA M: 2018 Heliophysics Science Mission of Opportunity (MO) NNH17ZDA004O-HPSMO originally released August 7, 2018.

Amendment 8, released August 28, 2018, changes previously published proposal-related due dates in two the program element appendices, PEA L and PEA M. The new due dates for notification proposals, proposals and CD-ROM are:

In PEA L: 2018 Heliophysics Technology Demonstration Mission of Opportunity NNH17ZDA004O-HPTDMO, bold text indicates an addition and struck through indicates a deletion made as follows to Section 9, SUMMARY OF KEY INFORMATION:

Questions on PEA L may be addressed to Dr. Roshanak Hakimzadeh, Heliophysics TechDemo MO Program Scientist, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Washington, DC 20546; Email: hq-techdemo@mail.nasa.gov (subject line to read “HPTDMO”).

In PEA M: 2018 Heliophysics Science Mission of Opportunity (MO) NNH17ZDA004O-HPSMO, bold text indicates an addition and struck through indicates a deletion made as follows to Section 9, SUMMARY OF KEY INFORMATION:

Questions on PEA M may be addressed by Email to the HPSMO Lead Scientist: Dr. J. Daniel Moses, Email: hq-hpdmo@mail.nasa.gov (subject line to read "HPSMO").

Responses to inquiries will be posted on the question and answer or Q&A section of the website corresponding to each PEA:

AMENDMENT 7 TO THE NASA ANNOUNCEMENT OF OPPORTUNITY (AO)
ENTITLED
"THIRD STAND ALONE MISSION OF OPPORTUNITY NOTICE (SALMON-3),"
NNH17ZDA004O, RELEASED MARCH 22, 2017

SALMON-3 AO Amendment 7: Revision to the New Proposal Opportunity via PEA M: 2018 Heliophysics Science Mission of Opportunity (MO) NNH17ZDA004O-HPSMO originally released August 7, 2018.

Amendment 7 makes two changes to PEA M: Requirement M-25 in Section 5.6.1 has been updated to refer specifically to New Missions using Existing Spacecraft (NMES) and in Section 9 it is noted that the date for Preproposal Conference has been changed to August 24. New text is in bold and deleted text is struck through.

The following change is made to Requirement M-25 in Section 5.6.1 of the SALMON-3 PEA M.

"Requirement M-25. The proposed PIMMC for the 2018 Heliophysics Science MO, including all mission phases, reserves, and the cost of accommodation on and/or delivery to the host mission shall not exceed the applicable PEA M Cost Cap, specified as follows, less any reductions due to PEA-specified charges (see Section 5.6.2):

• $75M (FY19) for SCMs utilizing NASA-PEA-provided IMAP ESPA Grande access to space.
• $55M (FY19) for SCMs and PMOs not utilizing NASA-PEA-provided IMAP ESPA Grande access to space.
• $35M (FY19) for NMESs and [amended August 20, 2018] suborbital-class SCMs."

The following change is made to Section 9, Date for Preproposal Conference of the SALMON-3 PEA M. Bold text indicates additions, while deletions are struck through.

"Date for Preproposal Conference .... August 23, August 24, 2018 via Webex..."

On or about August 20, this Amendment to the NASA SALMON-3 AO PEA M (NNH17ZDA004O-HPSMO) will be posted on the NASA research opportunity web site http://nspires.nasaprs.com.

Questions on this solicitation may be addressed by Email to the HPSMO Lead Scientist: Dr. J. Daniel Moses, Email: hq-hpdmo@nasa.gov (subject line to read "HPSMO"). Responses to all inquiries will be answered by Q&A website.

Amendment #6 to the SALMON-3 AO Creates a New Proposal Opportunity via PEA M 2018 Heliophysics Science Mission of Opportunity NNH17ZDA004O-HPSMO

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announces the addition of Program Element Appendix (PEA) M to the omnibus NASA Announcement of Opportunity entitled Third Stand Alone Missions of Opportunity Notice (SALMON-3 NNH17ZDA004O). PEA M is the 2018 Heliophysics Science Mission of Opportunity NNH17ZDA004O-HPSMO.

Investigations may target any heliophysics scientific investigation that advances the objectives of this PEA. Investigations that address NASA goals in other areas, such as astrophysics, Earth science, or planetary science, are not solicited.

Three Mission of Opportunity types may be proposed: (1) Partner Missions of Opportunity (PMOs) may include CubeSats and International Space Station (ISS) payloads, (2) New Missions using Existing Spacecraft (NMESs), and (3) Small Complete Missions (SCMs). SCMs include investigations on the International Space Station (ISS), commercial hosted payloads, CubeSats or suborbital-class missions (an investigation requiring flight on a high-altitude scientific balloon platform (e.g. Super Pressure Balloon (SPB), Long-Duration Balloon (LDB)), or on a suborbital Reusable Launch Vehicle (sRLV).

Investigations will be cost capped, including all mission phases, reserves, and the cost of accommodation on and/or delivery to the host mission. The intended cost caps are:

• $75M (FY19) for SCMs utilizing NASA-PEA-provided IMAP ESPA Grande access to space.
• $55M (FY19) for SCMs and PMOs not utilizing NASA-PEA-provided IMAP ESPA Grande access to space.
• $35M (FY19) for suborbital-class SCMs.

This opportunity solicits proposals for science investigations requiring the development and operation of space-based investigations. The projects are designated as Category 3 as defined in NPR 7120.5E, NASA Space Flight Program and Project Management Requirements. The payloads are designated as Class D as defined in NPR 8705.4 consistent with the new NASA Science Mission (SMD) Class-D Tailoring/Streamlining Decision Memorandum, except for PMOs, which depend on host mission's risk classification requirements that must be specified in the proposal. See: https://soma.larc.nasa.gov/standardao/ClassD.html.

Proposal selection and award will be implemented according to the guidelines set forth in Section 7.4 of the SALMON-3 AO and of PEA M. Forthcoming schedule updates, agenda, and logistics for the August 23, 2018 Pre-proposal Web Conference may be found at: https://soma.larc.nasa.gov/2018HelioMO/preprop-webex.html

Further information, as it becomes available, will be posted on the Heliophysics Science MO Acquisition Page at https://soma.larc.nasa.gov/2018HelioMO/. Address questions to Dr. J. Daniel Moses, Heliophysics Science MO Lead Scientist, Science Mission Directorate, NASA, Washington, DC 20546; Email: hq-hpdmo@mail.nasa.gov. Answers will be posted on the Acquisition Page above. Anonymity of those who submit questions will be preserved.

On or about May 3, 2018, NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD) will be releasing a draft version of the 2018 Heliophysics Science Mission of Opportunity Program Element Appendix (PEA) to the Third Stand Alone Missions of Opportunity Notice (SALMON-3) Announcement of Opportunity (AO) for community comment. Comments are due by June 4, 2018.

SALMON-3 is an omnibus AO which provides a solicitation and procurement base for modest investigations, also referred to as Missions of Opportunity (MO), requiring space flight that advance the high priority science and technology objectives of NASA's Science Mission Directorate.

The Heliophysics Division conducts Principal Investigator (PI)-led investigations in SMD's Heliophysics programs under a not-to-exceed cost cap. Evaluation and down-selection for flight will nominally be made through a two-step competitive process. As the outcome of the first step evaluation, NASA intends to fund two or more MO investigations to proceed to a nine-month Phase A concept study. In the second step, NASA will conduct an evaluation of the Phase A concept study reports. From this evaluation, NASA expects to select at least two MOs to proceed into Phase B and subsequent mission phases, at least one of which will be a SCM down selected for flight on the Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) Secondary Payload Adapter (ESPA). A Science investigation proposed PI-Managed Mission Cost (PIMMC), including all mission phases, is expected to range from $35M - $80M. Multiple missions may be selected if their total cost remains below the overall PEA cost cap. Science investigations are encouraged to use the Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV).

This Heliophysics Science MO PEA solicits science investigations in all areas of heliophysics science. Further information on the goals and objectives of NASA's heliophysics program may be found in the 2014 Science Plan for NASA's Science Mission Directorate.

Proposal merit in this PEA will be determined by the magnitude of heliophysics science advancements enabled by the proposed Heliophysics Science investigation.

It is anticipated that this opportunity will solicit proposals for investigations requiring the development and operation of space-based science investigations. The projects are designated as Category 3 as defined in NPR 7120.5E, NASA Space Flight Program and Project Management Requirements.

The proposed PIMMC, including all mission phases, reserves, and the cost of accommodation on and/or delivery to the host mission shall not exceed the applicable PEA Cost Cap specified as $80M (FY19) for SCMs and PMOs on the IMAP ESPA, $55M (FY19) for SCMs and PMOs not on the IMAP ESPA and $35M (FY19) for suborbital-class SCMs.

The time frame for the solicitation is intended to be:
Comments due on this Draft SALMON-3 PEA June 4, 2018
Release of Final SALMON-3 PEA July, 2018 (target)
Pre-proposal conference 2-3 weeks after Final PEA release
Mandatory Notification Proposals 30 days after Final PEA release
Proposals due 90 days after Final PEA release

The draft text of this PEA may be downloaded from the NSPIRES page for NNH18ZDA010J. Further information will be posted on the 2018 Heliophysics Science Mission of Opportunity Acquisition Homepage at https://soma.larc.nasa.gov/2018HelioMO/ as it becomes available. Questions may be addressed to Dr. James Spann, Heliophysics Science MO Lead Scientist, Science Mission Directorate, NASA, Washington, DC 20546; Email: hq-hpdmo@mail.nasa.gov.

Community Announcement: NASA Heliophysics Program Science
Mission of Opportunity
(NNH18ZDA006L)

NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD) intends to release a Third Stand Alone Missions of Opportunity Notice (SALMON-3) Program Element Appendix (PEA) for Heliophysics Science Missions of Opportunity (MO) by May 2018. The Heliophysics Division conducts Principal Investigator (PI) -led space science investigations in SMD's heliophysics programs under a not-to-exceed cost cap. Evaluation and selection for flight will nominally be made through a two-step competitive process. It is anticipated that two or more Heliophysics Science MO investigations will be selected for 9-month, $400K(RY)Phase A concept studies through this SALMON PEA. At the conclusion of these concept studies, it is planned that at least two Heliophysics Science MO investigations will be selected to continue into Phase B and subsequent mission phases. Multiple missions may be selected. The intent is that at least one of the two Heliophysics MOs will be selected for flight on the Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe(IMAP) Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) Secondary Payload Adapter (ESPA).

Heliophysics Science investigations must address NASA's heliophysics science objectives as described in 2014 Science Plan for NASA's Science Mission Directorate and Our Dynamic Space Environment: Heliophysics Science and Technology Roadmap for 2014-2033. Consistent with these documents, investigations should focus on understanding the Sun and its interactions with Earth and the solar system, including space weather.

This opportunity will solicit Science Enhancement Options (SEOs) as part of the Concept Study Reports produced at the end of the Phase A concept studies; SEOs submitted as part of the Step-1 proposal will not be reviewed. SEOs are optional activities outside the scope of the baseline mission that have the potential to broaden the scientific impact of investigations.

Two types of Mission of Opportunity (MO) may be proposed in response to this solicitation: (1) Partner Missions of Opportunity (PMOs), which may include CubeSats, and (2) Small Complete Missions (SCMs). SCMs are ISS payloads, hosted payloads, shared rides, SmallSats (including CubeSats), or suborbital class (Super Pressure Balloon (SPB), Long Duration Balloon (LDB) or Suborbital Reusable Launch Vehicle (sRLV)) investigations. SCMs may also be proposed for flight on the Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe(IMAP) Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) Secondary Payload Adapter (ESPA) that will go to the Sun-Earth L1 location. The ESPA is intended to be an unpowered, non-propulsive, 5-port ESPA Grandering.

It is anticipated that the following classes of platforms will be provided by NASA for access to space, or near space.

• International Space Station (ISS).
• Balloon vehicles and balloon launch services for missions on high-altitude scientific balloons.
• Platforms to host payloads on sRLVs.
• Launch and deployment services for a single 1U, 1.5U, 2U, 3U, or 6U CubeSat for missions that utilize the CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI).
• Constellations of CubeSats or other SmallSats that utilize the CSLI.
• One port on the Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) Secondary Payload Adapter (ESPA) Grande .

It is anticipated that this opportunity will solicit proposals for science investigations requiring the development and operation of space -based investigations. The projects are designated as Category 3 as defined in NPR 7120.5E, NASA Space Flight Program and Project Management Requirements. The payloads are designated as Class D as defined in NPR 8705.4 consistent with the new NASA Science Mission (SMD) Class-D Tailoring/Streamlining Decision Memorandum, except for PMOs, which depend on host mission's risk classification requirements that must be specified in the proposal. See https://soma.larc.nasa.gov/standardao/ClassD.html.

Investigations will be cost capped, including all mission phases, reserves, and the cost of accommodation on and/or delivery to the host mission . The intended cost cap is as follows:

• $80M (FY19) for SCMs and PMOs on the IMAP ESPA.
• $55M (FY19) for SCMs and PMOs not on the IMAP ESPA.
• $35M (FY19) for suborbital class SCMs. A 25% minimum reserve on Phases A-D and 15% minimum reserve on Phases E-F will be required within the cost cap.

The time frame for the solicitation is intended to be:

Release of Draft SALMON-3 PEA ............. March 2018 (target)
Release of final SALMON-3 PEA ............. May 2018 (target)
Pre-proposal conference ................... 2-3 weeks after final SALMON-3 PEA release
Proposals due ............................. 90 days after SALMON-3 PEA release
Selection for competitive Phase A studies.. January 2019 (target)
Concept study reports due ................. December 2019 (target)
Down-selection ............................ June 2020 (target)
Launch readiness date ..................... NLT December 31, 2024

The Heliophysics Science SALMON-3 PEA will be based on the Standard PI-led Mission AO Template available at http://soma.larc.nasa.gov/standardao/sao_templates.html. Proposers should read the Heliophysics Science SALMON-3 PEA carefully when it is released.

NASA has not approved the issuance of the Heliophysics Science SALMON-3 PEA and this notification does not obligate NASA to issue the SALMON-3 PEA and solicit proposals. Any costs incurred by prospective investigators in preparing submissions in response to this notification or the planned Heliophysics Science SALMON-3 PEA are incurred completely at the submitter's own risk.

Further information will be posted on the Heliophysics Science MO Acquisition Page at https://soma.larc.nasa.gov/2018HelioMO/ as it becomes available. Questions may be addressed to Dr. James Spann, Heliophysics Science MO Lead Scientist, Science Mission Directorate, NASA, Washington, DC 20546; Email: hq-hpdmo@mail.nasa.gov