The Department of the Air Force, Air Force Materiel Command, Air Force Research Laboratory, Space Vehicles Directorate (AFRL/RV) has a requirement for research, engineering, and technical management for performing space technology concept development, analysis, development, integration, experimentation, demonstrations, and evaluation in support of the AFRL/RV mission, including cradle-to-grave processes and functions for a range of experimental complexity.

AFRL/ Integrated Experiments and Evaluation Division (RVE) provides cradle-to-grave support to RV flight experiments. The term “cradle-to-grave,” as used in this context, refers to end-to-end systems engineering processes including concept development, requirements analysis, requirements definition, modeling and simulation, design, assembly, integration, and testing (AI&T), launch vehicle integration, ground system development/support, flight operations, user segment support, data acquisition, post-experiment analysis, technical reporting, technology transition, and/or decommissioning. Support processes and functions include, but are not limited to, scientific, technical, systems engineering, ground system development/support, flight operations, user segment support, and program advocacy activities associated with integrated flight experiments.

The scope of this work is to provide the required research, engineering, and technical management for performing space technology concept development, analysis, development, integration, experimentation, demonstrations, and evaluation in support of the AFRL/RV mission, including cradle-to-grave processes and functions for a range of experimental complexity. The Government seeks engineering and technical effort in the following functional areas and specific activities:

• Mission and Space System Development:
  • Direct technical support to RVE flight experiment Program Managers.
  • Mission Design.
    • Flight experiment concept of operation development.
    • Analytic modeling of enterprise objectives and how they translate to individual mission formulation.
    • Mission scoping and conceptual design development.
  • Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE), including requirements definition, design, analysis, and verification/validation activities beginning in the conceptual design phase and continuing throughout program life cycle.
  • Systems Engineering, including mechanical, thermal, electrical, structural, and other specialized engineering to support mission development for spacecraft and high-altitude balloon designs.
    • Development of requirements, design, and interface control documentation.
  • Program management, including attendance at technical meetings, reviews, off-sites, or technical conferences.
  • Procurement assistance with long lead hardware/software critical to program success.
  • Technology transfer planning and decommissioning support, to include planning in support of technology transition to external mission partners.
  • Design and fabrication of ground-based proofs-of-concept, experiments, and demonstrations.
  • Direct technical and administrative support to the University Nanosatellite Program (UNP).
    • Event planning, venue rental/booking, refreshment procurement for UNP activities.
• Flight Experiment Prototyping, Assembly, Integration, and Testing:
  • Direct support of the RVE Assembly, Integration, and Testing Infrastructure Lead.
  • Technology implementation.
    • Spacecraft and high-altitude balloon flight hardware design and fabrication.
    • Spacecraft and high-altitude balloon flight software/firmware design and development.
  • Technology validation.
    • Laboratory research.
    • Test and assessment design, preparation, and execution.
    • Re-engineering and re-design of software and hardware after testing.
  • Assembly and Integration.
    • Government integration facility management, including personnel training, facility security, and safety compliance.
    • Spacecraft bus, payload, and experiment assembly and integration within government facilities.
    • High-altitude balloon, payload, and experiment assembly and integration within government facilities.
    • Assistance with hardware/software procurement and other direct costs during assembly and integration.
    • Launch integration and support of integration studies, interface control documents, and briefings.
• Flight Experiment Operations.
  • Direct support of the RVE Operations Cadre lead.
  • Flight experiment mission and operations planning.
    • Procedure development.
    • Operations testing and rehearsal.
  • Flight Operations.
    • High altitude balloon operations and experimentation.
    • Spacecraft on-orbit operations and experimentation.
    • Anomaly resolution and reporting.
  • Technology Transfer.
    • Training of external mission partners on flight operations.
    • Technical reachback support for mission partners after technology transition.
• Ground System Development.
  • Direct technical support of the RVE Ground Systems Lead.
  • Ground system infrastructure development and testing.
    • Design and implementation of software tools.
    • Management of agile and emerging division directed ground system requirements.
  • Ground system integration and deployment.
  • Physical and cloud-based ground system maintenance.
    • Maintenance and upkeep of Mission Operations Center connections and equipment.
  • Ground architecture cybersecurity accreditation.
    • Obtaining and maintaining compliance with Authorities to Operate.