SOMA Program Acquisitions: 2019 Heliophysics Medium-Class Explorer

ANNOUNCEMENTS

2.10.2022

RELEASE: 22-017

New Sun Missions to Help NASA Better Understand Earth-Sun Environment

NASA has selected two science missions - the Multi-slit Solar Explorer (MUSE) and HelioSwarm - to help improve our understanding of the dynamics of the Sun, the Sun-Earth connection, and the constantly changing space environment. These missions will provide deeper insights into our universe and offer critical information to help protect astronauts, satellites, and communications signals such as GPS.

"MUSE and HelioSwarm will provide new and deeper insight into the solar atmosphere and space weather," said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for science at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "These missions not only extend the science of our other heliophysics missions - they also provide a unique perspective and a novel approach to understanding the mysteries of our star."

MUSE

The MUSE mission will help scientists understand the forces driving the heating of the Sun's corona and the eruptions in that outermost region that are at the foundation of space weather. The mission will offer deeper insight into the physics of the solar atmosphere by using a powerful instrument known as a multi-slit spectrometer to observe the Sun's extreme ultraviolet radiation and obtain the highest resolution images ever captured of the solar transition region and the corona.

The mission will also provide complementary observations from heliophysics research such as the Extreme UltraViolet Spectroscopic Telescope and ground-based observatories.

"MUSE will help us fill crucial gaps in knowledge pertaining to the Sun-Earth connection," said Nicola Fox, director of the Heliophysics Division at NASA Headquarters. "It will provide more insight into space weather and complements a host of other missions within the heliophysics mission fleet."

The primary goal of the MUSE mission is to investigate the causes of coronal heating and instability, such as flares and coronal mass ejections, and gain insight into the basic plasma properties of the corona. MUSE will obtain high-resolution images of the evolution of solar flare ribbons in a field of view focused on a large, active region on the Sun.

The principal investigator for the MUSE mission is Bart DePontieu of the Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Center (LMATC) of Palo Alto, California. This mission has a budget of $192 million. LMATC will provide project management.

HelioSwarm

The HelioSwarm mission is a constellation or “swarm” of nine spacecraft that will capture the first multiscale in-space measurements of fluctuations in the magnetic field and motions of the solar wind known as solar wind turbulence. The Sun’s outermost atmospheric layer, the heliosphere, encompasses an enormous region of the solar system. Solar winds spread through the heliosphere, and their interactions with planetary magnetospheres and disruptions such as coronal mass ejections affect their turbulence.

Studying solar wind turbulence across large areas requires plasma measurements taken simultaneously from different points in space. HelioSwarm consists of one hub spacecraft and eight co-orbiting small satellites that range in distance from each other and the hub spacecraft. The hub spacecraft will maintain radio contact with each small satellite. All radio contact between the swarm and Earth will be conducted through the hub spacecraft and the NASA Deep Space Network of spacecraft communication antennas.

"The technical innovation of HelioSwarm's small satellites operating together as a constellation provides the unique ability to investigate turbulence and its evolution in the solar wind," said Peg Luce, deputy director of the Heliophysics Division.

The HelioSwarm mission's principal investigator is Harlan Spence from the University of New Hampshire. The mission's total budget is $250 million. NASA's Ames Research Center will provide project management.

Funding and management oversight for these missions is provided by the Heliophysics Explorers Program, managed by the Explorers Program Office at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

8.28.2020

NASA Selects Proposals for New Space Environment Missions

NASA has selected five proposals for concept studies of missions to help improve understanding of the dynamics of the Sun and the constantly changing space environment with which it interacts around Earth. The information will improve understanding about the universe as well as offer key information to help protect astronauts, satellites, and communications signals - such as GPS - in space.

Each of these Medium-Class Explorer proposals will receive $1.25 million to conduct a nine-month mission concept study. Following the study period, NASA will choose up to two proposals to go forward to launch. Each potential mission has a separate launch opportunity and timeframe.

"We constantly seek missions that use cutting edge technology and novel approaches to push the boundaries of science," said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. "Each one of these proposals offers the chance to observe something we have never before seen or to provide unprecedented insights into key areas of research, all to further the exploration of the universe we live in."

NASA's heliophysics program explores the giant, interconnected system of energy, particles, and magnetic fields that fills interplanetary space, a system that constantly changes based on outflow from the Sun and its interaction with the space and atmosphere around Earth.

"Whether it's looking at the physics of our star, studying aurora, or observing how magnetic fields move through space, the heliophysics community seeks to explore the space system around us from a variety of vantage points," said Nicky Fox, director of the Heliophysics Division in NASA's Science Mission Directorate. "We carefully pick missions to provide perfectly placed sensors throughout the solar system, each offering a key perspective to understand the space that human technology and humans increasingly travel through."

Each of these new proposals seeks to add a new puzzle piece to understanding that larger system, some by looking at the Sun, some by making observations closer to home.

The proposals were selected based on potential science value and feasibility of development plans. The cost for the investigation ultimately chosen for flight will be capped at $250 million and is funded by NASA's Heliophysics Explorers' program.

The proposals selected for concept studies are:

Solar-Terrestrial Observer for the Response of the Magnetosphere (STORM)

STORM would provide the first-ever global view of our vast space weather system in which the constant flow of particles from the Sun - known as the solar wind - interacts with Earth's magnetic field system, called the magnetosphere. Using a combination of observation tools that allow both remote viewing of Earth's magnetic fields and in situ monitoring of the solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field, STORM would track the way energy flows into and throughout near-Earth space. Tackling some of the most pressing questions in magnetospheric science, this comprehensive data set would provide a systemwide view of events in the magnetosphere to observe how one region affects another, helping to untangle how space weather phenomena circulate around our planet. STORM is led by David Sibeck at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

HelioSwarm: The Nature of Turbulence in Space Plasmas

HelioSwarm would observe the solar wind over a wide range of scales in order to determine the fundamental space physics processes that lead energy from large-scale motion to cascade down to finer scales of particle movement within the plasma that fills space, a process that leads to the heating of such plasma. Using a swarm of nine SmallSat spacecraft, HelioSwarm would gather multi-point measurements and be able to reveal the three-dimensional mechanisms that control the physical processes crucial to understanding our neighborhood in space. HelioSwarm is led by Harlan Spence at the University of New Hampshire in Durham.

Multi-slit Solar Explorer (MUSE)

MUSE would provide high-cadence observations of the mechanisms driving an array of processes and events in the Sun's atmosphere - the corona - including what drives solar eruptions such as solar flares, as well as what heats the corona to temperatures far above that of the solar surface. MUSE would use breakthrough imaging spectroscopy techniques to observe radial motion and heating at ten times the current resolution - and 100 times faster - a key capability when trying to study the phenomena driving heating and eruption processes, which occur on time scales shorter than previous spectrographs could observe. Such data would enable advanced numerical solar modeling and help unpack long-standing questions about coronal heating and the foundation of space weather events that can send giant bursts of solar particles and energy toward Earth. MUSE is led by Bart De Pontieu at Lockheed Martin in Palo Alto, California.

Auroral Reconstruction CubeSwarm (ARCS)

ARCS would explore the processes that contribute to aurora at size scales that have been rarely studied: at the intermediate scale between the smaller, local phenomena leading directly to the visible aurora and the larger, global dynamics of the space weather system coursing through the ionosphere and thermosphere. Adding crucial information to understanding the physics at the border between our atmosphere and space, these observations would provide insight into the entire magnetospheric system surrounding Earth. The mission would use an innovative, distributed set of sensors by deploying 32 CubeSats and 32 ground-based observatories. The combination of instruments and spatial distribution would provide a comprehensive picture of the drivers and response of the auroral system to and from the magnetosphere. ARCS is led by Kristina Lynch at Dartmouth University in Hanover, New Hampshire.

Solaris: Revealing the Mysteries of the Sun's Poles

Solaris would address fundamental questions of solar and stellar physics that can only be answered with a view of the Sun's poles. Solaris would observe three solar rotations over each solar pole to obtain observations of light, magnetic fields, and movement in the Sun's surface, the photosphere. Space researchers have never collected imagery of the Sun's poles, though the ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter will provide oblique angle views for the Sun's poles, though the ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter will provide oblique angle views for the first time in 2025. Better knowledge of the physical processes visible from the pole is necessary to understand the global dynamics of the entire Sun, including how magnetic fields evolve and move throughout the star, leading to periods of great solar activity and eruptions approximately every 11 years. Solaris is led by Donald Hassler at the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado.

7.24.2019

AO Amendment #1 FBO Announcement

On July 2, 2019, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Science Mission Directorate (SMD) released an Announcement of Opportunity (AO) entitled: Announcement of Opportunity (AO) for 2019 Heliophysics Medium-Class Explorer (MIDEX). Today's FBO notice announces that the full text of the 2019 MIDEX AO available at: https://nspires.nasaprs.com by searching on NNH19ZDA013O has been or will be modified/amended on or after July 23, 2019.

The release of the 2019 Heliophysics MIDEX AO was delayed due to the 35-day partial U.S. Government shutdown. Since this is an FBO synopsis notice, it is not a complete or verbatim summary of the 2019 Heliophysics MIDEX AO, any appendices, Amendment #1 or, if necessary, future amendments or clarifications. It is necessary to visit the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System (NSPIRES), the official NASA source for the 2019 Heliophysics MIDEX AO, and download a full and complete copy.

In sum, Amendment #1 removes or rescinds the AO's no-participation-in-any-capacity limitation place upon the Aerospace Corporation (Aerospace). NASA will not impose a full or partial limitation on participation by Aerospace in this AO. IMPORTANT NOTE: This amendment has no impact on other SMD AOs that retain or impose future participation limitations on Aerospace. The Heliophysics Explorers Program conducts Principal Investigator (PI)-led space science investigations under a not-to-exceed cost cap. Heliophysics Explorers Program investigations must address NASA's heliophysics science objectives as described in 2018 NASA Strategic Plan and the 2014 NASA Science Plan.

It is anticipated that no more than three 2019 Heliophysics MIDEX investigations will be selected for 9-month, $1.25M (FY19) Phase A concept studies through the AO. At the conclusion of the concept studies, it is expected that at least one MIDEX investigation will be down-selected to continue into Phase B and subsequent mission phases. Multiple missions may be down-selected if their total cost remains below the AO cost cap.

Due to the 2018 Heliophysics Science Mission of Opportunity Program Element Appendix to the SALMON-3 AO, there are no heliophysics Missions of Opportunity (MO) solicited as part of this AO. Furthermore, the MO associated with this Midex AO was released October 2018 as a Heliophysics Program Element Appendix M to the SALMON-3 or the Third Stand Alone Mission of Opportunity Notice.

NASA recognizes and supports the benefits of having diverse and inclusive scientific, engineering, and technology communities and fully expects that such values will be reflected in the composition of all proposal teams as well as peer review panels (science, engineering, and technology), science definition teams, and mission and instrument teams.

Foreign contributions to science instruments should not exceed approximately one-third of the science payload. Proposals shall include a discussion of the scale of the internationally-contributed instruments, how the proposed contribution is consistent with NASA's policy that the contribution does not exceed approximately one-third of the science payload, and how the programmatic risks associated with the contribution will be handled.

Launch Vehicle costs and procurement will be the responsibility of NASA. Launch vehicle standard services will be provided as Government Furnished Equipment (GFE), so the cost will not be included in the PI-Managed Mission Cost (PIMMC). The cost of mission-specific and special launch services is the responsibility of the PI and must be included within the proposed PIMMC.

The 2019 Heliophysics MIDEX AO is based on the Standard PI-led Mission AO Template version 5.0 available at http://soma.larc.nasa.gov/standardao/sao_templates.html. All proposers must read this AO carefully, and all proposals must comply with the requirements, constraints, and guidelines contained within the AO.

Proposers are encouraged to send comments and questions early so that they may be addressed at the Preproposal Conference planned for July 23, 2019; this date, however, may change. The forthcoming agenda, logistical information, and confirmation of the date for this session are found on the Acquisition Homepage at https://explorers.larc.nasa.gov/HPMIDEX/. The period for questions/comments will close fourteen (14) days before the proposal due date, and the period for responses will close ten (10) days before the proposal due date.

Responses to comments/questions will be posted on the website of the Science Office for Mission Assessments (SOMA) of NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) at https://explorers.larc.nasa.gov/HPMIDEX/ on the 2019 Heliophysics MIDEX Acquisition Pages. Anonymity of persons/institutions who submit comments will be preserved.

Confirm the following submission dates by visiting https://nspires.nasaprs.com and downloading a full and complete copy of solicitation NNH19ZDA013O:>

A mandatory Notice of Intent (NOI) to propose is due August 2, 2019, 11:59 pm Eastern. The Electronic Proposal Submittal Deadline is September 30, 2019, 11:59 p.m. Eastern. Letters of Commitment are Due with the Proposal at September 30, 2019, 11:59 p.m. Eastern. The Deadline for Receipt of Proposal on CD-ROMs or DVD-ROMs is October 4, 2019, 4:30 p.m. Eastern

Comments/Questions will be accepted by email only with the subject line to read "2019 Heliophysics MIDEX" addressed to Dan.Moses@nasa.gov. Dr. Moses is the Heliophysics Explorers Program Lead Scientist.

In the event of any Federal Government funding lapses that impact NASA operations, proposers should visit NSPIRES. The issuance of a 2019 Heliophysics MIDEX AO does not obligate NASA to issue awards through this AO. Any costs incurred by prospective investigators in preparing submissions in response to this solicitation are incurred completely at the submitter's own risk.

07.02.2019

AO FBO Announcement

On or after July 2, 2019, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Science Mission Directorate (SMD) released an Announcement of Opportunity (AO) entitled: Announcement of Opportunity (AO) for 2019 Heliophysics Medium-Class Explorer (MIDEX) missions. This FBO notice announces that the full text of the 2019 MIDEX AO is available at: https://nspires.nasaprs.com by searching on NNH19ZDA013O.

The release of the 2019 Heliophysics MIDEX AO was delayed due to the 35-day partial U.S. Government shutdown. Since this is an FBO synopsis notice, it is not a complete or verbatim summary of the 2019 Heliophysics MIDEX AO and any appendices or, if necessary, future amendments or clarifications. It is necessary to visit the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System (NSPIRES), the official NASA source for the 2019 Heliophysics MIDEX AO, and download a full and complete copy.

The Heliophysics Explorers Program conducts Principal Investigator (PI)-led space science investigations under a not-to-exceed cost cap. Heliophysics Explorers Program investigations must address NASA's heliophysics science objectives as described in 2018 NASA Strategic Plan and the 2014 NASA Science Plan.

Confirm the following submission dates by visiting https://nspires.nasaprs.com and downloading a full and complete copy of solicitation NNH19ZDA013O:

In the event of any Federal Government funding lapses that impact NASA operations, proposers should visit NSPIRES. The issuance of a 2019 Heliophysics MIDEX AO does not obligate NASA to issue awards through the this AO. Any costs incurred by prospective investigators in preparing submissions in response to this solicitation are incurred completely at the submitter's own risk.

05.06.2019

DRAFT AO FBO Announcement

On or after May 6, 2019, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Science Mission Directorate (SMD) released a draft solicitation for community review and comment entitled: DRAFT Announcement of Opportunity (AO) for 2019 Heliophysics Medium-Class Explorer (MIDEX) missions. This FBO notice announces that the full text of the DRAFT is available at: https://nspires.nasaprs.com by searching on NNH19ZDA012J.

The release of the DRAFT MIDEX AO was delayed due to the 35-day partial U.S. Government shutdown. In the event of future lapses to NASA operations, proposers should visit NSPIRES, the official NASA source for the MIDEX AO. Since this is an FBO notice, it is not a complete or verbatim summary of the DRAFT 2019 MIDEX AO; therefore, it is necessary to visit NSPIRES and download this AO.

It is anticipated that no more than three 2019 Heliophysics MIDEX investigations will be selected for 9-month, $1.25M (FY19) Phase A concept studies through the forthcoming AO. At the conclusion of these concept studies, it is expected that at least one MIDEX investigation will be down-selected to continue into Phase B and subsequent mission phases. Due to the ongoing competition resulting from the 2018 Heliophysics Science Mission of Opportunity Program Element Appendix to the SALMON-3 AO, there will be no Missions of Opportunity solicited as part of this AO.

NASA values the use of innovative, new technologies and encourages the demonstration of them in mission-relevant environments. 2019 Heliophysics MIDEX investigations may therefore propose PI-team-developed enabling and enhancing Technology Demonstration Opportunities (TDOs) to demonstrate new capabilities. PI-Team-Developed Enhancing TDOs, like Science Enhancement Opportunities (SEOs), are funded outside of the cost cap and may possibly not be selected even if the parent mission is selected for flight.

Launch Vehicle costs and procurement will be the responsibility of NASA. Launch vehicle standard services will be provided as Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) and the cost will not be included in the PI managed cost cap. The cost of mission specific and special launch services is the responsibility of the PI and must be included within the proposed PI-managed mission cost.

The DRAFT 2019 Heliophysics MIDEX AO is based on the Standard PI-led Mission AO Template version 5.0 available at https://soma.larc.nasa.gov/standardao/sao_templates.html.

The issuance of a DRAFT 2019 Heliophysics MIDEX AO does not obligate NASA to issue and solicit proposals in a 2019 MIDEX AO. Any costs incurred by prospective investigators in preparing submissions in response to this draft solicitation are incurred completely at the submitter's own risk.

Comments/Questions will be accepted by email only with the subject line to read "DRAFT 2019 MIDEX" addressed to: Dan.Moses@nasa.gov. Dr. Moses is the Heliophysics Explorers Program Lead Scientist.

The comment period for the Draft 2019 MIDEX AO ends at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on May 31, 2019. Responses to comments/questions will be posted on the website of the Science Office for Mission Assessments (SOMA) of NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) at https://soma.larc.nasa.gov/ on the 2019 Heliophysics MIDEX Acquisition Pages. Anonymity of persons/institutions who submit comments will be preserved.

05.01.2019

Announcement of Opportunity

2019 Heliophysics Medium-Class Explorer (MIDEX) Announcement of Opportunity

NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD) intends to release a DRAFT Announcement of Opportunity (AO) for 2019 Heliophysics Medium-class Explorers (MIDEX) missions in January 2019 and a Final AO for 2019 Heliophysics MIDEX missions in June 2019. The Heliophysics Explorers Program conducts Principal Investigator (PI)-led space science investigations in SMD's heliophysics programs under a not-to-exceed cost cap. It is anticipated that no more than three 2019 Heliophysics MIDEX investigations will be selected for 9-month, $1.25M (FY19) Phase A concept studies through this AO. At the conclusion of these concept studies, it is planned that at least one MIDEX investigation will be down-selected to continue into Phase B and subsequent mission phases. Multiple missions may be down-selected if their total cost remains below the cost cap. There will be no Missions of Opportunity (MO) solicited as part of this AO nor through an accompanying Program Element Appendix to the SALMON-3 AO. The DRAFT and Final AOs will appear on the NSPIRES Solicitations Page: https://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/solicitations/.

Heliophysics Explorers Program investigations must address NASA's heliophysics science objectives as described in 2018 NASA Strategic Plan and the 2014 NASA Science Plan.

NASA values the use of innovative, new technologies and encourages the demonstration of them in mission-relevant environments. MIDEX Program investigations may therefore propose PI-Team-Developed Enabling and Enhancing Technology Demonstration Opportunities (TDOs) to demonstrate new capabilities. PI-Team-Developed Enhancing TDOs, like Science Enhancement Opportunities (SEOs), are funded outside of the cost cap and may possibly not be selected even if the parent mission is selected for flight.

NASA endeavours to provide NASA-developed technologies for NASA-Developed Enabling TDOs on science missions. The specific technologies to be offered for 2019 Heliphysics MIDEX have not yet been determined. More information about NASA-developed technologies will be announced at a future date.

Launch Vehicle costs and procurement will be the responsibility of NASA. Launch vehicle standard services will be provided as Government Furnished Equipment, and the cost will not be included in the cost cap. The cost of mission specific and special launch services is the responsibility of the PI and must be included within the cost cap.

Investigations will be capped at a Phase A-F cost of $250M (FY19), excluding standard launch services. A 25% minimum unencumbered cost reserve on Phases A-D will be required within the cost cap. Lower-cost investigations and cost-efficient operations are encouraged.

The time frame for the solicitation is intended to be:

Release of Draft AO - January 2019
Release of final AO - June 2019
Pre-proposal conference - ~3 weeks after final AO release
Proposals due - 90 days after AO release
Down-selection - 4th Quarter 2021 (target)
Launch readiness date - NLT February 2026

The 2019 Heliophysics MIDEX AO will be based on the Standard PI-led Mission AO Template version 5.0 available at https://soma.larc.nasa.gov/standardao/sao_templates.html. Proposers should read the AO carefully when it is released. Any costs incurred by prospective investigators in preparing submissions in response to this notification or the planned 2019 Heliophysics MIDEX AO are incurred completely at the submitter's own risk.

Further information will be posted, as it becomes available, on the website of the Science Office for Mission Assessments (SOMA) of NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) at https://soma.larc.nasa.gov/ in the 2019 Heliophysics MIDEX Acquisition Pages.

Questions may be addressed to Dr. Dan Moses, Heliophysics Explorers Program Lead Scientist, Science Mission Directorate, NASA, Washington, DC 20546; Email: dan.moses@nasa.gov.