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Aviation Safety RFI
Request for Information
General Information
Solicitation Number: NNH0600001L
Posted Date: Jan 03, 2006
FedBizOpps Posted Date: Jan 03, 2006
Original Response Date: Jan 31, 2006
Current Response Date: Jan 31, 2006
Classification Response Code: A – Research and Development
NAIS Code: 541710 - Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section Topic
1. BACKGROUND
2. DESCRIPTION
3. PROCESS
4. INFORMATION FOR RESPONDENTS
4.1 How to Respond
4.2 Evaluation Factors
4.3 General Information
4.3.1 Proprietary and Confidential Information
4.3.2 Intellectual Property
4.3.3 Compliance with U.S. Laws, Regulations, and Policies
4.3.4 Use of Government Resources
4.3.5 Period of Performance
4.3.6 RFI Issuance and Response Selection
APPENDIX A AVIATION SAFETY DESCRIPTION
1. Background
The NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate has recently
restructured its Aeronautics Research into three separate programs:
Fundamental Aeronautics, Aviation Safety, and Airspace Systems. The
specific purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to solicit
external interest in collaborative public-private research partnerships
under NASA's Aviation Safety Program:
Aviation Safety Program: This program will build upon the
unique safety-related research capabilities of NASA to improve aircraft
safety for current and future civilian and military aircraft, and to
overcome aircraft safety technological barriers that would otherwise
constrain the full realization of the Next Generation Air Transportation
System. This program will also provide long-term investment in research
to support and sustain expert competency in critical core areas of
aviation and aircraft safety.
While not part of this RFI, separate RFIs will also be issued for NASA's
other two Aeronautics Research programs:
Airspace Systems Program: The top-level goal of this
program is the development of high capacity, efficient, and safe
airspace and airportal systems that will enable the Next Generation Air
Transportation System, as defined by the Joint Planning and Development
Office.
Fundamental Aeronautics Program: The top-level goal of
this program is the development of system-level, multi-disciplinary
capabilities for both the civilian and military applications. This
program provides long-term investment in research to support and sustain
expert competency in critical core areas of aeronautics technology.
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2. Description
Under this RFI, NASA solicits interest from primarily industry in
entering into collaborative research in Aviation Safety that benefits
both NASA and industry. NASA intends to use its authority under the
National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958, as amended ("Space Act"), to
enter into non-reimbursable agreements where each party funds their own
participation in the research effort. One or more initial agreements are
anticipated. Responses from individual or industry teams, including
existing or proposed consortia, are sought. Of particular interest are
industry consortia to enhance NASA's research portfolio that will lead
to revolutionary system-level capabilities. While educational
institutions may also respond to this RFI, it is anticipated that a NASA
Research Announcement (NRA) soliciting participation by educational
institutions, non-profit organizations, and companies engaged in
foundational research will be issued in early 2006.
This RFI seeks potential sources that have an interest in
non-reimbursable collaborative R&D activities that address current,
emerging, and future aircraft safety technical challenges facing both
military and civil operators. The four (4) thrust areas established for
the Aviation Safety Program are Integrated Vehicle Health Management,
Integrated Resilient Aircraft Control, Aircraft Aging and Durability,
and Integrated Intelligent Flight Deck Technologies. See Appendix A for
additional detail on the Aviation Safety Program and each thrust area.
NASA intends to provide long-term support in the thrust areas above and
focus its resources on fundamental aircraft safety research and
technology development that enables multidisciplinary and system-level
capabilities. The anticipated outcome from these investments is an
expanded knowledge base to overcome aircraft safety technological
barriers that would otherwise constrain the realization of future
capabilities of the Next Generation Air Transportation System. As NASA
does not typically build or operate military or commercial aircraft, we
look toward partnerships with industry to help us identify emerging
safety concerns and advance the technologies to continually improve
aircraft safety.
Consistent with the Space Act, a key element of the restructured
Aeronautics program is that the Nation's aeronautical expertise and
unique facilities are maintained as national assets for the benefit of
both the civilian and military aeronautics communities.
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3. Process
NASA Headquarters oversees the Aeronautics Research Programs and
implementation occurs principally at four NASA field centers (Ames
Research Center, Dryden Flight Research Center, Glenn Research Center,
and Langley Research Center). In Fiscal Year 2006 a four-step process
will be used to define the Aeronautics Research Programs:
Step 1: Assess the long-term research needs and goals in the Aviation
Safety Program and establish technical roadmaps to accomplish those
goals. In developing those roadmaps, prioritize according to NASA's
unique strengths and capabilities. Establish multi-center,
multidisciplinary teams across the areas of Integrated Vehicle Health
Management, Aircraft Aging and Durability, Integrated Resilient Aircraft
Control, and Integrated Intelligent Flight Deck Technologies. These
roadmaps will be discussed further at the 44th American Institute of
Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Aerospace Sciences Meeting and
Exhibit, January 9-12, 2006 in Reno, Nevada.
Step 2: Solicit information through this RFI on the key areas of
interest from the external community and determine potential areas to
form collaborative arrangements.
Step 3: Develop research proposals at the field centers in each of the
four thrust areas and establish NASA research teams. The responses to
this RFI will provide important source material to the NASA research
teams to be used in establishing specific collaborative partnerships as
part of their proposals to NASA Headquarters.
Step 4: NASA intends to issue NASA Research Announcements (NRA, see NASA
Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement Part 35) to solicit proposals
for foundational research in areas where NASA needs to enhance its core
capabilities. Foundational research is defined as research that furthers
our fundamental understanding of the underlying principles associated
with complex safety-related problems. NASA anticipates that educational
institutions, non-profit organizations and industry engaged in
foundational research will be the primary recipients of awards under the
NRA.
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4. Information for Respondents
4.1 How to Respond
NASA anticipates providing additional information about its Aeronautics
Research Programs on or about January 12, 2006, at the AIAA conference
in Reno, Nevada. NASA also anticipates providing this additional
information on the following website: www.aeronautics.nasa.gov.
The website above will be used to post information about, or
modifications to, this RFI. Prospective respondents are urged to
periodically check this web site for updates.
Respondents are requested to provide a description of a proposed
non-reimbursable collaboration with NASA. Responses shall describe: (1)
the respondent's team and expertise, key personnel and capabilities, and
the R&D collaboration approach and areas of interest; (2) respondent's
facilities and resources (including test data) to be provided as part of
the collaboration; and (3) what is expected or requested of NASA as part
of collaboration (including Government facilities or other resources).
Partnerships will be limited to US companies.
Responses must be a maximum of five (5) pages, with minimum 12-point
Times font. All proposals shall include the company name,
point-of-contact, address, and phone number. All proposals shall clearly
indicate which one of the four thrust areas in the Aviation Safety
Program is addressed in the proposed partnership, by affixing the name
of the program thrust (either "Aircraft Aging and Durability",
"Integrated Intelligent Flight Deck Technologies", "Integrated Vehicle
Health Management", or "Integrated Resilient Aircraft Control") in the
upper right hand corner of each page in your proposal. All proposals
shall include an e-mail address for the point-of-contact in order to
expedite communications.
Please submit all responses in electronic format to the Point-of-Contact
listed below by NOON Eastern Standard Time, January 31, 2006:
Name: Mr. John White
Title: Deputy Director, Aviation Safety Program
Phone: 202-358-5157
Email: rfi_avsp@nasa.gov
Questions regarding this RFI should also be addressed to the above Point-of-Contact.
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4.2 Evaluation Factors
The evaluation process NASA intends to use for selecting collaborative
partnerships (under non-reimbursable Space Act Agreement[s]) has been
designed for this RFI. Respondents are reminded that this process does
not involve the procedures set forth in the Federal Acquisition
Regulation (FAR) nor the NASA FAR supplement since this announcement
will not result in the award of a contract, grant, or cooperative
agreement.
Responses will be assessed on the following evaluation factors:
- Overall responsiveness to furthering the goals of this RFI, in
particular the objectives and results-oriented goals of NASA's Aviation
Safety Program
- Technical Confidence in the research proposed under the
collaborative activity
- Management Confidence in the structure and management of the
proposed collaborative activity
The NASA Point-of-Contact referenced in Section 4.1 will provide the RFI
responses to the NASA planning lead of the thrust area identified by the
respondent. Based upon assessment of the responses, as part of the
process of submitting proposals under Step 3 (see "Process" above), the
planning leads may contact RFI respondents to finalize terms and
conditions of agreements.
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4.3 General Information
4.3.1 Proprietary or Confidential Information
Respondents are NOT to provide any information that is considered
proprietary, trade secrets, or privileged or confidential.
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4.3.2 Intellectual Property
Intellectual property rights between NASA and collaboration partners can
be negotiated to fit the goals of the parties. Under NASA's standard
approach, title to inventions remain with the respective inventing
parties without any exchange of rights unless otherwise agreed.
Proprietary data developed and provided by the collaboration partner to
NASA remains proprietary. NASA takes no rights in background inventions
or data developed prior to or outside of collaborative agreements under
this RFI.
NASA requires that consortia and teams agree to intellectual property
rights among members prior to finalizing terms and conditions of a
non-reimbursable Space Act Agreement.
Respondents to this RFI may comment on this general approach and/or
suggest alternate approaches to intellectual property rights between
NASA and the partner.
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4.3.3 Compliance with U.S. Laws, Regulations, and Policies
Proposals must comply with all applicable U.S. laws, regulations and policies.
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4.3.4 Use of Government Resources
In support of this RFI, the Government will consider requests from
respondents for Government furnished resources and technologies.
Requests for use of Government equipment, facilities or services should
be provided to the Point-of-Contact for this RFI.
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4.3.5 Period of Performance
The Government anticipates that proposed research collaborations under
Space Act Agreements will have an initial period of performance of five
(5) years, unless otherwise agreed to by the parties
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4.3.6 RFI Issuance and Response Selection
NASA will not issue paper copies of this RFI. NASA reserves the right to
select for negotiations all, some, or none of the proposed collaborative
partnerships in response to this RFI.
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APPENDIX A: Information on AVIATION SAFETY
NASA has defined a four-level approach to technology development in each
of the four Aviation Safety thrust areas: (1) conduct foundational
research to enable a detailed understanding of the underlying principles
associated with the complex safety-related problems being addressed and
to enable disciplinary advances to address those problems; (2) leverage
the foundational research to develop methods, tools and technology
components that enable the development and validation of technology
solutions; (3) develop integrated methods, tools, and technology
subsystems that enable the development and validation of
multidisciplinary technology solutions to address multiple safety
hazards and their coupled effects; and (4) develop and validate
technology solutions that utilize system-level multidisciplinary
optimization, assessment, and integration methods to address a broad
range of safety challenges and air vehicles.
The Aviation Safety Program is committed to the mastery and intellectual
stewardship of aircraft safety foundational research and technology
development for the Nation. NASA will focus its research in areas that
are appropriate to our unique capabilities, and will partner with
industry, academia, and other government agencies in complementary areas
of research. NASA research is long-term and cutting-edge and is both
focused and integrated across disciplines. NASA will invest broadly and
deeply in core aircraft safety research at Levels 1 and 2, to produce
knowledge, technology, and tools that are applicable across a broad
range of air vehicles. It is anticipated that collaborative activities
with industry partners will occur mainly at Levels 3 and 4 in a manner
to identify and optimally address emerging safety challenges facing the
Nation's Next Generation Air Transportation System.
The interaction with the aeronautics and aviation safety community at
the systems level is of particular importance because NASA typically
does not design and build air vehicles for operational use, and has
limited operational experience that is targeted to experimental
research. We look toward collaboration with industry to provide insight
into issues associated with design, manufacturing, operation and
maintenance of aircraft and associated systems. NASA's role at this
level is to use its expertise in relevant disciplines to develop
multidisciplinary design, analysis, and optimization tools that will
help resolve these issues. NASA intends to collaborate with industry
consortia to provide value to industry of a more enduring nature, rather
than immediate problem-solving.
Collaboration at the lower levels of research is also possible; however
NASA anticipates focusing a significant portion of its core competencies
and resources to these research areas and will be interested in research
by others that address gaps or deficiencies in NASA research.
The following four (4) thrust areas describe the objective, anticipated
results and potential NASA investment areas for Aircraft Aging and
Durability, Integrated Intelligent Flight Deck Technologies, Integrated
Vehicle Health Management, and Integrated Resilient Aircraft Control.
Additional collaboration interests unique to each thrust area are also
described.
A.1 AIRCRAFT AGING AND DURABILITY (AAD):
NASA OBJECTIVE: Perform foundational research in aging science:
sensing and diagnostic technologies; physics-based modeling;
computational methods; material science (metals, ceramics, composites);
and characterization/validation test techniques, which will ultimately
yield multi-disciplinary analysis and optimization capabilities that
will enable system-level integrated methods for the detection,
prediction and mitigation/management of aging-related hazards of future
civilian and military aircraft.
RESULTS: Experimentally validated detection/inspection methods,
predictive tools, and mitigation concepts and design guidelines for
enhanced safety and durability of airframe, propulsion and flight
systems.
COLLABORATION INTERESTS: In order to achieve these results, NASA
seeks industry collaboration primarily on system-level capabilities in
the following areas:
Detection and Characterization of Aging-Related Hazards:
Establish linkage between structural analysis and NDE techniques; Damage
and environmental state quantification; repair assessment.
Prediction of Life, Strength, and Durability of Aircraft Systems with
Degradation: Variable fidelity analysis methods and predictive
tools; methods incorporating usage and NDE information;
reliability/margins of safety with uncertainty.
Mitigation of Aging-Related Hazards: Advanced material systems
(surface treatment/coatings, multifunctional); degradation management;
design for aging prevention, maintainability/repair, and damage
containment.
Specific areas for which collaborations are sought include:
NDE systems: Once NASA research demonstrates the potential of a
given technique, industry partners would develop prototypes applicable
to field use.
Material data: Industry material data for emerging materials and
fabrication technologies for validation of NASA efforts in material
characterization.
Test articles for experiments: Industry provided relevant
components (material, processing, and geometry), including used
components with apparent degradation.
Test facilities: Access to test facilities for full-scale testing
in relevant environment and loads.
Information and/or maintenance records: Information and/or
maintenance records as a means of assessing observed aging-related
issues.
Critical issues or classes of problems: Identification of
critical issues or classes of problems, where NASA research may fill
gaps in understanding.
Approach to technology development: Industry input on approach to
technology development, bringing to bear practicality and operational
issues.
A.2 INTEGRATED INTELLIGENT FLIGHT DECK TECHNOLOGIES (IIFDT):
NASA OBJECTIVE: Perform foundational research in the areas of
multi-modal interface technologies; signal, speech and image processing
methods; sensor technologies; detection theory; external hazard
characterization; operator characterization and interaction modeling;
formal design, modeling and verification methods; and information
systems and infrastructure. This work will yield multi-disci¬plinary
analysis, optimization, and predictive capabilities that will enable
system-level designs of revolutionary adaptive flight decks that improve
safety for a range of missions, vehicle classes, and crew
configurations.
RESULTS: Validated physics-based multi-disciplinary tools,
methods, concepts, principles and technologies for revolutionary
adaptive flight decks that enable future generation aircraft to fly any
mission with improved safety.
COLLABORATION INTERESTS: In order to achieve these results, NASA
seeks industry collaboration primarily on system-level capabilities in
the following areas:
Tailored Flexible Operator-Automation Management: Dynamic
operator/automation function allocation strategies with formally
verified fail-safe reversionary modes for automation assigned functions.
Adaptive Displays and Interaction: Equivalent visual
environments; spatially-integrated displays that enable optimal
presentation and management of flight deck information; optimized
controls and displays that support extra- and intra-flight deck
information coordination.
Decision Associate Technology: Tools and functional capabilities
that support hazard remediation; situational awareness and analysis;
integrated crew advisory and warnings; collaborative decision making;
and tactical guidance and re-planning (collaboratively with Integrated
Resilient Aircraft Control thrust area work).
Intelligent Information Management: Information systems that
support the needs of technologies above while enabling integrated flight
deck and external environment state assessment and safety analysis,
tracking of real-time navigation, communication and surveillance
performance, supporting collaborative information management (with
ATC/AOC), and providing predictive information.
In addition, collaborations are sought at the sub-system level
addressing monitoring technologies that detect pilot-, automation-,
and/or external environment-induced hazards.
Collaboration with industry can provide NASA with a unique perspective
to these issues as they are experienced with building, maintaining, and
operating current flight deck systems and are cognizant of the
limitations and gaps of the current technology. Recent collaborations
with industry have been very successful and NASA hopes to continue this
tradition. These collaborations can fill a critical need with respect to
future flight deck concepts, their practicality, and their validation.
Additionally, sharing access to test facilities, aircraft, and equipment
for testing in relevant environments is of interest to NASA. For all
collaborations, temporary exchanges of personnel and the sharing of test
facilities, aircraft, and equipment for testing in relevant environments
are also of interest to NASA.
A.3 INTEGRATED VEHICLE HEALTH MANAGEMENT (IVHM):
NASA OBJECTIVE: Perform foundational research in physics based and data
driven failure modeling; advanced data analysis and data mining; sensor
and actuator technology; state awareness; advanced material for IVHM;
detection theory and reasoning methods; IVHM architectures, design
methods, and analytical, simulation, and experimental methods for IVHM
technology verification and validation, which will ultimately yield
integrated multi-disciplinary analysis and optimization capabilities
that will enable system-level design of a wide class of aircraft that
will provide graceful recovery from in-flight failures, computationally
efficient tools for in-flight prognosis of aircraft health including
integrated predictive and sensor capabilities, and preventative and
adaptive systems for in-flight operability and informed logistics and
maintenance.
RESULTS: Validated multi-disciplinary tools and technologies that
enable the design, integration and validation of vehicle-wide IVHM
systems.
COLLABORATION INTERESTS: In order to achieve these results, NASA seeks industry collaboration primarily on system-level capabilities in the following areas:
Airframe Health Management: Self-awareness and prognosis; anomaly detection and identification; in-flight damage, degradation and failure mitigation.
Propulsion Health Management: Self-awareness and prognosis of gas path, combustion, and overall engine state; fault-tolerant system architecture.
Aircraft systems Health Management: State-awareness and prognosis of landing gear, hydraulic and pneumatic systems, electrical and power systems, fuel and lubrication systems, and avionics/communication-navigation-surveillance/flight critical/flight management systems; robust distributed fault-tolerant self-recoverable architectures.
Environment Health Management: Prevent, detect, and mitigate the effects of hazards such as onboard fire and fuel detonation; interior air quality degradation; ice; lightning strikes; EMI/EMC; and ionizing radiation.
IVHM System Architectural Framework: System design, analysis and optimization; information management, data flow and communication; control and reconfiguration; architecture development and validation.
Validation and Predictive Capability Assessment: Analysis, simulation, ground-testing, flight testing, environmental testing, and software assurance.
Recent collaborations with the aviation industry and air fleet operators
related to Aviation Safety have been very successful, and NASA hopes to
continue this tradition. Collaborations with aircraft manufacturers,
original equipment manufacturers, and other companies in the aviation
industry are sought to provide a unique perspective to technology
development in IVHM, since they are experienced in building the current
state-of-practice in IVHM systems design and development, are cognizant
of the current IVHM technical limitations and gaps, and fill a critical
need with respect to future IVHM concepts and their practicality.
Collaborations with air fleet operators are sought for IVHM research to
provide a unique perspective on fleet maintenance operations and future
needs in cost-effective and efficient IVHM.
A.4 INTEGRATED RESILIENT AIRCRAFT CONTROL (IRAC):
NASA OBJECTIVE: Perform foundational research in vehicle dynamics and hazards effects modeling and simulation methods for coupled hazard effects assessment; detection, identification and prediction methods for flight safety diagnostics and prognostics; control and guidance methods for hazard mitigation, control recovery, and vehicle autonomy under adverse and emergency conditions; robust design and risk analysis and mitigation methods; advanced control structures and materials for resilient control; instrumentation for intelligent sensing, monitoring, and control; validation methods for complex models and adaptive systems; and software safety assurance and formal verification methods for safety-critical systems, leading to multi-disciplinary analysis and optimization capabilities that enable the development and validation of system-level integrated resilient control technologies to provide graceful recovery from potentially catastrophic in-flight failures/damage, external disturbances, vehicle upsets, and system and control input errors; as well as effective vehicle-based flight/mission management under adverse, upset, and hazards conditions.
RESULTS: Validated physics-based multidisciplinary integrated modeling, control and validation and verification (V&V) technologies that enable hazard-resilient aircraft control and flight management.
COLLABORATION INTERESTS: In order to achieve these results, NASA seeks industry collaboration primarily on system-level capabilities in the following areas:
Resilient Flight Control: Fault tolerance and hazard effects protection; onboard hazard effects assessment, mitigation and recovery.
Resilient Propulsion Control: Damage tolerance and design for extended envelop operation; onboard hazard effects assessment, mitigation and recovery.
Resilient Airframe Control: Damage tolerance and structural damage avoidance; onboard damage effects assessment, mitigation and recovery.
Resilient Vehicle Mission Management: Control and performance management; vehicle-based mission management and autonomous collision avoidance; interface and communication management.
Safety-Critical System V&V: Safety assurance methods for complex avionics systems; integrated V&V methods, tools and test techniques for adaptive control systems; predictive capability assessment methods and tools.
Recent collaborations with aviation industry and air fleet operators
related to Aviation Safety have been very successful, and NASA hopes to
continue this tradition. Collaborations with airframe, engine, and
avionics manufacturers and other companies in the aviation industry are
sought to provide a unique perspective to technology development in
IRAC. Industrial experience in the current state-of-practice in control
systems design and development as well as cognizance of the current
technical limitations will serve to fill a critical need with respect to
future IRAC concepts and their practicality. Collaborations with air
fleet operators are sought for IRAC research to provide a unique
perspective on the cost/benefit requirements of future technologies,
retro-/forward-fit implementation strategies, and safety/reliability
requirements.
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