COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT ON EXPLORER ANNOUNCEMENT OF OPPORTUNITY NNH10ZDA004J | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1) What is this NASA announcement about?

It is a community announcement from NASA Headquarters (Science Mission Directorate) providing advance notice of a planned Explorer Program Announcement of Opportunity (AO), expected in late summer or early fall 2010, under funding opportunity number NNH10ZDA004J. The notice is meant to help the community prepare for a future competition rather than serve as the competition itself.

2) Is this a formal solicitation I can apply to right now?

No. The announcement is explicitly informational and not a binding solicitation. NASA stated it had not yet approved issuance of the Explorer AO or the related SALMON amendment at the time of the notice, and it did not obligate NASA to release them or fund any proposals.

3) What is the Explorer Program trying to fund?

The Explorer Program is aimed at Principal Investigator (PI) led space science missions in NASA's astrophysics and heliophysics portfolios. In practical terms, the expected proposals would address heliophysics (the Sun, its effects on Earth, and the broader solar system) or major astrophysics questions (for example, origin and evolution of the universe and the search for Earth-like planets).

4) What are the two tracks NASA planned to solicit?

NASA described a two-track approach:

• Explorer (EX) missions competed through the upcoming Explorer AO.
• Explorer Missions of Opportunity (MO) solicited at the same time through an amendment to an existing NASA AO called SALMON (Stand Alone Missions of Opportunity Notice), identified as NNH08ZDA009O.

5) What kinds of concepts fit under an Explorer Mission of Opportunity (MO)?

The notice describes MOs as including opportunities such as Partner Missions of Opportunity or Small Complete Mission Missions of Opportunity. It also explicitly includes investigations that could fly on long-duration balloons or the International Space Station, in addition to other MO concepts defined under SALMON.

6) What cost cap was expected for a full Explorer (EX) mission?

The expected cost cap for an EX mission was no more than $200 million (in FY 2011 dollars), stated as a "PI-managed mission cost" limit. This cap excludes the cost of the Expendable Launch Vehicle (ELV) and excludes any external contributions.

7) What cost cap was expected for an Explorer Mission of Opportunity (MO)?

The expected "PI-managed mission cost" cap for an MO was no more than $55 million (in FY 2011 dollars).

8) Does the EX mission cost cap include the launch vehicle?

The EX mission cap excludes the cost of the Expendable Launch Vehicle (ELV). NASA stated that standard ELV launch services would be provided at no charge against the EX mission cost cap. However, mission-unique or special launch services beyond the standard package would count against the cap.

9) Are external contributions counted against the EX mission cost cap?

No. The notice states the EX cost cap excludes any external contributions.

10) Is cost sharing or matching required?

The posting does not impose a cost-sharing or matching requirement as a baseline condition.

11) What is meant by a staged or phased selection process?

NASA described a competitive, staged strategy. First, it anticipated selecting up to four Explorer mission concepts for Phase A concept studies. After those studies, NASA planned a detailed review and then a downselect to one or two missions to continue into Phase B and later phases.

12) How many Phase A studies did NASA expect to fund for EX missions?

NASA anticipated selecting up to four Explorer mission concepts for Phase A concept studies.

13) How long were the Phase A concept studies expected to last, and what was the funding level?

Phase A concept studies were expected to last about one year, with funding up to $1 million per study (in real-year dollars).

14) How many EX missions did NASA expect to select after Phase A?

NASA expected to downselect to one or two Explorer missions to proceed beyond Phase A into Phase B and later phases.

15) What were the target launch dates mentioned in the notice?

The planning snapshot targeted launch of the first selected EX mission by about mid-2016. If an additional mission were selected, it was targeted for no later than late 2018.

16) How did NASA describe the available budget for selections?

At the time of the announcement, NASA described the Explorer Program planning budget as sufficient to select and execute at least one EX mission. It might also be sufficient either to execute a second EX mission or to execute at least one Mission of Opportunity, depending on proposal quality and the most current budget information available during selection.

17) Could NASA decide not to select any Missions of Opportunity (MO)?

Yes. NASA reserved the right to select no MO proposals if none met its standards. For MOs, NASA emphasized it could fund Phase A studies and proceed only if the value to the Explorer Program was high and the proposed cost stayed within the MO limit.

18) Who was eligible to participate?

Participation was described as open to all categories of U.S. and non-U.S. organizations, including universities, industry, nonprofit organizations, Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), NASA Centers, and other government agencies, subject to any specific requirements that would appear in the final AO text.

19) What funding instrument type was associated with this opportunity?

The funding instrument type listed for the posting is a cooperative agreement.

20) What activity category did NASA assign to this opportunity?

The activity category is science and technology and other research and development.

21) What schedule milestones were included (draft, workshop, final AO, and due date)?

NASA aimed to release a draft Explorer AO in spring 2010 for community comment, followed by an Explorer workshop about two weeks after the draft release. The final AO was targeted for late summer or early fall 2010, with a pre-proposal conference roughly three weeks later. Proposals were expected to be due 90 days after formal release of the final AO.

22) What schedule milestones were included for selection and study reporting?

Competitive selections for Phase A studies were targeted for summer 2011. Phase A concept study reports were expected in summer 2012. The downselection to proceed into Phase B was targeted for late 2012.

23) Where would updates, future documents, and postings be made available?

Future updates and documents were to be posted on the Explorer Program Acquisition website.

24) Who was the technical point of contact for questions?

Technical questions were directed to the Explorer Program Acquisition Scientist, Dr. Barbara L. Giles.

25) How would NASA share answers to questions from interested teams?

NASA stated that responses to inquiries would be shared via email and posted weekly to an FAQ page, while preserving submitter anonymity.

26) If a team spends money preparing now, is NASA responsible for those costs?

No. The notice stated that any costs incurred by teams preparing for a possible solicitation would be at the submitters' own risk.