DRAFT NEW FRONTIERS ANNOUNCEMENT OF OPPORTUNITY RELEASED FOR COMMUNITY COMMENT | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

NASA Headquarters, through its Science Mission Directorate, issued a Draft Announcement of Opportunity (AO) for the next mission in the New Frontiers program under funding opportunity number NNH09ZDA003J. This draft is being circulated specifically to gather community feedback before NASA decides whether and how to release a final AO that would formally invite proposals. In other words, this is a preview and comment period rather than an active solicitation for mission proposals, and NASA is clear that publishing the draft does not commit the agency to issuing the final competition.

The draft AO outlines a set of allowable science mission themes that future proposers would be expected to address. Those candidate objectives include: South Pole-Aitken Basin Sample Return (a lunar sample return focused on the Moon's immense far-side impact basin), Venus In Situ Explorer (direct atmospheric and/or surface measurements on Venus), Comet Surface Sample Return (retrieving material directly from a comet's surface), Network Science (distributed measurements using multiple assets, typically aimed at understanding time-variable or spatially complex environments), Trojan/Centaur Reconnaissance (exploration of small bodies in Trojan populations or Centaur objects), Asteroid Rover/Sample Return (mobility on or near an asteroid and/or returning samples), Io Observer (focused study of Jupiter's volcanically active moon), and Ganymede Observer (focused study of Jupiter's largest moon). The draft effectively signals what mission classes NASA is considering for the New Frontiers line and invites the community to comment on whether the scope, requirements, and evaluation approach are workable and scientifically compelling.

Timing for the eventual final AO was not fixed at the time of this notice. NASA stated that the release schedule for the New Frontiers AO would depend on an agency decision regarding the launch date for the Mars Science Laboratory, meaning New Frontiers planning and procurement timing could shift based on broader program commitments. For organizations tracking the opportunity, that dependence matters because it affects internal teaming, proposal staffing, long-lead technical studies, and partnership planning.

Eligibility is described as broadly open across U.S. organizations and institution types. The notice explicitly mentions educational institutions, industry, nonprofits, Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), NASA Centers, and major NASA-affiliated labs such as the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and the Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), as well as other government agencies. The funding instrument types listed are grant and cooperative agreement, and the opportunity is categorized under science and technology and other research and development. No cost sharing or matching is required. The CFDA number is shown as 00.000 (not elsewhere classified), which is sometimes used when the activity does not map cleanly to a single standard CFDA entry.

NASA indicated that, upon release, the full draft AO text and all appendices would be made available electronically through NSPIRES at http://nspires.nasaprs.com/. In addition to the document release, NASA planned a Community Workshop on December 5, 2008, at the Greenbelt Maryland Marriott Hotel. The workshop was intended to walk through the draft AO content, provide an overview of expectations, and give attendees a chance to ask questions. Logistics and updates for the workshop, along with frequently asked questions (FAQ) and other acquisition-related information, were to be posted to the New Frontiers Acquisition Additional Information page at http://newfrontiers.larc.nasa.gov/.

The notice emphasizes an important practical point for prospective mission teams: because this is a draft released for comment, any costs incurred preparing responses or conducting planning activities during this stage are entirely at the submitter's own risk. NASA is not promising a final AO, and the draft process is not itself a request for proposals. This language is standard for pre-solicitation community comment periods, but it is especially consequential for mission-scale efforts where early concept studies can be expensive.

Comments on the draft were due by January 5, 2009 (the listed original and current closing date for comments). NASA preferred written feedback, including email submissions. Commenters were instructed to include the subject line text "NF 3 Draft AO" (exact character string) in all email transmissions. Feedback was to be sent to Dr. Thomas Morgan, New Frontiers Program Scientist in the Planetary Science Division, Science Mission Directorate, NASA, Washington, DC 20546-0001, telephone (202) 358-0828, email thomas.h.morgan@nasa.gov. NASA also stated that the identity of those submitting comments would be held in confidence, and that answers to common questions would be posted publicly on the New Frontiers additional information page.

Finally, the announcement includes support contacts for access issues. If an organization had trouble obtaining the full announcement electronically, they were directed to contact Dr. Thomas Morgan, and also NAIS Support at nais.support@nasa.gov. Overall, the opportunity is best understood as NASA opening the door to early, structured community input on the rules and priorities for the next New Frontiers mission competition, with a defined comment deadline and public workshop, but without yet triggering a formal proposal submission process.

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