NOTICE OF INTENT TO RELEASE A SOLICITATION FOR NASA JUPITER ICY MOONS EXPLORER INVESTIGATIONS | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - NASA SALMON 2 JUICE Program Element Appendix (PEA)

What is this NASA funding opportunity about?

This opportunity is a planned NASA Headquarters solicitation (a Program Element Appendix, or PEA) under the SALMON 2 framework to fund U.S. participation in the European Space Agency (ESA) JUpiter ICy moons Explorer (JUICE) mission. It is designed to solicit proposals for flight instrument investigations that would become part of the JUICE science payload.

Which JUICE participation category is this PEA intended to fund?

This PEA is only for the first participation category: a complete instrument investigation led by a U.S. Principal Investigator (PI). NASA described three possible U.S. contribution paths overall (U.S.-led instruments; U.S.-provided components for ESA-led instruments; and U.S. co-investigators on ESA-led instruments), but this specific NASA PEA is limited to U.S.-led, PI-led, end-to-end instrument investigations.

What types of proposals are NOT expected to be submitted to NASA under this PEA?

If an effort is not led by a U.S. PI (for example, an ESA-led instrument with U.S.-provided parts, or U.S. co-investigators participating on ESA-led instruments), proposers were expected to respond to ESA's separate Announcement of Opportunity (AO) being released in parallel, rather than submitting to NASA under this PEA.

How much funding is NASA planning to make available for JUICE participation?

NASA planned to allocate a total of up to $100 million in life-cycle cost across all NASA-supported JUICE contributions. This total is for the overall U.S. participation portfolio, not necessarily for a single instrument.

What is JUICE and what are the mission science targets?

JUICE is an ESA-led flagship-class planetary mission with a target launch date of June 2022. The mission focuses on Jupiter and its icy moons, including: studying Ganymede as a planetary body and its habitability potential; investigating Europa's recently active regions; studying Callisto as a relic of the early Jovian system; and using the Jupiter system as an archetype for gas giant planets.

What kinds of instruments does JUICE expect to fly?

ESA provided a notional "model payload" of eleven instrument types, including narrow- and wide-angle cameras; visible/infrared and ultraviolet imaging spectrometers; a sub-millimeter wave instrument; a laser altimeter; an ice-penetrating radar; a magnetometer; particle and plasma packages; radio and plasma wave instruments; and a radio science package with an ultra-stable oscillator.

Is the ESA model payload list restrictive for NASA proposers?

No. NASA emphasized that the ESA model payload list was not meant to be restrictive. Alternative instruments or combinations could be proposed if they can deliver the needed measurements within spacecraft resource constraints.

Where would payload resource constraints and reference documents be provided?

Detailed payload resource limits (such as mass, power, and data volume) were to be provided through a JUICE Acquisition Library when the PEA was released. ESA reference documents were also expected there, including items such as the Science Management Plan and the mission "Yellow Book."

Who is eligible to submit a proposal under this NASA PEA?

The solicitation was broadly open. Eligible organizations included domestic and foreign entities, educational institutions, industry, nonprofit organizations, Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), NASA Centers, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and other government agencies.

Can a European PI submit as the PI under the NASA PEA?

No. European Principal Investigators were directed to submit through ESA's process rather than as PI under the NASA PEA.

Can non-U.S. institutions participate on a U.S.-led proposal?

Yes. NASA explicitly welcomed participation from non-U.S. institutions on U.S.-led proposals as long as the collaboration is on a no-exchange-of-funds basis, complies with U.S. export restrictions, and does not exceed one-third of the PI-managed mission cost.

What does "end-to-end" responsibility mean for a U.S.-led instrument investigation?

For the NASA-led instrument investigations contemplated here, the PI team would be responsible not only for building and delivering the flight instrument hardware, but also for planning and executing instrument operations during the mission and carrying out data analysis.

Can teams include multiple organization types?

Yes. Teams could be assembled across multiple organization types (for example, universities, NASA Centers, industry, nonprofits, and foreign partners). The PI is responsible for integrating all partners into a coherent implementation plan.

How will proposals submitted to NASA be reviewed?

NASA planned to evaluate proposals using its standard two-panel approach: (1) a panel focused on scientific merit and the feasibility of the science investigation, and (2) a Technical, Management, and Cost (TMC) review panel focused on whether the implementation plan is realistic, executable, and appropriately costed.

What is ESA's role in reviewing proposals submitted to NASA?

NASA stated that all proposals submitted to NASA would be provided to ESA and would undergo ESA review under the ESA Science Management Plan. ESA reviewers were expected to sign nondisclosure agreements.

How will NASA and ESA coordinate selections and reviews?

NASA planned to share relevant review results with ESA's Proposal Review Committee, and ESA would share its review outcomes with NASA for proposals that include NASA elements. Even with this coordination, NASA retained final selection authority for the U.S. contributions it would fund.

Will NASA review the U.S. portions of proposals submitted to ESA's AO?

Yes. NASA planned to evaluate the U.S. portions of proposals submitted to ESA's AO that include NASA contributions.

Are there export control or ITAR requirements for proposers?

Yes. Proposers were required to identify any ITAR-sensitive material in their submissions, reflecting export-control obligations for space hardware and technical data.

What are the data sharing and public release requirements?

NASA required that JUICE investigation data be made fully public through the Planetary Data System (PDS) in a usable form as soon as practical and no later than six months after acquisition.

What data product quality and documentation expectations were described?

Data products were expected to be documented, validated, and calibrated into physical units so they can be used by the broader science community without needing insider knowledge from the instrument team.

Are Education and Public Outreach (EPO) activities required?

Yes. Proposals had to incorporate planning and resourcing for NASA Education and Public Outreach. NASA noted that additional details were expected later (Phase A/B) if a proposal was selected.

Are Small Disadvantaged Business considerations required?

Yes. Proposals were required to incorporate planning and resourcing for Small Disadvantaged Business participation, with additional details expected later (Phase A/B) if selected.

What was the anticipated schedule for the solicitation and proposal process?

NASA projected a PEA release in late June 2012 (around June 28, 2012), a preproposal conference about three weeks after release, a Notice of Intent to Propose due August 2, 2012, and full proposals due September 20, 2012 by 11:59 PM Eastern. Non-U.S. letters of endorsement (if required) were due with the proposals. NASA targeted a selection announcement around January 2013, while noting dates could change.

Is cost sharing required?

No. The opportunity was described as not requiring cost sharing.

What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?

The funding opportunity was listed under CFDA 43.001 (Science).

What award instruments might NASA use (grant vs. cooperative agreement)?

NASA contemplated awards through grants and/or cooperative agreements, depending on the nature of the work and the level of NASA involvement.

Who is the NASA point of contact for questions?

The notice named Dr. Curt Niebur at NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) as the point of contact and instructed that email subject lines should include "JUICE PEA."

What should be included with the proposal regarding non-U.S. participation?

The notice indicated that any required non-U.S. letters of endorsement were due with the proposals, and also set conditions for non-U.S. participation (no exchange of funds, export-control compliance, and not exceeding one-third of PI-managed mission cost).