The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are collaborating on a critical project to improve space weather forecasting capabilities. The agencies are preparing to release a Draft Request for Proposal (RFP) for the Space weather Observations at Lagrange 1 (SOL) X-Ray Irradiance Sensor (XRIS) instrument.
The SOL mission is a joint high-priority initiative. Two SOL
observatories are planned. One will provide NOAA with continuous solar wind
data and Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) imagery. The second observatory (SOL-B)
will house the XRIS instrument, which will provide crucial X-ray irradiance
data.
XRIS Instrument
XRIS will measure the energy output of solar radiation,
enabling scientists to detect changes in solar activity, such as solar flares,
and better predict solar energetic particle events. Monitoring X-ray flares is
critical as they can disrupt the Earth's ionosphere, leading to radio bursts
that interfere with satellite communication and navigation systems. Solar
flares are also sometimes associated with CMEs, which can trigger geomagnetic storms.
Top Priority
Under the planned procurement, NASA will acquire one
flight-ready XRIS instrument and one spare. These instruments will guarantee
the continuity and resilience of X-ray irradiance observations, a "high
availability product" considered a top priority for space weather
monitoring by the National Weather Service. The SOL-B observatory, carrying
XRIS, is currently scheduled for launch in October 2032.
Contract Details
The selected contractor will be responsible for the full
lifecycle of the instrument, including design, development, fabrication,
integration, testing, and calibration. Support for launch activities, on-orbit
checkout, ground support equipment, ground processing algorithms, and support
for the Mission Operations Center at the NOAA Satellite Operations Facility are
also included in the contract.
The overall contract period is projected to run from the
award date through January 2034, encompassing the operational handover of the
instrument to NOAA.
Interested contractors are encouraged to review and comment
on the Draft RFP upon its release, which is scheduled for the third quarter of 2025.
The final RFP is expected to be released in the fourth quarter of 2025, with
contract award anticipated in the second quarter of 2026.
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