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WASHINGTON – NASA's decision to award Maxar Technologies a contract for the first element of the lunar bridge, the Power and Propulsion Element (PPE), has been taken into account by NASA.
On May 23, NASA described in a source selection statement the evaluation of the PPE proposals submitted by Maxar and four other companies: Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems and Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC). The document provides details on the technical and management aspects of the proposals of companies as well as their price.
The document shows that Maxar, identified in the document as Space Systems Loral (SSL), the former name of its satellite manufacturing division, offered a much lower price than other companies. While Maxar offered a firm fixed price of $ 375 million, other offers ranged from $ 565.9 million by Northrop to $ 768.8 million from SNC.
Companies were more closely associated in terms of technical approach, which had a score equal to the price in the evaluation. All companies received the "Very Good" rating in technical approach with the exception of SNC, which received a "Fair" rating.
Two other factors, the management approach and the business and partnership approach, had a lower weighting which, combined, corresponded to the price or the technical approach. Lockheed and Maxar both scored very well in both categories, while Boeing scored well in both categories. Northrop received a good management rating and excellent partnership, while SNC received a fair rating in management and an excellent partnership.
The ability to start working quickly also played for Maxar. NASA's general announcement soliciting proposals required companies to submit a signed "model contract". Companies could oppose any required clause, but were warned that this "could have a negative impact on the potential selection of an offeror for contract award".
The source evaluation group that reviewed the proposals concluded that Boeing, Lockheed, Northrop and SNC all contained exceptions to the standard contract "which rendered them non-adjudicable without discussions and / or negotiations," the document states, "and only the proposal of SSL opportunity to be awarded without discussions or negotiations through a clarification, provided by SSL in a timely manner. "
Michele Gates, EPP Program Director at NASA Headquarters and responsible for the selection for the competition, said in the document that each company "offers unique value to NASA, aligns with NASA's programmatic priorities." and advance NASA's exploration objectives in deep space. " However, with the decision to award a single contract – which, according to Gates, was in NASA's "best interest" but without explanation, Maxar stood out.
"I determine that the proposals submitted by Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and SNC do not offer sufficient value to justify the proposed prices," she concluded. "SSL's proposal, by contrast, offers abundant value for the price offered."
The document provides additional details on some aspects of Maxar's PPE proposal. The main strengths of the proposal include the use of a "well-established and modular geospatial legacy spatial product line" as well as basic design improvements, such as the ability to transfer a "substantial amount" of power to other modules and gateway solutions. the ability to store more fuel than necessary.
The review cites some weaknesses in the design, including the "increased complexity" of the vehicle's electric propulsion system, as well as the addition of a co-manifested lunar landing gear, a detail that the company did not disclose in the announcement of the price on May 23rd. He also expressed concern about the lack of detail on how the vehicle's electric solar propulsion system, referred to as the advanced electric propulsion system, would be integrated into the spacecraft, a gap cited in the proposals of several other companies. .
He also noted that Maxar was considering using "a launcher with large lifting capacity not yet proven" for the launch of EPI. The document did not identify the vehicle, but one of Maxar's partners is Blue Origin, which is developing the New Glenn rocket with heavy-duty attack that is expected to come into service in 2021. The document however, indicated that Maxar was considering keeping the PPE compatible. with "many" alternative throwers.
The document congratulated Maxar for its efforts to demonstrate "multiple future commercial capabilities" with the EPP, including "effective commercial applications in the areas of heavy truck launching and cargo transfer in the lunar environment" that could meet NASA's future exploration requirements. The technology developed for the EPP could also be implemented in its line of commercial communications satellites.
Mike Gold, a vice president of Maxar who participated in a phone conversation with reporters about the EPP award on May 23, pointed out that the company did not consider it a single program. "Tugboat opportunities in the outer space will be many and interesting," he said. "We consider that it is not only the EPP price, but the first EPP price, because we are looking at a robust monetary market for the government and the private sector."
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