PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY DOCUMENT LUNAR DUST ANALYSIS MISSION A) LUNAR DUST POWDER MECHANICS STUDIES AND B)…

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PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY DOCUMENT LUNAR DUST ANALYSIS MISSION A) LUNAR DUST POWDER MECHANICS STUDIES AND B) LUNAR DUST SAMPLE ACQUISITION, HANDLING, AND DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM 1. BACKGROUND AND SCOPE NASA AMES RESEARCH CENTER (ARC) PLANS TO DEVELOP AN INSTRUMENT FOR MEASURING THE CHEMICAL REACTIVITY OF LUNAR DUST, AND PLANS TO SUBMIT A PROPOSAL FOR THIS INSTRUMENT DEVELOPMENT IN RESPONSE TO THE RECENT STAND ALONE MISSION OF OPPORTUNITY (SALMON) ANNOUNCEMENT OF OPPORTUNITY (AO). ARC WILL TARGET THE LUNAR AND PLANETARY SCIENCE PARTNER MISSIONS OF OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM ELEMENT OF THE SALMON AO. THE COST CAP FOR THIS SALMON PROGRAM ELEMENT IS $35 MILLION (TOTAL MISSION COST). NASA EXPECTS TO SELECT MULTIPLE SALMON PROPOSALS, DEPENDING ON FUNDS AVAILABLE, WITH THE COMMENCEMENT OF FUNDING TO BE IN SEPTEMBER 2009. THE PURPOSE OF THIS PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY DOCUMENT (POD) IS TO IDENTIFY TWO PARTNERS TO SUPPORT THE ENTIRE MISSION, BEGINNING WITH PREPARATION OF A NASA ARC-LED PROPOSAL IN RESPONSE TO THE SALMON AO (SEE TASK DESCRIPTION ). SPECIFICALLY, ARC IS LOOKING TO IDENTIFY TWO PARTNERS TO PROVIDE: A) STUDIES OF LUNAR DUST GRAIN MECHANICS, TO SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT OF LUNAR DUST SAMPLING HARDWARE; AND B) DESIGN CONCEPTS FOR A LUNAR DUST SAMPLE ACQUISITION, HANDLING AND DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM (L-SAHD). IF THE PROPOSAL IS FUNDED, THE TEAMING PARTNERS WILL ALSO BECOME PARTNERS IN CARRYING OUT THE PROJECT WORK.