"IGF::OT::IGF" 1.0 INTRODUCTION NASA IS DEVELOPING HYPERSONIC INFLATABLE AERODYNAMIC DECELERATORS (HIADS) F…

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"IGF::OT::IGF" 1.0 INTRODUCTION NASA IS DEVELOPING HYPERSONIC INFLATABLE AERODYNAMIC DECELERATORS (HIADS) FOR APPLICATION TO FUTURE ROBOTIC AND HUMAN MISSIONS REQUIRING ATMOSPHERIC ENTRY. HIADS OFFER CONSIDERABLE SYSTEM MASS AND VOLUME SAVINGS OVER RIGID AEROSHELL TECHNOLOGY. TO ADVANCE HIAD DEVELOPMENT AND IDENTIFY TECHNICAL CHALLENGES WITH DEVELOPMENT OF A 10 METER CLASS OF HIAD, TESTING OF INDIVIDUAL ELEMENTS IS NEEDED TO MEET PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR POTENTIAL FLIGHT DEMONSTRATIONS. ONE OF THE CHALLENGES IS DEVELOPING SOFT-GOOD MATERIALS AND FABRICS FOR A DEPLOYABLE THERMAL PROTECTION SYSTEM (TPS). THIS STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW) DEFINES A FABRICATION EFFORT TO BE PERFORMED BY THE CONTRACTOR THAT WILL DEMONSTRATE AN ABILITY TO MANUFACTURE A LOW-ANGLE BIASED TWO DIMENSIONAL FABRIC THROUGH A BRAIDING PROCESS THAT OTHERWISE CANNOT BE ACHIEVED USING A STANDARD FABRIC WEAVING PROCESS. THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE IS TO ESTABLISH A MANUFACTURING METHOD THAT USES BRITTLE SILICON CARBIDE CERAMIC YARNS TO OBTAIN A NOMINAL +/- 60 BIASED BIAXIAL BRAIDED TUBE WITH A DIAMETER OF 24 INCHES OF SUFFICIENT LENGTH TO MANUFACTURE A DEPLOYABLE TPS WITH A DIAMETER OF AT LEAST 20 FEET. THE WORK DETAILED HEREIN IS DEFINED AS A SUBSCALE MANUFACTURING EFFORT THAT WILL DEMONSTRATE THE FEASIBILITY OF USING INDUSTRY STANDARD BRAIDING METHODS AND EQUIPMENT TO OBTAIN A REFRACTORY CLOTH OF LENGTH AND QUALITY SUFFICIENT FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF A DEPLOYABLE TPS. 2.0 OBJECTIVES THE CONTRACTOR SHALL IDENTIFY AND DEMONSTRATE BRAID FABRICATION METHODS BASED ON THE REQUIREMENTS IN THIS SOW. THE CONTRACT SCOPE OF WORK SHALL INCLUDE THE TASKS LISTED BELOW. THE DETAILED TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR THESE TASKS ARE PROVIDED IN TASKS 3.2 AND 3.4 OF THIS SOW. SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF TASK 3.2 IS REQUIRED TO OBTAIN GOVERNMENT AUTHORIZATION TO PROCEED TO TASK 3.4. THE GOVERNMENT DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO PROCEED WITH TASK 3.4 WILL BE PROVIDED FOLLOWING THE MIDTERM CONTRACT REVIEW TASK 3.3. THE SOW FOR THE HIAD ADVANCED LARGE-SCALE BRAIDING DEVELOPMENT AND DEMONSTRATION SOW INCLUDE TECHNICAL TASKS IDENTIFIED AS: 3.1 KICK-OFF MEETING 3.2 SUBSCALE BRAIDED FABRIC 3.3 MIDTERM CONTRACT REVIEW 3.4 LARGE SCALE BRAIDED FABRIC 3.5 FINAL CONTRACT REVIEW 3.0 TASK TECHNICAL DETAILS THE PRIMARY WORK PROVIDED FOR IN THE CONTRACT IS DIVIDED INTO TWO MAJOR TASKS FOR THE PURPOSE OF, FIRST DEMONSTRATING PROOF OF CONCEPT THROUGH A PRELIMINARY FABRICATION TRIAL USING A LOWER TEMPERATURE CAPABLE CANDIDATE CERAMIC YARN MATERIAL, AND SECOND, EXTENDING THOSE CAPABILITIES SUCCESSFULLY DEVELOPED AND DEMONSTRATED TO A HIGHER TEMPERATURE CAPABLE SILICON CARBIDE YARN. THE LOWER TEMPERATURE CANDIDATE YARN SHALL BE NEXTELTM 440 WHICH HAS BEEN CHOSEN BECAUSE IT IS A LOWER COST MATERIAL THAT POSSESSES MECHANICAL AND MANUFACTURING DURABILITY PROPERTIES COMPARABLE TO A HIGHER TEMPERATURE CAPABLE, AND HIGHER COST CG-NICALONTM YARN. THE SUBSCALE BRAIDED FABRIC TASK 3.2 ADDRESSES THE TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR BRAIDING BRITTLE CERAMIC YARNS. SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF TASK 3.2 IS REQUIRED TO ASSESS THE PROBABILITY OF SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETING THE LARGE-SCALE BRAIDING TASK 3.4. AN EXAMINATION OF THE PROGRESS PERFORMED DURING THE SUBSCALE BRAIDED TASK 3.2 SHALL BE CONDUCTED THROUGH A MID-TERM REVIEW. FOLLOWING SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE TASKS 3.2 AND 3.3, THE GOVERNMENT WILL ASSESS THE RISKS TO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETING TASK 3.4 AND MAKE A DECISION ON EXECUTING TASK 3.4. THE CONTRACTOR MUST HAVE A WRITTEN AUTHORIZATION TO PROCEED FROM THE GOVERNMENT BEFORE EXECUTING WORK UNDER THE LARGE-SCALE BRAIDED FABRIC TASK 3.4. 3.1 KICK-OFF MEETING WITHIN 7 DAYS OF THE CONTRACT AWARD DATE, THE CONTRACTOR SHALL PARTICIPATE IN A KICK-OFF MEETING THAT WILL BE HELD VIA TELEPHONE AND WEB CONFERENCING. THE PURPOSE OF THE KICK-OFF MEETING IS TO PROVIDE A FORUM AT WHICH THE GOVERNMENT AND THE CONTRACTOR CAN REVIEW THE DETAILED REQUIREMENTS DESCRIBED IN THIS SOW. THE CONTRACTOR IS NOT REQ