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THIS IS A NOTICE OF INTENT, NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. A SOLICITATION WILL BE ISSUED ON A LATER DATE. Background: NOAA’s Polar Operational Environmental Satellites (POES) satellite system offers the ... THIS IS A NOTICE OF INTENT, NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. A SOLICITATION WILL BE ISSUED ON A LATER DATE. Background: NOAA’s Polar Operational Environmental Satellites (POES) satellite system offers the advantage of daily global coverage, by making polar orbits nearly 14 times per day approximately 520 miles above the surface of the Earth. The orbits are circular, with an altitude between 830km morning orbit and 870km afternoon orbit and are sun synchronous. The Earth's rotation allows the satellite to see a different view with each orbit, and each satellite provides two complete views of weather around the world each day. Currently, NOAA operates three POES satellites - NOAA-15, NOAA-18, and NOAA-19, all of which no longer have the ability to perform propellant based maneuvers. Status on the current operations of the NOAA POES Satellites as well as orbital characteristics can be further found at the following URL: https://www.ospo.noaa.gov/Operations/POES/status.html Current POES operations capabilities utilize a single northern hemisphere downlink per orbit. The Government ground stations at Fairbanks, Alaska, and Wallops Island, Virginia, support communication with the observatories over either L-Band or S-Band for the downlink of observatory data as well as command and control. The use of either S-Band or L-Band can facilitate downlink of POES Mission Data, yet Mission Operations requires the continual Direct Readout Services (e.g., bent-pipe) downlink of L-Band High Resolution Picture Transmission (HRPT) data to the international user community. Further information on the POES Direct Readout Services utilized by the POES GS can be found at the following URL: https://noaasis.noaa.gov/POLAR/HRPT/hrpt.html The POES instruments include the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) instrument and the Advanced TIROS Operational Vertical Sounder (ATOVS) suite. The EUMETSAT-provided Microwave Humidity Sounder (MHS) instrument completes the ATOVS suite. The AVHRR/ATOVS provides visible, infrared, and microwave data which is used for a variety of applications such as cloud and precipitation monitoring, determination of surface properties, and humidity profiles. The NOAA POES observatories are the secondary best-effort data source complementing the flagship Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) Mission which operates out of a different ground system and is the primary data source for NOAA Low Earth Orbiting (LEO) observations. Data from the POES series supports a broad range of environmental monitoring applications including weather analysis and forecasting, climate research and prediction, global sea surface temperature measurements, atmospheric soundings of temperature and humidity, ocean dynamics research, volcanic eruption monitoring, forest fire detection, global vegetation analysis, search and rescue, and many other applications. NOAA strategic expectations in supporting its federal, domestic and international partners requires the continuation of science collection from these observatories, while at a reduced operations cost. Further information for NOAA-15 can be found at: https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/stratosphere/strat_a_f/NOAA-K.pdf Further Information for NOAA-18 can be found at: https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/stratosphere/strat_a_f/NOAA-N.pdf Further information for NOAA-19 can be found at: https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/stratosphere/strat_a_f/NOAA-N_Prime.pdf Requirements: The Contractor shall provide a Ground System as a Service (GSaaS) capability, in the form of engineering services and information technology (IT) functionality, as well as flight operations support to assume on-orbit operations responsibilities for the NOAA-15, NOAA-18, and NOAA-19 observatories. The Contractor shall be able to perform all services remotely without the need for Contractor personnel being on-site at Government facilities. Contractor access to Government facilities is acceptable on a limited basis, especially in support of initial POES Operations Transition activities as required. Personnel on this task will not have local or network access to any non-public Department of Commerce Information Technology resources. The work consists of the following three (3) task areas and organizations shall be required to: TASK 1. POES OPERATIONS TRANSITION Perform the transition of POES Operations from the Government operated POES Ground System to a Contractor’s Commercial Ground System. This includes accomplishing all mission operations readiness, shadow operations and parallel operations activities necessary to independently operate the NOAA-15, NOAA-18, and NOAA-19 observatories as well as training any contractor provided operations staff no later than 182 Days after the start date of the contract. TASK 2. POES COMMERCIAL GROUND SYSTEM Assume responsibility of the POES Commercial Ground System by: Supporting the configuration, delivery, and maintenance of a Commercial Ground System capable of supporting operations independently of the Government's ground system functionality. Protecting cryptographic equipment and key material in accordance with applicable policies including but not limited to Government furnished Communications Security (COMSEC) material and devices to support operations of the NOAA POES Observatories and the applicable COMSEC Security Plan (CSP) and Key Management Plan (KMP) documentation for NOAA POES Observatories. Meeting adequate IT security requirements for the provision of a Commercial Ground System service along with any interfaces with Government science data processing systems. TASK 3. POES OPERATIONS Assume responsibility of ongoing POES mission operations by: Performing 9x5 on-orbit flight operations with automation, of the NOAA-15, NOAA-18, and NOAA-19 observatories. This includes all activities necessary to maintain observatory health and safety, while maintaining ongoing science mission data collection. Providing continuity for daily operations activities, and performing on-going monitoring & analysis, including back orbit limit checking, as well as configuration management, troubleshooting, performance reporting and trending, and operation of onboard POES observatory systems as well as the Contractor-provided commercial ground system. Planning, rehearsing, and executing all unique and non-routine activities such as attitude maneuvers, instrument calibrations, and anomaly recovery activities annually. Providing the Government remote access to the commercial ground system as required, to perform ongoing surveillance, anomaly resolution support, and/or to facilitate orderly transition of operations from the Governments legacy capabilities. Notifying the Government of the execution of any POES Contingency, On-Orbit Anomalies, and or other irregular items (e.g. Limit Violations) within 30 Minutes of an identified event. The Contractor shall also include the Government in POES Contingency and or Anomaly activities once initially notified until successful remediation of the particular event. Anticipated Period of Performance: These services will be acquired through Full and Open Competition using FAR Part 12 in conjunction with FAR Part 15 procedures. It is anticipated that one (1) firm-fixed price and labor hour hybrid contract will be awarded with a one (1) year base period plus two (2), one (1) year option periods beginning on or about August 22, 2022. In addition, there will be one option to extend services in accordance with FAR 52.217-8. The Solicitation will be available electronically on or around April 15, 2022 and may be accessed through the Contract Opportunities at https://sam.gov/. IT IS THE OFFERORS’ RESPONSIBILITY TO MONITOR THE AFOREMENTIONED SITE FOR THE RELEASE OF THE SOLICITATION AND ANY AMENDMENTS. WE ENCOURAGE ALL RESPONSIBLE SOURCES, AND SMALL BUSINESSES, TO SUBMIT A PROPOSAL, WHICH WILL BE CONSIDERED BY THE AGENCY. The Government will host a Secure Bidders Library to support transfer of documentation in support of potential Solicitation Responses. A Non Disclosure Agreement (NDA) which will be attached to the solicitation will need to be sent via email to the Contract Specialist and Contracting Officer at cherron.bennett-pettus@noaa.gov and jame.chang@noaa.gov to gain access. This notice does not commit the Government to award a contract. No collect calls will be accepted. No facsimile or email transmissions will be accepted.