This proposal opportunity is in response to the NASA Announcement of Opportunity (AO), Astrophysics MIDEX, which is expected to be released in the fall of 2020[LH(1] .  The partnership opportunity is being issued to select a teaming partner to design and implement a Cryocooler for an instrument. 

The proposed mission is currently in pre-Phase A.  This phase ends with a Step 1 proposal that will be due 3 months after the AO is released.  If the proposal is selected for implementation, the mission will proceed into Phase A, per NPR 7120.5E. The following schedule should be used as a basis for responses to this opportunity:

Release of draft AO                                        Winter 2020 (target)[LH(2] 

Release of final AO                                        Fall 2021 (target)

Pre-proposal conference                                 ~ 3 weeks after final AO release

Step 1 Proposals due                                      90 days after AO release

Selection for competitive Phase A studies     Fall 2022 (target)

CSRs due                                                        Spring 2023 (target)

Down-selection                                               Fall 2023 (target)

Spacecraft start date                                       Vendor specified

Instrument Delivery for I&T                              36 months after start of Phase B (10/2026)

Launch (NLT 10/31/2028)                              TBD, soonest opportunity after I&T complete          

Additional details and information can be found in the attachment to this posting.