| GPM is currently employing the Hybrid Approach to develop the GPM Core Spacecraft. Under this innovative strategy, a contractor will be selected to provide the Core Spacecraft Avionics Package (AP), while the government is responsible for the design and production of the remaining spacecraft elements and subsystems. (For a detailed description of the Hybrid Approach, please see the article in the Fall 2005 issue of The GPM Monitor.) In January 2006, GPM utilized the services of GSFC’s Rapid Spacecraft Development Office (RSDO) to select two vendors (Orbital Sciences Corporation and General Dynamics Spectrum Astro Space Systems) to study the Hybrid Approach and AP development effort. Vendors participating in the AP Study are currently developing a complete set of requirements for the AP acquisition. The vendors are also investigating details regarding the implementation of the Hybrid design, such as the level of insight the contractor will provide into the AP design, the AP environmental test program, AP delivery schedule, and simulator requirements. The vendors will be required to conduct an Avionics Design Review (ADR) and produce a final report at the completion of the study in Fall 2006. The results of the AP Study will enable GPM to select the optimal developer to implement the new Hybrid Approach for the Core Spacecraft. Currently, the GPM GSFC in-house team is busy designing the mechanical and thermal systems for the Core Spacecraft. Both RSDO vendors have provided inputs about the avionics to the GSFC mechanical and thermal design teams. Using these mechanical and thermal requirements, the two GSFC teams are creating preliminary designs for the Core Observatory structure. The GPM teams completed this iteration of the design effort and shared the designs with the respective vendors. The GPM teams are taking the inputs from the AP Study vendors and are refining their designs. |