Demande de renseignements.Systèmes pour recherche sciences de la vie dans la Station Spatiale

Trade Agreement: NONE
Tendering Procedures:
Attachment: None
Competitive Procurement Strategy: N/A - P&A/LOI Only
Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement: No
Nature of Requirements:
Amendment 001

The Notice is amended as follow:
Change the Region of Delivery for: Quebec.
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Change the link for Technology readiness levels (TRLs) by the
following:
Technology readiness levels (TRLs): Technology Readiness Levels
and Assessment Guidelines (CSA-ST-GDL-0001), Revision A,
Canadian Space Agency, October 2010
available at
ftp://ftp.asc-csa.gc.ca/users/TRP/pub/CSA-Life-Sciences-RFI/EN/
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Answers must be forwarded by e-mail or by mail:
Information must be forwarded by e-mail to
D••••••••@••••••••.••.ca OR by mail (2 copies) at the
address below, in one of the official languages of Canada, no
later than March 7, 2013.
Denis Dubé
Supply and Compensation Directorate
Quebec Region
Public Works and Government Services Canada
800 rue de la Gauchetière Ouest, local 7300, Montreal, Qc H5A 1L6
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Additionnal Informations
Request for Information (RFI)
Answer and Webinar Registration.
Life Sciences Research System on the International Space Station
Elements to Include in the RFI Answer + Webinar Registration
The RFI Answer (content described in Sections 1 to 3 below)
should not be longer than 5 pages.

1. Organization Information.

• Organization Name.
• Description of Organization's Activities in Life Science

Research and/or Space Technology Development and/or Research
(1/2 page limit).

2. Proposed Research System Description.

• Title of the Research System.
• Description of Research System (two page limit).
• Applications for Research System: describe the field of

applications and give specific examples (one page limit).

• Maturity of the Research System (Technology Readiness Level )

(1/2 page limit).

• Suitability for International Space Station (1/2 page limit).

3. Identification of Application Category(ies) - Please name
all of the following categories applicable to your proposed
system(s) in your answer.

• Textiles or Other Flexible Materials:

o Biomonitoring,
o Protective,

• Anti-microbial.
• Radio-protective.
• Aids to recovery from hypogravity post-landing:

o Functional.

• Easy clean i.e. without water.
• Low mass / Low volume.
• Bioanalysis.
• Radiation Dosimetry.
• Non-invasive Physiological Measures:

o Intracranial pressure and/or ocular diagnostics,
o Novel measures of health status,
o Bone and muscle health,
o Stress.

• Other Capabilities.
• Cell culture:

o Processing of biological samples .

4. Information Requested for Registration for the March 19, 2013
Webinar

• First Name
• Last Name
• Position / Title
• E-mail Address

Phone Number
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Request for Information

Life Sciences Research Systems on the International Space
Station

1- Canadian Content

Any Request for Proposal (RFP) resulting from this Request for
Information will be limited to Canadian goods and/or services as
defined in clause A3050T.
https://buyandsell.gc.ca/policy-and-guidelines/standa…
on-clauses-and-conditions-manual

2- Purpose

The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) has access to the International
Space Station (ISS) and to its crew members for use in research,
technological demonstrations, and outreach activities.

Through this Request of Information (RFI), the CSA is requesting
Canadian organizations involved in Space technology development
and/or life science research in Canada to provide information
about novel systems, instruments or technologies that could be
implemented on the ISS to supplement ISS research capabilities.
These systems, instruments or technologies must enhance current
life science research capabilities on the ISS.

Results obtained through the RFI will eventually inform a
Request for Proposals (RFP), leading to funding for development
of systems for ISS. Funds may also be available for parallel
development of terrestrial applications. CSA will hold a webinar
on March 19, 2013, to foster partnerships and to further inform
participants about ISS needs and constraints.

The webinar will:
provide information related to ISS facilities for life sciences
research and the technical constraints applicable to ISS
payloads;
describe an Internet platform to encourage partnership among
organizations with complementary expertise.

RFI respondents will receive the detailed webinar instructions.

3- Requested Information

The information solicited by this RFI must support the research
mandate of CSA's Space Health and Life Sciences (SHLS) branch,
which is to characterize risks associated with human space
flight and to develop new Canadian solutions in order to
mitigate these risks. Human exploration missions currently occur
in six month expeditions to the ISS, but in the future will
likely consist of expeditions of longer duration, outside of low
Earth orbit. Areas of interest to SHLS are shown in the Table 1
below ("mission risks" apply to the period of spaceflight and
immediate return to Earth only; "long-term risks" apply to
missions after return to Earth):

Table 1 Human Health, Behavioral and Performance Risks

Musculoskeletal Long-term health risk of
space-induced osteoporosis;
Mission risk of reduced muscle strength and
aerobic capacity. Sensorimotor
Mission risk of sensory changes/dysfunctions. Ocular Syndrome
Mission and long-term health risk of
Microgravity-Induced
Visual Impairment and/or elevated Intracranial
Pressure(VIIP). Nutrition
Mission risk of behavioral and nutritional health due to

inability to provide appropriate quantity, quality and variety
of food.
Behavioral Health and Mission and long-term behavioral
health risk. Performance Radiation
Long-term risk of carcinogenesis and degenerative tissue
disease
due to radiation exposure. Hypogravity
Long-term risk associated with adaptation during

intra-vehicular activities (IVAs) and extra-vehicular activities
(EVAs) on
the Moon, asteroids, Mars (vestibular and
performance
dysfunctions) and post-flight rehabilitation. Environmental
Stressors Mission risk of exposure to a toxic environment
without
adequate monitoring, warning systems or understanding of
potential
toxicity (planetary dust, chemicals, infectious agents,
microbial
contamination). These risks could be encountered on
the ISS, during EVAs in
space or on planetary surfaces, or in
the spacecraft environment upon
landing on a planetary surface.

Here is a non-exhaustive list of capabilities that could address
the risks presented in Table 1 above:

Textiles or other flexible materials - wearable systems are
required.
o Biomonitoring: system with at least 3 physiological sensors
o Protective
Anti-microbial
Radiation-protective (need to have been tested using ground beam
facilities)
Aids to recovery from hypogravity post-landing
o Functional
Easy clean i.e. without water
Low mass / Low volume
Bioanalysis
o On-orbit indicator of physiological or cellular state, using
samples from cell culture, or human samples (e.g. blood,
saliva, urine)
Radiation dosimetry
o Sensors should not detect/measure total dose but one or more
of the major types of radiation specifically
Non-invasive physiological measures (applicable to humans and/or
animals)
o Intracranial pressure and/or ocular diagnostics
o Novel measures of health status
o Bone and muscle health
o Stress
Other capabilities
o Cell culture
o Processing of biological samples (e.g.food, cells, saliva,
blood, urine and stools).

The CSA is interested on any information related to one or more
of these capabilities, or a combination. The CSA is also
interested in an integrated system/architecture allowing
interchangeable sensors or detectors that fall into the above
categories. Information related to development of a
system/architecture that would be demonstrated on the ISS using
"off-the-shelf" sensors or detectors is also welcome.

Note that instruments, systems or technologies should expand,
and not duplicate current ISS research capabilities. Proposed
systems or instruments can be either installed into ISS
infrastructure on one of the International Standard Payload
Racks (e.g. Express rack) or "portable", i.e. can be stowed on
ISS, unstowed and temporarily installed on ISS during periods of
use.

Proposed systems must be suitable to the ISS. Here are the main
criteria for ISS suitability:
Low mass: proposed system, instrument or technology should be
restricted to less than
35 kg.
Low volume: should be restricted to less than 0.072 m3.
Safe: means that the system or instrument or technology must not
release toxic gases or small particles into the atmosphere, or
release any toxic leachate, or use any toxic or corrosive
chemicals. It also must not contain highly flammable substances.
Toxic chemicals or releases or slightly flammable products may
be allowed, provided that they are contained within three seals
(i.e. triple containment). The ISS also has a low tolerance for
sharp edges, corners or burrs, or other characteristics that
could lead to crew injury.
Other: a number of other criteria (e.g. power, data, cooling,
and water) are described in the references below.

The eventual RFP will aim at an operational payload that can be
used on ISS, i.e. which have attained a Technology Readiness
Level (TRL) 6 and is in progress toward TRL 7 or have completed
TRL 7.

4- Responses to the RFI and Webinar Registrations

Interested organizations can find the instructions to
participate and can register to the March 19, 2013 webinar, in
the annex "Answer and Webinar Registration".

Information must be forwarded by e-mail to
D••••••••@••••••••.••.ca, by mail (2 copies) at the address
below, in one of the official languages of Canada, no later
than March 7, 2013.

Denis Dubé
Supply and Compensation Directorate
Quebec Region
Public Works and Government Services Canada
800 rue de la Gauchetière Ouest, local 7300, Montreal, Qc H5A 1L6

Each respondent is solely responsible for ensuring its response
is delivered on time to the correct location.

5- References

You will find below hyperlinks leading to further information
related to topics mentioned in the present RFI:
Background information on ISS:
Http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6V1N-45
6864W-1&_user=508782&_coverDate=06%2F30%2F2002&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&
_orig=search&_origin=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStr
Id=1627125434&_rerunOrigin=google&_acct=C000025149&_version=1&_ur
lVersion=0&_userid=508782&md5=ab440c2b1198847081a56230cc4a04cd&se
archtype=a

Current research capabilities on the ISS:
http://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/hsf_research/ao2009…
pdf
(this reference presents the research capabilities currently on
the ISS, so it can help determining what research capabilities
not to duplicate).

Http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/579499main_HRP%20Flight%20Experiment%20In
formation%20Package%202012%20Final.pdf
(presents the flight experiments process and the main
constraints).

Http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/508318main_ISS_ref_guide_nov2010.pdf
(see more specifically the Research section)
Http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/facilities_ca
tegory.html

Express rack accommodations (other rack accommodations are
similar):
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/ex…
PRESS_Racks.html
Space radiation:
Http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronauts/osm_radiation.asp
Http://three.usra.edu/articles/dosimetryposted3.pdf
(this document is an informative reference but not an
indication of precise requirement for this present RFI)

Visual Impairment and/or elevated Intracranial Pressure (VIIP):
Http://humanresearchroadmap.nasa.gov/Evidence/reports/VIIP.pdf
(specifically Sections I, II, III and VII)

Technology readiness levels (TRLs): Technology Readiness Levels
and Assessment Guidelines (CSA-ST-GDL-0001), Revision A,
Canadian Space Agency, October 2010
(available at ftp://ftp.asc-csa.gc.ca/users/TRP/pub/
RFI_Life_Sciences_EN).

6- General Information about the RFI Process

This RFI is not an acquisition process and is not in direct
support of any government procurement. Exchanges with consulted
organizations will cease long before the commencement of formal
procurement activities. The assurance of open, fair and
transparent procurement processes is imperative for both
government and potential contractors; the demarcation between
this "information gathering" initiative and any formal
procurement process is clearly defined and implemented to ensure
no conflicts between the two.

This RFI shall not be construed to be a RFP and no
agreement/contract will be entered into with/awarded to any
vendor based on responses to this RFI, and it shall in no way be
considered as authorization by Canada for vendors to undertake
any work.

Nothing in this RFI shall be construed as a commitment to issue
a RFP. Response to this RFI will not create any obligation.
Neither Canada nor vendors answering this RFI shall be bound by
any aspect of their response to this RFI.

The information submitted in response to this RFI may be used in
the development of a subsequent RFP. Vendors answering this RFI
shall specify if the information or comments provided are
confidential or exclusive to the company.

All responses to this RFI will be held by Canada in confidence,
subject to applicable legislation. Once they have been received,
the documents will become the property of Canada.

Vendors not responding to this RFI will not be penalized in an
eventual RFP. Canada shall not be liable for, nor shall it
reimburse any vendors for, any costs, fees or expenses which any
vendor incurs in the preparation or submission of its response
to this RFI.

Delivery Date: Above-mentioned

The Crown retains the right to negotiate with suppliers on any
procurement.

Documents may be submitted in either official language of Canada.