Federal contract award

80LARC18F0048

MARS 2020 INTERAGENCY NUCLEAR SAFETY REVIEW PANEL. NASA IS PLANNING TO LAUNCH A ROBOTIC MISSION TO MARS IN 2020. THE MARS 2020 MISSION IS SCHEDULED TO LAUNCH FROM CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION DURING A LAUNCH OPPORTUNITY BEGINNING IN JULY 2020. THE PRIMARY MISSION INVOLVES SENDING A ROVER TO MARS THAT WILL USE A SINGLE MULTI-MISSION RADIOISOTOPE THERMOELECTRIC GENERATOR (MMRTG) THAT CONTAINS APPROXIMATELY 4.8 KG (ABOUT 10 LB) OF PLUTONIUM DIOXIDE. DUE TO THE USE OF AN MMRTG, THE NUCLEAR SAFETY LAUNCH APPROVAL PROCESS ESTABLISHED BY PARAGRAPH 9 OF PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE/NATIONAL SECURITY MEMORANDUM 25 (PD/NSC-25), AS AMENDED MAY 8, 1996 WILL NEED TO BE FOLLOWED. PARAGRAPH 9 OF THIS DIRECTIVE SPECIFIES THAT AN AD HOC INTERAGENCY NUCLEAR SAFETY REVIEW PANEL (INSRP) CONSISTING OF MEMBERS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY, NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION, AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY WILL EVALUATE THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH MISSIONS REQUIRING THE PRESIDENTS APPROVAL AND PREPARE A NUCLEAR SAFETY EVALUATION REPORT. THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WILL PARTICIPATE AS A TECHNICAL ADVISOR TO THE PANEL AS APPROPRIATE. THE HEAD OF THE SPONSORING AGENCY WILL REQUEST THE PRESIDENTS APPROVAL FOR THE FLIGHT THROUGH THE OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY.THE NASA PROGRAM OFFICE FOR THIS MISSION IS IN THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING A SAFETY ANALYSIS REPORT (SAR) FOR THE MARS 2020 PROJECT. THE PURPOSE OF THE SAR IS TO DOCUMENT THE RESPONSE OF SPACE NUCLEAR POWER SOURCES TO THE CREDIBLE LAUNCH AND REENTRY ACCIDENT SCENARIOS (AND THEIR ASSOCIATED MECHANICAL AND THERMAL INSULT ENVIRONMENTS) AS SPECIFIED IN THE NASA-PROVIDED LAUNCH VEHICLE DATABOOK, AND TO QUANTIFY THE RADIOLOGICAL RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH THE MISSION. THIS SAR ALONG WITH OTHER SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION IS USED BY THE MARS 2020 INTERAGENCY SAFETY REVIEW PANEL (INSRP) TO EVALUATE THE RISK ASSOCIATED WITH THE USE OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS AND TO PREPARE A SAFETY EVALUATION REPORT (SER). THE SER IS USED AS A CRITICAL DATA POINT IN DETERMINING IF THE RISK DUE TO THE RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS IS WITHIN ACCEPTABLE LIMITS AND IF THE PRESIDENT SHOULD GRANT LAUNCH APPROVAL.