ESA Open Invitation to Tender AO9530
Open Date: 20/08/2018
Closing Date: 01/10/2018 13:00:00

Status: ISSUED
Reference Nr.: 18.1MS.09
Prog. Ref.: Astronauts E3P Per.1
Budget Ref.: E/0136-01Q – Astronauts E3P Per.1
Special Prov.: AT+BE+CH+CZ+DE+DK+ES+FR+GB+GR+IE+IT+NL+NO+PL+PT+RO+SE+CA
Tender Type: C
Price Range: 200-500 KEURO
Products: Ground Segment / Mission Operations / Other
Techology Domains: Others
Establishment: ESTEC
Directorate: Dir of Human & Robotic Exploration Prog.
Department: ISS Operations & Astronaut Group
Division: Space Training Team
Contract Officer: Tenho, Annika
Industrial Policy Measure: N/A – Not apply
Last Update Date: 20/08/2018
Update Reason: Tender issue

The Neutral Buoyancy Facility (NBF) located in the European Astronaut Centre (EAC) of the European Space Agency (ESA) is a 10 meterdeep water tank, which provides underwater simulated neutral or partial gravity conditions to train astronauts for Extra-Vehicular Activities (EVA) and to test hardware operations. This facility is used for the familiarization and proficiency ISS EVA training ofESA astronauts to prepare them for the EVA training program implemented at the NASA Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (in Houston) with the NASA EMU Spacesuit.SCUBA Diving proficiency training for astronauts is included in this preparation. The NBF is also used as a test bed facility to conduct underwater tests of hardware and prototypes developed for weightlessness or partial gravity operations (Moon gravity conditions are also simulated in the NBF tank).All these activities shall be supported via this contract by a high qualified Diving Team working part time (when activities are required) on site at EAC (underwater inside the NBF tank, on the pool deckand in the NBF Control Room) to ensure safe and efficient operations of the NBF.

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