Strofio - Phase B IS Awarded From Announcement of Opportunity (AO) Nnm08zda009o, Stand Alone Mission of Opportunity Notice (salmon) Issued by Nasa Headquarters. Southwest Research Institute (swri) WAS Selected for "strofio: Exospheric Sampling of Mercury's Surface Composition" With DR. Stefano Livi AS the Principal Investigator for Funding and Approved to Directly Enter Phase B Preliminary Design and Technology Completion. Strofio WAS Selected Because IT IS Timely and Takes Advantage of a Unique Opportunity for Nasa to Participate Through This Investigation in the Bepicolombo Mission. the Anticipated Observations of Mercury's Exosphere Will BE Unique and Complementary to Investigations Conducted by Mariner, Messenger and the Other Instruments on Bepicolombo. the Proposed Investigation Will Provide Valuable Information About Mercury's Exosphere and ITS Interaction With the Magnetosphere and Surface. the Strofio Instrument Will Provide a Valuable Scientific Return, Addressing Many Goals of Nasas Planetary Science Program
Contract Overview
Contract Amount: $35,234,258 ($35.2M)
Contractor: Southwest Research Institute
Awarding Agency: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Start Date: 2009-09-14
End Date: 2028-04-30
Official Description: STROFIO - PHASE B IS AWARDED FROM ANNOUNCEMENT OF OPPORTUNITY (AO) NNM08ZDA009O, STAND ALONE MISSION OF OPPORTUNITY NOTICE (SALMON) ISSUED BY NASA HEADQUARTERS. SOUTHWEST RESEARCH INSTITUTE (SWRI) WAS SELECTED FOR "STROFIO: EXOSPHERIC SAMPLING OF MERCURY'S SURFACE COMPOSITION" WITH DR. STEFANO LIVI AS THE PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR FOR FUNDING AND APPROVED TO DIRECTLY ENTER PHASE B PRELIMINARY DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY COMPLETION. STROFIO WAS SELECTED BECAUSE IT IS TIMELY AND TAKES ADVANTAGE OF A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY FOR NASA TO PARTICIPATE THROUGH THIS INVESTIGATION IN THE BEPICOLOMBO MISSION. THE ANTICIPATED OBSERVATIONS OF MERCURY'S EXOSPHERE WILL BE UNIQUE AND COMPLEMENTARY TO INVESTIGATIONS CONDUCTED BY MARINER, MESSENGER AND THE OTHER INSTRUMENTS ON BEPICOLOMBO. THE PROPOSED INVESTIGATION WILL PROVIDE VALUABLE INFORMATION ABOUT MERCURY'S EXOSPHERE AND ITS INTERACTION WITH THE MAGNETOSPHERE AND SURFACE. THE STROFIO INSTRUMENT WILL PROVIDE A VALUABLE SCIENTIFIC RETURN, ADDRESSING MANY GOALS OF NASAS PLANETARY SCIENCE PROGRAM.