Tenders Are Invited For Flex Acquisition Service (Fas) Implementation

Tenders are invited for Flex Acquisition Service (FAS) Implementation The FLuorescence EXplorer (FLEX) has been selected as ESAs 8th Earth Explorer mission in November 2015. FLEX will be the first mission designed to quantify photosynthetic activity and plant stress by mapping vegetation fluorescence. This will provide a completely new possibility to assess the dynamics of actual photosynthesis through sun-induced fluorescence, which offers a great advancementover current capabilities that can only detect potential photosynthesis as derived in passive reflectance measurements by conventional land surface monitoring satellites.The FLEX space segment consists of a single satellite carrying a high-resolution imaging spectrometer. The FLEX mission concept foresees such small satellite flying in tandem with Sentinel-3. The combination of FLORIS and Sentinel-3s OLCI and SLSTR instruments allows for an integrated package of measurements providing all the necessary auxiliary information to retrieve the fluorescence signalThe required minimum mission lifetime is nominally 3.5 years, excluding the LEOP and commissioning phase, and thus covering at least three full vegetation cycles needed to observe general trends and extreme events affecting plant ecosystems.The FLEX Acquisition Service is a key element of the FLEX mission operations, ensuring the on-ground reception(in X-band) of data sensed by the FLEX satellite for further processing. Such service will be completely carried out with facilitiesowned by service providers, in line with the technical and operational requirements established by ESA.The FLEX Acquisition Service will be carried out throughout the entire FLEX mission lifetime, although the contract will initially cover the preparation and validation activities to be performed during Phase C/D (i.e. for a duration of 12/18 months before FLEX mission launch) and the X-band data reception until In-Orbit Commissioning Review for a duration of three months after the launch. After the In-Orbit Commissioning Review the contract will cover the Routine Operations phase for a duration of 3.5 years (with potential extension to 5 years) until end of the mission. The FLEX X-band Acquisition Services shall be sized in such a way to downlink at least once per orbit all data sensed within one orbit, corresponding to a minimum of 14.3 X-band dumps per day during Phase E1 and E2. The FAS service provider will be fully responsible for the performance and availability of the Acquisition Services regardless of the number and location of the selected Ground Stations.The procurement approach foresees to place a service contract in line with ESA requirements and under agreed levels of quality and performance (Service Level Agreement). The deployment and management of the resources, as well as the technical architecture, implementation, and operations, will be the responsibility of the Contractor in compliance with the service requirements defined by ESA, encompassing management, technical, operational and security aspects Tender Link : https://esastar-publication-ext.sso.esa.int/ESATenderActions/filter/open

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Global Tender Document	Tender Notice