Introduction

This is a request by the Foundation Society for contractors to propose the design, development, construction, and operations planning of the third large space settlement in Earth orbit.

 

For planning purposes, the Foundation Society has selected "Columbiat" as the name of this settlement. Proposals may suggest alternate names for this community, within the Foundation Society's established naming convention that requires the name to begin with the letter "C" and end with the suffix "at".
 

Format and Schedule

Only entries from registered teams are eligible to advance in the Competition.

Submit proposals in the English language, on paper, with a 40-page limit. Copies of each proposal must be received no later than December 1, 2008.

This is a preliminary Request for Proposal (RFP). Your proposal is expected to include all of the items identified in the Statement of Work. Proposals must meet more detailed requirements described in the Final RFP, which will be sent to each team that submits a completed Registration Form. Your team must register to receive the complete and final RFP.

Statement of Work

1. Basic requirements -- The contractor will describe the design, development, and construction of the Columbiat space settlement community in Earth orbit.

2. Structural Design -- Columbiat must provide a safe and pleasant living and working environment for 22,000 full-time residents, plus an additional transient population, between 1500 and 2500, of business and official visitors, guests of residents, and vacationers. Specify allocation of interior "down surfaces", with areas designated to show residential, industrial, commercial, agricultural, and other uses.

3. Operations and Infrastructure -- Identify sources of materials and equipment to be used in construction and operations. Columbiat design will show elements of basic infrastructure required for the activities of the settlement's residents, including atmosphere/climate control, food production, electrical power, water management, solid waste management, communication systems, transportation system, and day/night cycle provisions.

4. Human Factors -- Columbiat will provide services that residents could expect in a comfortable modern community, variety and quantity of consumables and other supplies, and public areas designed with open space and consideration of psychological factors. Provide designs of typical residential homes, clearly showing room sizes. Spacesuit designs will be required for work outside of pressurized settlement volumes.

5. Automation Design and Services -- Specify number and types of computers, servers, software, network devices, and robots required for Columbiat's facility, community, and business operations. Show robot designs, clearly indicating their dimensions. Specify automation systems for maintenance, repair, and safety functions, including backup systems and contingency plans for failures. Specify automation systems to enhance livability in the community, productivity in work envrionments, and convenience in residences.

6. Schedule and Cost -- The proposal will include a schedule for completion and occupation of Columbiat, and costs for design through construction phases of the schedule.

7. Business Development -- Columbiat will host a variety of commercial and industrial ventures. The original configuration must, however, accommodate three major business pursuits: transportation node and port, commerce and financial center, and provisioning and maintenance base for visiting spacecraft.