Amendment 13: C.23 ICEE 2 Final text released

This amendment presents final text for program element C.23 Instrument Concepts for Europa Exploration 2.

The Instrument Concepts for Europa Exploration (ICEE) 2 program supports the development of instruments and sample transfer mechanism(s) for Europa surface exploration. The goal of the program is to advance both the technical readiness and spacecraft accommodation of instruments and the sampling system for a potential future Europa lander mission.

This opportunity is open to any instrument concept addressing one or more of the Science Definition Team (SDT) objectives in also compatible with the Europa lander mission architecture described in "Europa Lander Study 2016 Report." While specific technology readiness levels (TRL) are not prescribed for the ICEE 2 program, instrument concepts must be at TRL 6 no later than the end of 2022.

The program is noteworthy in that all awardees will be required to collaborate with the pre-project NASA-JPL spacecraft team and potentially other awardees. This collaboration will provide the opportunity for co-development of potential instruments, the sample acquisition and delivery system, and the lander itself, as all of these require maturation in a compatible system.

The due date for Step-1 proposals is June 22, 2018, and the due date for Step-2 proposals is August 24, 2018.

Questions concerning this program element may be directed to Curt Niebur at curt.niebur@nasa.gov.