The SELVS IIB launch vehicle advertised in the MIDEX AO is not available to the MIDEX teams. The NASA Associate Administrator for Space Science has decided that the MIDEX concept study reports will be evaluated against the SELVS IIB performance listed in the AO, rather than the performance of the available SELVS IIB. The following policy instructs those teams which choose to use a SELVS IIB launch vehicle how NASA will implement this policy decision.

SELVS II Launch Vehicle Adjustment for MIDEX Concept Study

Selected MIDEX missions, which assumed that SELVS IIB vehicles would be available with the mass to orbit capabilities listed in the AO, are allowed to:

  1. Utilize the smallest Delta II ELV, with a standard Delta fairing, and
  2. Can budget for the SELVS IIB launch vehicle as shown in the MIDEX AO appendix only if the mission requires no more than the listed SELVS IIB launch vehicle performance, or
  3. Must budget for the appropriate Delta II if the mission requires performance greater than the listed SELVS IIB launch vehicle capability.
If one or more of these missions is selected, NASA will attempt to co-manifest this(these) mission(s) with other payloads to fully utilize the Delta II capability.

If technical issues arise, relevant to this issue, that cannot be worked out with the KSC contact to the satisfaction of the proposing team, contact Dr. Paul Hertz with an appropriate question of clarification.


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NASA Headquarters Responsible Office: Code SR
Last Updated: 12 March 1999
Author: Paul Hertz (Code SR)