PHASE A CONCEPT STUDY IN SUPPORT OF THE NEUTRON ION COUPLING EXPLORER (NICE). THE NICE MISSION SHALL PROVIDE THE PERSONNEL, EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES TO PERFORM THE ANALYSES REQUIRED TO DEFINE THE NICE SCIENCE INVESTIGATION, SCIENCE PAYLOAD, SPACECRAFT, SCIENCE AND MISSION OPERATIONS CONCEPTS AND THE GROUND DATA SYSTEMS. THE NICE MISSION SHALL PERFORM THE WORK REQUIRED FOR THE PHASE A STUDY AS DESCRIBED IN THE FOLLOWING SUBSECTIONS AND DOCUMENT IT IN THE FORM OF A CONCEPT STUDY REPORT (CSR). ALSO, THE NICE MISSION SHALL PROVIDE A SITE VISIT FOR THE NASA TEAM. 1. THE NICE TEAM WILL REFINE THE SCIENCE INVESTIGATION AND DESCRIBE IT IN THE CSR. THIS INCLUDES REFINING THE DE-SCOPE OPTIONS OF THE BASELINE MISSION DEFINED IN THE PROPOSAL. IN ADDITION, THE SCIENCE TEAM SHALL PRODUCE A SCIENCE REQUIREMENTS DOCUMENT. 2. THE NICE TEAM SHALL DOCUMENT THE EDUCATION, OUTREACH, TECHNOLOGY, AND SMALL DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS PLAN. THIS WILL INCLUDE EDUCATION PROGRAM ACTIVITIES, PUBLIC AWARENESS, AND SMALL DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS PARTICIPATION IN THE MISSION. 3. THE NICE TEAM SHALL DOCUMENT THE WBS BASELINE, COST BASELINE, AND SCHEDULE BASELINE. THE MANAGEMENT PLAN PROVIDED IN THE PROPOSAL SHALL BE REFINED, COSTS WILL BE ESTIMATED IN GREATER DETAIL, AND A RISK MANAGEMENT PLAN WILL BE GENERATED. 4. THE NICE TEAM SHALL DOCUMENT A SYSTEM ENGINEERING PLAN IN THE CSR. IN ADDITION, THE NICE TEAM SHALL ALSO REFINE THE MISSION DESIGN OVERVIEW FROM THE PROPOSAL AND DESCRIBE IT IN THE CSR. THIS INCLUDES REQUIREMENTS FLOW DOWN AND TRACEABILITY FROM THE SCIENCE REQUIREMENTS TO THE SPACECRAFT, INSTRUMENT, MISSION OPERATIONS, AND GROUND DATA SYSTEMS REQUIREMENTS, AS WELL AS DESIGN IMPLEMENTATIONS. THE NICE TEAM SHALL ALSO PROVIDE A PRELIMINARY ORBITAL DEBRIS ANALYSIS ALONG WITH A DRAFT ORBITAL DEBRIS MITIGATION PLAN. 5. THE NICE TEAM SHALL REFINE THE MISSION DESIGN/OPERATIONS CONCEPT AND DESCRIBE IT IN THE CSR. THE DESIGN CONCEPT FULLY DESCRIBES THE OPERATIONAL PHASE OF THE MISSION FROM LAUNCH TO END OF MISSION, INCLUDING DATA DELIVERY TO GSFC. THE MISSION DESIGN WILL INCLUDE THE LAUNCH VEHICLE, MISSION ORBIT, OBSERVATION REQUIREMENTS, DATA VALIDATION REQUIREMENTS, A PRELIMINARY MISSION TIMELINE, AND GROUND STATION SUPPORT REQUIREMENTS. 6. THE NICE TEAM, SHALL DEVELOP A SPACECRAFT DESIGN SUPPORTING THE PAYLOAD AND MISSION REQUIREMENTS, AND SHALL DESCRIBE THE DESIGN IN THE CSR. THE DESIGN DESCRIPTION WILL FULLY IDENTIFY THE SPACECRAFT SYSTEMS AND DESCRIBE THEIR CHARACTERISTICS AND REQUIREMENTS. THIS WILL INCLUDE A DESCRIPTION OF THE FLIGHT SYSTEM DESIGN, A BLOCK DIAGRAM, A SUMMARY OF THE ESTIMATED PERFORMANCE, AND THE FLIGHT HERITAGE OR RATIONAL USED TO SELECT THE SPACECRAFT SUBSYSTEMS AND COMPONENTS. THE NICE MISSION WILL PERFORM STUDIES AND ANALYSES TO VALIDATE THE SPACECRAFT DESIGN. THIS INCLUDES, BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO: TARGET SCAN ANALYSIS; UPDATED INTEGRATED THERMAL ANALYSIS; POWER SYSTEM ANALYSIS AND SIZING; ATTITUDE CONTROL SYSTEM ANALYSIS; SPACECRAFT STRUCTURAL DESIGN AND ANALYSIS UPDATE; MASS OPTIMIZATION; RADIATION EFFECTS ANALYSIS; AND COMMUNICATIONS ARCHITECTURE AND GROUND SYSTEM OPTIMIZATION. 7. THE NICE TEAM SHALL REFINE THE INSTRUMENT INTERFACE REQUIREMENTS, AND PROVIDE DOCUMENTATION IN THE CSR THAT INCLUDES POWER, MECHANICAL, THERMAL, COMMAND AND TELEMETRY, ELECTRO-MAGNETIC COMPATIBILITY AND CONTAMINATION REQUIREMENTS. THE NICE TEAM SHALL ALSO PROVIDE A PRELIMINARY INSTRUMENT INTEGRATION AND TEST PLAN IN THE CSR THAT WILL DESCRIBE THE TESTING OF SPACECRAFT COMPONENTS PRIOR TO INTEGRATION INTO A SINGLE SYSTEM. 8. THE NICE TEAM SHALL REFINE AND DOCUMENT THE INVESTIGATION MISSION OPERATIONS AND GROUND OPERATIONS SUPPORT. THIS INCLUDES THE APPROACH FOR MANAGING MISSION OPERATIONS AND FLIGHT OPERATIONS SUPPORT, THE GROUND DATA SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT APPROACH, AND GROUND STATION SUPPORT REQUIREMENTS.