[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 75 (Wednesday, April 17, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27434-27435]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-08143]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[Docket No. USCG-2024-0236]


Cooperative Research and Development Agreement: pLEO Satellite 
Systems for at Sea Global Coverage Including High Latitudes

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of intent; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is announcing its intent to enter into a 
Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with Hughes 
Network Systems to build a Proof of Concept (POC) to understand the 
capabilities, benefits, risks, technical limitations, and performance 
associated with operating a proliferated low earth orbiting (pLEO) 
satellite system on Coast Guard ships at sea. The pLEO satellite system 
provides global broadband coverage, to include the extreme northern and 
southern latitudes, which have traditionally been limited to 
geostationary satellites. While the Coast Guard is currently 
considering partnering with Hughes Network Systems, we are soliciting 
public comment on the possible nature of and participation of other 
parties in the proposed CRADA. In addition, the Coast Guard also 
invites other potential non-Federal participants, who have the interest 
and capability to bring similar contributions to this type of research, 
to consider submitting proposals for consideration in similar CRADAs.

DATES: Comments must be submitted to the online docket via http://www.regulations.gov on or before May 17, 2024.
    Synopses of proposals regarding future CRADAs must reach the Coast 
Guard (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT) on or before May 17, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments online at http://www.regulations.gov by 
searching the docket number USCG-2024-0236 and following website 
instructions.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this notice 
or wish to submit proposals for future CRADAs, contact Jon Turban, 
P.E., Project Manager, IT and Networks Branch, U.S. Coast Guard 
Research and Development Center, 1 Chelsea Street, New London, CT 
06320, telephone 860-271-2600, email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Public Participation and Request for Comments

    We request public comments on this notice. Although we do not plan 
to respond to comments in the Federal Register, we will respond 
directly to commenters and may modify our proposal in response to 
received comments.
    Comments should be marked with docket number USCG-2024-0236 and 
should provide a reason for each suggestion or recommendation. You 
should provide personal contact information so that we can contact you 
if we have questions regarding your comments; please note that all 
comments will be posted to the online docket without change and that 
any personal information you include can be searchable online (see 
DHS's eRulemaking System of Records notice, 85 FR 14226, March 11, 
2020). We also accept anonymous comments.
    We encourage you to submit comments through the Federal eRulemaking 
Portal at http://www.regulations.gov. If your material cannot be 
submitted using http://www.regulations.gov, contact the Coast Guard 
(see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). Documents mentioned in this 
notice and all public comments are in our online docket at http://www.regulations.gov and can be viewed by following the website's 
instructions.

Discussion

    CRADAs are authorized under 15 U.S.C. 3710a.\1\ A CRADA promotes 
the transfer of technology to the private sector for commercial use, as 
well as specified research or development efforts that are consistent 
with the mission of the Federal parties to the CRADA. The Federal party 
or parties agree with one or more non-Federal parties to share research 
resources, but the Federal party does not contribute funding.
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    \1\ The statute confers this authority on the head of each 
Federal agency. The Secretary of DHS's authority is delegated to the 
Coast Guard and other DHS organizational elements by DHS Delegation 
No. 0160.1, para. II.B.34.
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    CRADAs are not procurement contracts. Care is taken to ensure that 
CRADAs are not used to circumvent the contracting process. CRADAs have 
a specific purpose and should not be confused with procurement 
contracts, grants, and other type of agreements.
    Under the proposed CRADA, the U.S. Coast Guard Research and 
Development Center (R&D Center) will collaborate with one non-Federal 
participant. Together, the R&D Center and the non-Federal participant 
will build a POC to

[[Page 27435]]

understand the capabilities, benefits, risks, technical limitations, 
and performance of operating a pLEO satellite system on Coast Guard 
ships at sea. The pLEO satellite system provides global broadband 
coverage, to include the extreme northern and southern latitudes, which 
have traditionally been limited to geostationary satellites.
    We anticipate that the Coast Guard's contributions under the 
proposed CRADA will include the following:
    (1) Provide staff with the expertise to support the tasks.
    (2) Provide resources and travel for the Coast Guard staff that 
support this CRADA.
    (3) Write a test plan in collaboration with the non-Federal 
participant.
    (4) Obtain approvals for installation.
    (5) Obtain authorization to connect to the network.
    (6) Ship the necessary parts, tools, and equipment to the Coast 
Guard Cutter.
    (7) Coordinate logistics with the Coast Guard Cutter for the 
installation of equipment onboard the ship.
    (8) Coordinate operation of equipment with the Coast Guard Cutter 
while the ship is underway.
    (9) Provide resources required to conduct underway testing on the 
Coast Guard Cutter
    (10) Execute agreed upon test plan.
    (11) Write a report in collaboration with the non-Federal 
participant.
    We anticipate that the non-Federal participants' contributions 
under the proposed CRADA will include the following:
    (1) Provide staff with the expertise to support the tasks.
    (2) Provide resources and travel for own staff in support of this 
CRADA.
    (3) Write a test plan in collaboration with the R&D Center.
    (4) Provide non-Federal participants' shipboard equipment and 
airtime for the equipment.
    (5) Provide the technical data for all equipment, including 
dimensions, weight, power requirements, and other technical 
considerations for non-Federal participants' components to be utilized 
under this CRADA.
    (6) Assist with the installation of equipment on the Coast Guard 
Cutter
    (7) Provide technical support.
    (8) Provide any specific training to those Coast Guard members 
evaluating the technology.
    (9) Provide mutually agreed upon resources required to conduct the 
underway testing on the Coast Guard Cutter.
    (10) Write a report in collaboration with the R&D Center.
    The Coast Guard reserves the right to select for CRADA participants 
all, some, or no proposals submitted for this CRADA. The Coast Guard 
will provide no funding for reimbursement of proposal development 
costs. Proposals and any other material submitted in response to this 
notice will not be returned. Proposals submitted are expected to be 
unclassified and have not more than five single-sided pages (excluding 
cover page, DD 1494, JF-12, etc.). The Coast Guard will select 
proposals at its sole discretion based on:
    (1) How well they communicate an understanding of, and ability to 
meet, the proposed CRADA's goals; and
    (2) How well they address the following criteria:
    (a) Technical capability to support the non-Federal party 
contributions described, and
    (b) Resources available for supporting the non-Federal party 
contributions described.
    Currently, the Coast Guard is considering Hughes Network Systems 
for participation in this CRADA. This consideration is because Hughes 
Network Systems operates a pLEO satellite system that provides at-sea 
global coverage including coverage of the extreme latitudes. However, 
we do not wish to exclude other viable participants from this or future 
similar CRADAs.
    This is a technology assessment effort. The goal for this CRADA is 
to work with an industry partner to explore alternate methods and 
applications for pLEO/MEO satellite communications in the maritime 
environment at the most extreme northern and southern latitudes. This 
could include:

--robust global underway network connectivity for its' ships
--a positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) source in a GPS denied 
environment.
--a maritime distress communication system.
--network connectivity to unmanned mobile platforms.
--tactical network connectivity for use by Coast Guard boarding teams.
--multi-orbit satellite systems.

    Special consideration will be given to small business firms or 
consortia, and preference will be given to business units located in 
the U.S. This notice is issued under the authority of 5 U.S.C. 552(a).

    Dated: April 12, 2024.
Bert Macesker,
Executive Director, U.S. Coast Guard Research and Development Center.
[FR Doc. 2024-08143 Filed 4-16-24; 8:45 am]
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