SOLICITATION NOTICE
A -- HST SCIENCE OPERATIONS
- Notice Date
- 6/20/2006
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- NAICS
- 541710
— Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences
- Contracting Office
- NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 210.S, Greenbelt, MD 20771
- ZIP Code
- 20771
- Solicitation Number
- 9485-14606
- Response Due
- 7/6/2006
- Archive Date
- 6/20/2007
- Description
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center plans to issue a sole source Request for Proposal (RFP) to the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) for the continued operation of the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), which provides full science management for the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Program and operates the HST science operations facility. AURA will provide the products and services required to execute the science program, schedule and create command loads for the telescope, maintain and calibrate the onboard instruments, maintain the ground systems, archive and distribute the science data, manage the grants program, perform public outreach and conduct astronomical research during the remaining years of the HST science mission. Critical work includes HST science operations, ground system sustaining engineering, mission planning and development and execution of the Servicing Mission Orbital Verification (SMOV) Program. Another Space Shuttle visit to HST, Servicing Mission 4 (SM4), is planned to provide new hardware and enable science data collection through 2013. The basic period of performance for this contract is May 1, 2007 through April 30, 2010, with two, 3-year options. The current contract with AURA for the STScI expires on April 30, 2007. NASA intends to enter into a sole source contract with AURA under the statutory authority of 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1), only one responsible source. AURA has been operating the STScI throughout the entire mission lifetime of the HST to date, and is the only known source that possesses the required general and HST-specific experience and expertise for all areas of the contract. HST is a highly complex and internationally acclaimed spacecraft that provides unique astronomical observing capabilities. AURA is the only contractor that possesses a complete knowledge of HST-specific requirements in the critical areas of science planning and scheduling. AURA?s expertise in science operations is required to ensure the safety of the science instruments and to process the data so that high-value, calibrated products can be effectively distributed to the astronomical community. In addition, AURA is the only known source that possesses the end-to-end life cycle knowledge and operational skill set for the past, present, and future HST instrument suites. AURA has already modified systems to service five replacement instruments and Corrective Optics Space Telescope Axial Replacement, which were installed under four previous servicing missions. AURA is also currently modifying systems for the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph Instrument and Wide Field Camera 3 Instrument for the next planned SM. AURA modified the systems and refined the software development processes to allow new instruments to be supported at low risk. Also, AURA has either made or is in the process of making extensive, complex modifications to the HST spacecraft planning, scheduling, and command load generation systems to support recent mission-critical life extension activities including Two-Gyro and One-Gyro Control Modes and the reduction of HST transmitter duty cycles. Additionally, AURA created the only reference source that can meet the guide star requirements for the mission. The algorithms needed to interpret and translate this information into spacecraft commanding instructions is unduplicated since no other satellites have the stringent pointing requirements or the guide star tracking instrumentation that HST has. In addition, as NASA Prepares for the upcoming SM4 (currently planned for less than one year after the follow-on contract start date), no other contractor could attain AURA's extensive level of experience with the HST Observatory, its instruments, ground systems and software and obtain the knowledge of past HST servicing missions to perform critical mission planning and mission execution requirements in the timeframe needed for SM4. The Government does not intend to acquire a commercial item using FAR Part 12. See Note 26. Interested organizations may submit their capabilities and qualifications to perform the effort in writing to the identified point of contact not later than 4:30 p.m. local time on July 6, 2006. Such capabilities/qualifications will be evaluated solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct this procurement on a competitive basis. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed effort on a full and competitive basis, based upon responses to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the Government. See note 22. All responsible sources may submit an offer which shall be considered by the agency. Oral communications are acceptable in response to this notice. An Ombudsman has been appointed. See NASA Specific Note "B". Any referenced notes may be viewed at the following URLs linked below.
- Web Link
-
Click here for the latest information about this notice
(http://prod.nais.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/eps/bizops.cgi?gr=D&pin=51#120685)
- Record
- SN01074113-W 20060622/060620221336 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
| FSG Index | This Issue's Index | Today's FBO Daily Index Page |