SOLICITATION NOTICE
A -- SOLE SOURCE CONTRACT AWARD FOR THE CRATER INSTRUMENT FOR LRO MISSION
- Notice Date
- 7/15/2010
- Notice Type
- Presolicitation
- NAICS
- 517919
— All Other Telecommunications
- Contracting Office
- NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 210.S, Greenbelt, MD 20771
- ZIP Code
- 20771
- Solicitation Number
- NNG10PA52-R
- Response Due
- 7/30/2010
- Archive Date
- 7/15/2011
- Point of Contact
- Denise A. Byrd, Contract Specialist, Phone 301-286-8509, Fax 301-286-1773, Email denise.a.byrd@nasa.gov - Julie A. Janus, Contracting Officer, Phone 301-286-4931, Fax 301-286-0341, Email Julie.A.Janus@nasa.gov
- E-Mail Address
-
Denise A. Byrd
(denise.a.byrd@nasa.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) has a requirement for the award of a newcontract with the University of New Hampshire (UNH) Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effectsof Radiation (CRaTER) Investigation on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) Mission asa followon to the current Contract NNG05EB92C with Boston University (BU). UNH, under asubcontract to BU, is currently performing both the flight operations, which includesspacecraft operations planning, scheduling, and engineering parameter review andtrending, as well as the science operations which includes initiating all calibrationrequests to the instrument, planning all instrument modes and turn-ons, datadissemination to the co-investigators and to the general scientific community through thePlanetary Data System (PDS). NASA/GSFC intends to issue a sole-source Request for Proposal (RFP) to UNH. Theestimated period of performance of this cost no fee (CNF) contract extension will be for twenty-four (24) months from March 1, 2011 through March 15, 2013. UNH is now the onlyorganization currently qualified to perform the subject requirement for the followingreasons: 1) In the fall of 2009, the CRaTER core personnel expertise (PrincipalInvestigator Dr. Harlan Spence, operations staff and science team members) all relocatedfrom BU to UNH, with NASA concurrence. To continue the CRaTER work without interruption,BU initiated a subcontract with UNH. We believe that it is in NASAs best interest tocontract the follow-on work directly with UNH, rather than continuing a contract with BU.2) This procurement will enable the science and flight operations activities to be mergedand carried out at UNH with a substantial university undergraduate and graduate studenteducational involvement. Only UNH possesses the high level scientific expertise, thedetailed knowledge of the CRaTER instrument and LRO spacecraft, the capability to carryout the calibration and operations in a manner in which the scientific operations and theflight operations can be merged. 2) UNH scientists and engineers are unique in theirfamiliarity with the CRaTER instrument design, testing and calibration as well as the LROspacecraft. From 2005-2009, the UNH team (then resident at BU) designed, fabricated,calibrated, tested, and integrated the CRaTER instrument for the LRO spacecraft,including at the Spacecraft level after delivery to LRO. Under contract NNG05EB92C, theUNH team (while at BU and now UNH) has successfully carried out the science operations ofthe CRaTER instrument on the LRO spacecraft since LRO launch in June 2009. PI Dr.Spence, now of UNH, as a leading expert in his field of space physics, was selected byNASA Headquarters to lead this investigation, based on an evaluation of his proposalsubmitted under the Announcement of Opportunity for exploration measurements in NASAsLRO Mission (AO NNH04ZSS003O).The CRaTER instrument is a state-of-the-art,one-of-a-kind instrument. In addition, UNH developed software for: checking telemetryreceived for health and safety of the instruments, processing the raw data so thatscientists can manipulate, display, and analyze the scientific data received, andproducing summary data. This effort requires the detailed understanding of theinstrument and all related software. Since no other organization was involved with theseactivities on an in-depth level, no other organization currently has the knowledge andexperience to perform the requirement.3) UNH scientists have helped lead the effort inthe community to analyze the images and data products from the CRaTER Instrument, and arecurrently the only organization with the capability to carry out the combined scientificand instrument operations in conjunction with the educational opportunities.Statutory authority for this firm-fixed price procurement is 10 U.S.C. 304(c)(1)--OnlyOne Responsible Source. However, organizations who believe they can provide theseservices without any detrimental impact to the program schedules supported by this workshould fully identify their interest and capabilities within 15 days after publication ofthis synopsis.Interested organizations may submit their capabilities and qualificationsto perform the effort in writing to the identified point of contact not later than 4:30p.m. local time on July 30, 2010. Such capabilities/qualifications will be evaluatedsolely for the purpose of determining whether or not to conduct this procurement on acompetitive basis. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed efforton a full and open competition basis, based upon responses to this notice, is solelywithin the discretion of the government. All responsible sources may submit an offerwhich shall be considered by the agency.The Government does not intend to acquire a commercial item using FAR Part 12.See Note26. An Ombudsman has been appointed. See NASA Specific Note 'B'. Any referenced notesmay be viewed at the following URLs linked below.
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