SOURCES SOUGHT
X -- NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY AND REQUEST FOR INFORMATION SEEKING POTENTIAL INDUSTRYINTEREST AND USE FOR SOME NASA STENNIS SPACE CENTER FACILITIES
- Notice Date
- 11/8/2011
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 927110
— Space Research and Technology
- Contracting Office
- NASA Office of Procurement, Stennis Space Center, MS 39529-6000
- ZIP Code
- 39529-6000
- Solicitation Number
- NOA-RFI-NNS12ZDA001L
- Response Due
- 2/4/2012
- Archive Date
- 11/8/2012
- Point of Contact
- Marvin L Horne, Contract Specialist, Phone 228-688-3528, Fax 228-688-6024, Email Marvin.L.Horne@nasa.gov - Marvin L Horne, Contract Specialist, Phone 228-688-3528, Fax 228-688-6024, Email Marvin.L.Horne@nasa.gov
- E-Mail Address
-
Marvin L Horne
(Marvin.L.Horne@nasa.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Stennis Space Center (SSC)is seeking to identify potential industry interest in an agency real property assetlocated at SSC. This announcement describes a NASA asset that is currently underutilizedas a result of program cancellation. SSC also seeks through this announcement to ensure broad awareness and visibility of theanticipated opportunities for Public-Private and Public-Public Ventures (PPV) betweenNASA and industry or non-federal public entities. Such ventures are defined as partneringtools in NASA's Real Property Management Program to leverage underutilized Agency realproperty to maximize utilization and efficiency. NASA may use a PPV to grant a partner aninterest in real property for a specified term through an instrument such as a lease, ause permit, or other form of legal agreement authorized by the National Aeronautics andSpace Act of 1958. In addition to PPV agreements, NASA may pursue other approaches, asdescribed in this announcement, to enable others to use facilities for which SSC has acurrent or future need to support NASAs mission. It is NASA's intent to ensure fairness to all parties and to ensure best value to theGovernment in granting use of a NASA facility in a manner that optimizes its support forthe agency's missions and objectives, and the U.S. national space policy. To meet these purposes, NASA requests written responses to this announcement to assistSSC in achieving the following objectives: * Identify and document specific interest from industry and non-federal public entitiesin pursuing a real estate agreement with NASA for use of the SSC facility identified inthis announcement. * Assess the extent of overall interest by industry and non-federal public entities inusing underutilized NASA assets on SSC to engage in activities supportive of NASAsmissions and purpose. * Provide data to support SSCs planning for infrastructure and facility utilization. * Identify and document alignment with Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics(STEM) efforts related to the commercial space and aerospace industry.* Enable determination of how underutilized capacity at SSC may be made available in afair and responsive fashion to industry and/or non-federal public entities to advanceagency and national objectives. The facility identified in this announcement that is anticipated to be partially or fullyavailable for other users may subsequently be deemed by NASA as unavailable due to theagency's own facility needs. The Government may apply selection criteria and make the facility and its related assetsavailable only if deemed in the Government's best interests. NASA reserves the right toproceed with development and negotiation of one or more proposed PPVs or other partneringand facility utilization agreements with respondents to this announcement, withoutfurther notice, if it determines that it has met the purposes, intent and objectivesidentified in this announcement. NASA is not precluded from entering into real estate agreements with other federalentities for use of the SSC facility identified in this Notice of Availability regardlessof expressions of interest and proposed use that may be received from industry ornon-federal public entities pursuant to this announcement. NASA will be under no obligation to proceed with any PPVs or any other partneringarrangements with regard to the anticipated availability of the underutilized facility atSSC. In lieu of using a PPV to grant a partner a real property interest through a lease orother instrument, NASA may employ Space Act authorities to allow use of the facility forspecified purposes without granting the user any real property interest. For example, SSCmay take such an approach on a facility operated by SSC for both NASA and non-NASA userson a regular basis. If NASA determines that the facility is going to become idle with no known current orfuture NASA mission support requirement, but still of value in support of NASA's purposeand national space policy if used by others, NASA may decide to divest the agency of theasset by transfer to another federal agency, or to others through established realproperty disposition processes administered by the General Services Administration (GSA). BACKGROUND:As directed by Congress, The NASA Authorization Act of 2010 directs that NASA proceedwith development of a new Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle and Space Launch System that canaccess cislunar space and the regions of space beyond low-Earth orbit.NASA is challenged as a key element of this transition to re-scope its infrastructure andfacilities footprint to most efficiently support the missions within expected fundinglevels. SSC capabilities and assets that will become idle or underutilized for near-termNASA requirements may be re-purposed and used by the commercial space industry and othersin direct support of NASA's mission and purpose. SSC seeks to strategically identify, develop and align the Center's distinctive spacetransportation assets and capabilities with other government and commercial spacemarkets. SSC seeks to expand partnerships, customer base and regional economicopportunities consistent with the NASA mission. SSC wishes to promote and enable thewidest and fullest utilization of SSC assets and facilities to advance the nation's goalsfor space exploration and development. These efforts are targeted to accelerateinnovation and collaboration in support of new technologies which are applicable to spaceexploration, as well as to benefit humankind here on Earth where the capabilities will beavailable to both the commercial and government space services industry. PRIORITY USES FOR AVAILABLE FACILITIES:For the facility identified in this announcement, NASA intends to give priorityconsideration to prospective uses and users which align with the following:* Entities which operate or directly support the advancement of space exploration for theU.S. Government at Stennis Space Center;* Entities which operate or directly support commercial space launch or commercial spaceuser missions, whether or not the U.S. Government is a customer. NASA will consider othertechnical, operationally compatible uses and users which are determined to directly orindirectly support its missions and purposes if underutilized capacity remains available;or * Entities which directly provide services (e.g., education, insight, access to capital,business development, and related efforts) to entrepreneurs and small businesses thatenable and accelerate the growth of emerging technology companies related to theadvancement of space exploration. USES THAT NASA WILL NOT CONSIDER:For the facility identified in this announcement that may be available for potential PPVsor other partnering arrangements, NASA will not at this time consider responses that: * Fail to show any relevance to NASA's mission or purpose and U.S. Government interests,or fail to demonstrate a need for use of the requested SSC asset that cannot be met moreappropriately at other locations outside the restricted area or off Center;* Are deemed incompatible with the current SSC Master Plan, land use policies,environmental conditions, or pose a negative impact on NASA's mission; or* Request any proposed transfer of title to land, proposed residential uses, or proposedoperation of commercial agricultural uses.GOVERNMENT'S RIGHT TO APPLY CRITERIA:NASA reserves the right to apply criteria for assessing the 'best fit' for alternativeuses and users which may be considered for the facility identified in this announcement.Such criteria may include, but not be limited to: * The extent of alignment with NASA's mission, purpose and the long-term developmentobjectives and plans for SSC; * Benefits to SSC, NASA and other U.S. Government interests; * The alignment of the proposed use and occupancy need dates with the facility's intendedpurpose, configuration and availability dates;* An assessment of the financial capability of the proposed user; * An assessment of the environmental, safety and security impacts of the proposed user; * Potential for, and degree of, expected positive contribution to sustainment of SSC'stechnical workforce; or * Risks to SSC, NASA and other U.S. Government interests. GOVERNMENT'S RIGHT TO DISPOSE OF FACILITIES:This announcement does not preclude the Government's option to dispose of the identifiedfacility should it determine that there is no current or future need related to a NASAmission or purpose, and that it is in the Government's best interest to dispose of thefacility rather than to retain it. Such disposal may include, but not be limited to: * Declaring facility improvements excess to the Government's needs and disposing inaccordance with the established processes of the General Services Administration (GSA); * Deconstruction of the facility to enable re-development of the site at some futuredate; or* Abandonment in place. IDENTIFICATION OF FACILITY ANTICIPATED FOR AVAILABILITY:This notice encompasses only the facility as described below, which is located within thesecured and restricted-access area of SSC, generally referred to as 'inside the fence.' SSC E-4 Test Facility:Originally conceived and designed to conduct ground tests ofpropulsion systems in support of NASAs Rocket Based Combined Cycle (RBCC) Program, theE-4 Test Facility was partially constructed but, to this date, has not been completed andfurther development is not planned at this time. The basic test facility capability wasdesigned to provide low-pressure hydrocarbon fuel (JP-7) and oxidizer (Liquid Oxygen orLOX) to test articles having a thrust in the horizontal plane up to 50,000 lbf (maximum).NASA envisioned the growth of test capabilities at the E-4 Test Facility to meet futureRBCC or other propulsion testing requirements, including the following possibilities:1)-the incorporation of Liquid Hydrogen (LH) as a possible fuel, and HydrogenPeroxide (H2O2) as an oxidizer to support testing of power packs and engine systems;2)the addition of a Ram Air test capability up to Mach Number 0.8 to supportengine systems testing; and3)the upgrading of the necessary propellant and structural elements of the testfacility in order to support the testing of power packs and engine systems up to 500,000lbf thrust (maximum).No propellant systems, tankage or storage vessels were ever purchased or installed at theE-4 Test Facility. The E-4 Test Facility consists of concrete-walled test cells and associated hard stand; ahigh-bay work area equipped with a bridge crane and adjacent work area; control roomspace; and personnel offices. The attached photographs represent each of the types ofspace which make up the E-4 Test Facility. Access to the E-4 Test Facility is providedby road and, due to close proximity to the onsite canal system, access by barge is alsopossible. Standard utilities are available in the building, which houses the highbay/work area, control room space and personnel offices. Duct banks and pipe races existbetween the building and the test cells, and may be outfitted in accordance with futureneeds.Customer/Partners making appropriate use of the E-4 Test Facility will have the abilityto access the extensive SSC on-site support infrastructure through a demand servicesarrangement, which includes but is not limited to the following:* Rocket propulsion system testing (engine system, stage/vehicle, component & subsystem);* Security and privacy zones;* Cafeterias;* Medical clinic and fire protection;* Shop facilities (weld, machine, carpenter, electrical, plumbing, component cleaning andcertification, etc.)* Laboratory (sampling, cleanliness certification, instrumentation cleaning &calibration, etc.)* Information technology;* Environmental & industrial health; and* Institutional (janitorial, mail, shipping/receiving, storage, etc.).ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:No solicitation exists; therefore, do not request a copy of the solicitation. The purposeof this NOA/RFI is to determine industry's level of interest in the facility, as notedabove. This NOA/RFI is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government nor will theGovernment pay for any information solicited. Since this is a NOA/RFI, no evaluationletters and/or results will be issued to the respondents. Pending the level of interest, a site visit will be conducted on January 12, 2012. Thefollowing is the schedule of events for the subject site visit. Registration8:30 9:30 AMOpening Remarks 9:30 AMPresentation9:45 AMSite Tour Begins10:30 AMWrap up 11:30 AMAll interested parties may only bring four (4) authorized individuals percompany/organization to attend the site visit. Each interested party shall submit thefollowing registration information for each of the aforementioned individuals via emailto Pennie.M.Turner@NASA.gov no later than 3:00 PM CDT, December 16, 2011 to: Company NameEach Individuals First & Last NameE-mail AddressTelephone Number (including area code)CitizenshipAll interested parties shall proceed to the NASA Stennis Space Center (SSC) VisitorEntrance with a valid picture ID and upon entry follow the NASA Event Signs. Foreign Nationals are permitted with pre-approved authorization. Please respond early ifyou feel it is absolutely necessary for a foreign national to accompany your team on thesite visit. Also, allow additional time for processing an access request through theAgency system.There is no guarantee that the request will be approved. Instructions for Responses: Potential users interested in the described SSC asset shallsubmit statements of interest electronically, via e-mail, to the primary Point of Contact(POC) listed below. The statement of interest shall consist of a one page summary andadditional pages of supporting detail as needed. Responses shall contain a minimum fontsize of 12. To facilitate a prompt review, the one-page summary shall clearly identifyfacility use and planned utilization of assets in support of the intended purpose notedpreviously. The one-page summary shall include: (1) Company information. Specifyorganization name, address, primary POC and telephone number, business size and type, andproduct or service line; (2) Assets. Identify the specific asset requirements and theirproposed use; and (3) Timetable. Identify when the assets are needed for the proposed useand for what duration. Responses are required no later than close of business (COB)February 4, 2012. Information received after this date will only be considered if deemedin the Government's best interest. Please reference this NOA/RFI in any response. Respondents are cautioned to mark any information confidential that is consideredproprietary by the respondent. All electronic responses should be sent to the POC,identified below, with the message line 'Response to SSC Notice of Availability datedNovember 8, 2011.' Any questions you may have are to be submitted in writing, via email,no later than COB January 20, 2012 to the POC listed below. POINT OF CONTACTName: John E. Stealey Title:SSC ETD Associate Director Phone: 228-688-2236 Fax: 228-688-7854 Email: john.e.stealey@nasa.gov
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