NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Wallops Flight Facility, Code 218, Wallops Island, VA 23337

A -- NASA SOUNDING ROCKET OPERATIONS CONTRACT (NSROC) SOL RFI5-XXXX1-605 DUE 031297 POC Caroline Massey, Contracting Officer, Phone (757)824-1959, Fax (757)824-1974, Email Caroline.R.Massey.1@gsfc.nasa.gov WEB: Click here for the latest information about this notice, http://procurement.nasa.gov/EPS/GSFC/date.html#RFI5-XXXX1-605. E-MAIL: Caroline Massey, Caroline.R.Massey.1@gsfc.nasa.gov. The NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center's, Wallops Flight Facility (WFF) is seeking potential sources and industry input for a NASA Sounding Rocket Operations Contract (NSROC). The NASA Sounding Rocket Program is being completely restructured to create a single prime contractor operated program based at the WFF. The Government will maintain a management and insight role for the program, while a contractor will be responsible for operations through a performance based incentive contract. NASA's concept for this effort is based on reductions in day-to-day civil service involvement, reducing management and administrative redundancies, and a contractor making continuous improvements for greater efficiency while maintaining the high level of safety and quality the NASA Sounding Rocket Program has achieved. The Government plans to retain certain functions such as overall program managment (mission selection, funding, international agreements, grant administration), management of the ground and flight safety processes, ownership of program assets, and performance of surveillence, audits, and technical insight of contractor operations. The incentive strategy for this effort will be based on the goals (in priority order) of operational safety, mission success (including schedule), and cost reductions. The contractor will also be responsible for a seamless transition of the current program to the new approach without disruption of program operations or the mission manifest. The Government is particularly interested in industry recommendations for contract incentive and performance based features, provision of Government furnished property and institutional services, subsystem R&D enhancements, and the potential for commercial work. This contract may also be considered a candidate for the Consolidated Contract Inititative (CCI). Interested parties must contact the Contracting Officer listed in this notice by COB March 12, 1997 to participate in the NSROC market research and industry input process. WFF will scheduleone-on-one meetings with potential offerors to receive their input March 17 through 26, 1997. These discussions will be based on the NSROC Request for Information package (RFI5-XXXX1-605) available on the Internet at the location described at the close of this notice. Respondents should also identify their experience and capabilities for services to support payload design, fabrication, integration, testing and launch and data acquisition operations. Written responses documenting the input process should be forwarded to the Contracting Officer via electronic or facsimile transmission, and must be received by COB March 28, 1997. NASA intends to release draft solicitation documents in May 1997, and hold an industry conference at that time. This synopsis is for information and planning purposes and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government, nor will the Government pay for the information solicited. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the review. An ombudsman has been appointed -—See Note "B". Any documents and updates related to this planned procurement will be available over the Internet. These documents will be in ASCII or RTF format and will reside on a World-Wide Web (WWW) server, which may be accessed using a WWW browser application. The WWW address, or URL, of the NASA/GSFC Business Opportunities home page is http://procurement.nasa.gov/EPS/GSFC/class.html. Any referenced numbered notes can be viewed at the following URL: http://genesis.gsfc.nasa.gov/nnotes.htm. (0056)

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