NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 214.5, Greenbelt, MD 20771

V -- NASA'S GODDARD SMALL EXPENDABLE LAUNCH SERVICE II ACQUISITION DUE 081297 POC Cindy Dean, Contracting Officer, Phone (301)286-0416, Fax (301)286-0324, Email Cynthia.Dean.1@gsfc.nasa.gov -- Celeste Dalton, Contracting Officer, Phone (301)286-0420, Fax (301)286-0324, Email Celeste.M.Dalton.1@gsfc.nasa.gov WEB: Click here for the latest information about this notice, http://procurement.nasa.gov/EPS/GSFC/date.html#9707-551. E-MAIL: Cindy Dean, Cynthia.Dean.1@gsfc.nasa.gov. To: All Potential Bidders on the NASA s Goddard Small Expendable Launch Vehicle Services II Acquisition A. We request your company s thoughts regarding the use of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 12 Acquisition of Commercial Items and associated terms and conditions rather than the standard Government negotiated procurement terms and conditions. Specifically, does your company believe that procurement conducted under FAR Part 12 is appropriate and will accommodate the following firm Government requirements: 1. Government insight into and/or approval of certain Contractor tasks and milestones (spacecraft integration and mission analysis; LVS design, development, and production; Vehicle Integrated Systems Tests; Launch site vehicle assembly and test; Integrated spacecraft/vehicle prelaunch operations; Launch countdown; and Post-Flight analysis for NASA missions, and for non-NASA missions using launch vehicles of similar configuration.) 2. Government insight into of baseline vehicle design. 3. ISO 9000 Certification, NASA Engineering Quality Audit (NEQA), and the Special Qualification Criteria to be established in NASA Policy Directive. 4. Government directed unilateral changes without a contractor stoppage of work (e.g. change in launch vehicle interface, quality requirements, etc.) 5. Contractor processes (approved Government Property systems) for the handling of Government provided spacecraft for integration with the launch vehicle, and all associated procedures and practices are in place to adequately insure these unique, high dollar, spacecraft are not damaged. B. In addition to the above firm Government requirements, insight into commercial launch vehicle service practices is requested. Please describe your commercial practices as they relate to the following: 1. Procedures for ordering launch services and assigning launch dates, with emphasis on how you address call up times, launch rates and intervals (between ordering and launch, between consecutive launches, etc.), and any launch rate restrictions/minimum period of time between consecutive launches. 2. Interfaces/agreements/documentation with payload customers (mission integration, generation of mission-peculiar analysis and software, payload integration, launch pad payload services, documentation required from/provided to the payload, and ground and launch operations). 3. Please submit a copy of your commercial Payload User s Guide, if one exists. (Submittal of guide is acceptable in lieu of reponding to B1 and B2 if the guide contains the requested information in B1 and B2.) 4. Handling of the resolution of flight anomalies, with emphasis on how spacecraft customers (including those on future launches) are involved. 5. Configuration management (hardware and software), risk (technical and programmatic) management, ISO 9001 certification/quality assurance, contamination control, EEE parts control, safety, reliability, materials and processes program, and management/control of subcontractors. 6. Any restrictions on your commercial launch service s ability to launch relative to geographic location, Government regulations, weather, and commercial agreements. 7. Establishing an agreed upon launch service price at the initiation of mission-related work and then implementing unforeseen mission-unique changes to the ELV at a later date. 8. Type of cost and price data provided in your proposal for your commercial contracts. For instance, do you provide a Basis of Estimate (BOE) for each standard service vehicle/configuration proposed? 9. Level of detail provided for standard service proposals and to what elements, e.g. Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), is the BOE related to. 10. Level of detail provided for mission specific proposals. 11. Methodology employed in pricing both standard and non- standard service. 12. Methods of establishing price reasonableness employed in the current commercial marketplace for launch services. Do the methods employed vary significantly from customer to customer or are they reasonably similar? If a commercial customer has concerns over proposed price reasonableness, what systems/structure/policy do you currently have in place that guides your course of action when such circumstances arise? 13. Payment Terms 14. Launch delays by either party. 15. Describe your commercial base or environment. 16. Provide your current percentage mix of Small Business and Small Disadvantaged Business subcontracts relative to expected price of the offered services. C. Market Research Questions 1. What is your standard commercial practice for a minimum ordering period? 2. Can a commercial price catalogue/database be accessed? 3. How can price reasonableness be independently verified? D. In addition, if this procurement is conducted as a FAR Part 12 acquisition, there is a possibility that catalog prices (i.e. basic service price, IDIQ contract burdened labor rates, etc.) may be releasable to the public under the Freedom of Information Act. E. Given the above, if you believe the small expendable launch services acquisition requirements can be met under FAR Part 12 procurement, please provide your standard sellers terms and conditions and the buyers terms and conditions customarily negotiated. Also, please provide your rationale for whether this acquisition should be conducted as a FAR Part 12 or as a standard negotiated Government procurement. F. We will schedule further discussions only with those companies which we have additional questions based on their response to this market survey request. G. Please provide your response by 3:00pm EST, August 12, 1997. Thank you in advance for your efforts in responding to this request. If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Cynthia Dean, Contracting Officer at (301) 286-0416, or Ms. Celeste Dalton at (301) 286-0420. We prefer email responses be sent to: Cynthia.Dean.1@gsfc.nasa.gov 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 information solicited. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation. Respondents deemed fully qualified will be considered in any resultant solicitation for the requirement. Firms responding should indicate whether they are a socially or economically disadvantaged business firm, an 8(a) firm, a small business, and/or woman-owned business. All responses shall be submitted to identified point of contact no later than August 12, 1997. In responding reference 9707-551. Any referenced numbered notes can be viewed at the following URL: http://genesis.gsfc.nasa.gov/nnotes.htm. (0199)

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