NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 219, Greenbelt, MD 20771

B -- SOLE-SOURCE TIME EXTENSION FOR COMPUTER SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT AND SCIENTIFIC DATA ANALYSIS SOL RFO5-600&900-32350-259 POC Lynne Hoppel, Contracting Officer, Phone (301)286-3035, Fax (301)286-1739, Email Lynne.C.Hoppel.1@gsfc.nasa.gov WEB: Click here for the latest information about this notice, http://nais.nasa.gov/EPS/GSFC/date.html#RFO5-600&;900-32350-259. E-MAIL: Lynne Hoppel, Lynne.C.Hoppel.1@gsfc.nasa.gov. NASA/GSFC plans to issue a 1-year extension on a sole-source basis under NAS5-32350 with Raytheon STX Corp., who currently provides support services for GSFC in Maryland. The contract with Raytheon STX Corp. started October 1, 1993, and is going to expire on September 30, 1998. This extension is a continuation of activities associated with solar and space plasma physics, astrophysics and astronomy, planetary studies, atmospheric science and climatology, oceanography, geodynamics, and solid earth dynamics. Over 200 tasks orders supporting the Science and Engineering directorates at GSFC are active. This procurement is part of a directorate-wide plan to consolidate mission and support contracts and consolidate space and sciences data analysis services into 19 future competitive procurements. To facilitate the recompetitions to encompass all of the necessary work, common end dates must be established. For example, Code 916 and 926 efforts will be extended approximately 11 months. Project milestones being placed at risk by not extending NAS5-32350 relate to the specialized support activities under the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer, the Solar Backscattered Ultraviolet instrument, and the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission. Code 913 efforts will be extended approximately 12 months. Current critical support which must not be interrupted relates to the Satellite Data Precipitation Studies. RSTX has been tasked with various Code 920 activities associated with the Geoscience Laser Altimeter System. Numerous deadlines on this activity would negatively be affected if RSTX did not continue providing support. The Boreal Ecosystem Atmosphere Study (BOREAS) Information System schedule includes completing the delivery of the 300 BOREAS data sets and associated documentation. Further, Earth Sciences research activities currently performed under NAS5-32350 will migrate to new Earth Sciences research cooperative agreements. For example, RSTX provides science coordination and development of operation plans for the International Solar Terrestrial Physics /Global Geospace Science spacecraft WIND and POLAR. RSTX staff is critical to the process of developing operation plans for POLAR and in particular the pointing plans for the despun platform on which the 3 imagers sit. GSFC cannot allow ISTP operations interrupted resulting from a discontinuation of current scientific research activities. Through performance in this current contract, RSTX has gained specialized expertise critical to the successful completion of the Center's established milestones. The technical expertise resides in the knowledge of the unique devices and computer software that were designed, developed, and implemented by RSTX personnel. The understanding of the hardware and software is crucial for meeting various critical current milestones. A competitive solicitation and potential replacement of the incumbent by a new contractor for a 1-year period introduces unacceptable risks to the completion of critical milestones within established schedules. Employee turnover for a 1-year contract is expected to effect the highly skilled contractor personnel. A significant drop in the level of expertise being provided to the Center would result in the drastic failure of a significant number of science efforts supported by this contract. Cost related to employee turnover would drastically increase, and numerous critical tasks supporting the Center will fail. For these reasons, duplication of significant cost to the Center is expected and unacceptable delays would occur if competition is obtained for this 1-year period. Work is underway to compete the present level-of-effort requirement as a performance-based full and open competition and to compete the cooperative agreements. The selection of successor contractor(s) and phase-in is expected during this 1-year extension period also. NASA/GSFC intends to continue support services with Raytheon STX Corporation based upon 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1) Only One Responsible Source, 10 U.S.C. (d)(1)(A) substantial duplication of costs to theGovernment that is not expected to be recovered through competition, and 10 U.S.C. 2304 (d)(1)(B), Unacceptable Delays. Potential replacement of the incumbent at this time introduces unacceptable risks to the completion of critical milestones with already established schedules. In addition, Raytheon STX Corp. possesses unique knowledge and expertise not possessed by other vendors at this time including detailed understanding of complex science algorithms for mission critical software, preparation for science launch support for Earth science instrument missions (such as Earth Observing System,) and resolution of the Year 2000 issues across the full range of software supported. However, companies that believe they can provide these services for this period without any detrimental impact to the program schedules supported under NAS5-32350 should fully identify their interest and capabilities within 15 days after publication of this synopsis on the NAIS or Commerce Business Daily. These capability statements will be used solely for the purpose of determining whether or not to conduct this contract extension on a competitive basis. Responses received after 15 days or without the required information will be considered nonresponsive to the synopsis and will not be considered. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract extension on a full and open basis, based upon responses to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the Government. Oral communications are not acceptable in response to this notice. See Note 22. Any referenced notes can be viewed at the following URL: http://genesis.gsfc.nasa.gov/nnotes.htm. An Ombudsman has been appointed, See Internet Note "B". Posted 07/06/98. (0187)

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