NASA/George C. Marshall Space Flight Center, Procurement Office, Marshall Space Flight Center, AL 35812

66 -- TRAVELLING LANGMUIR PROBE SOL 8-1-9-RA-C1549 DUE 110698 POC Ollie G. Ragland, Contract Specialist, Phone (256) 544-0352, Fax (256) 544-9083, Email ollie.ragland@msfc.nasa.gov -- Michael R. Sosebee, Contracting Officer, Phone (256) 544-0415, Fax (256) 544-8641, Email michael.sosebee@msfc.nasa.gov WEB: Click here for the latest information about this notice, http://nais.nasa.gov/EPS/MSFC/date.html#8-1-9-RA-C1549. E-MAIL: Ollie G. Ragland, ollie.ragland@msfc.nasa.gov. NASA/MSFC plans to issue a Request for Quotation (RFQ) for Travelling Langmuir Probe. This procurement is being conducted under the Simplified Acquisition Procedures (SAP). NASA/MSFC intends to purchase the items from Plasma Surface Engineering, Inc. This recommendation is made pursuant to FAR 13.106, for the acquisition of supplies or services determined to be reasonably available from only one source. Competition is impractical for the following reasons: (1) Langmuir probes used for fusion diagnostics are unusual in that they must be inserted and retracted from the plasma extremely quickly to prevent their destruction. This company holds several patents and has many years of experience building these unique, high speed, one of a kind probes. (2) The company also supplies specially written software to control the operation and output of these probes in the hostile, high temperature plasma environment. This software is not available commercially and is necessary to correctly interpret the data receivedfrom the probes. The Government does not intend to acquire a commercial item using FAR Part 12. See Note 26. See Note 22. Any referenced notes can be viewed at the following URL: http://genesis.gsfc.nasa.gov/nasanote.html. Interested firms have [7] days from the publication of this synopsis to submit in writing to the identified point of contact, their qualifications/capabilities. Such qualifications/capabilities will be used solely for the purpose of determining whether or not to conduct this procurement on a competitive basis. Responses received after the [7] days or without the required information will be considered nonresponsive to the synopsis and will not be considered. A determination by the Government to not compete this proposed effort on a full and open competitive basis, based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Oral communications [are] acceptable in response to this notice. All responsible sources may submit an offer which shall be considered by the agency. An Ombudsman has been appointed. See Internet Note "B". Posted 10/29/98 (D-SN266804). (0302)

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