Eastern and Western Range Spaceports

Spaceport 3 Sources Sought Synopsis The Launch Test Squadron (LTS), Kirtland AFB, is conducting market research as they contemplate issuance of multiple award, indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (ID/IQ), 5-10 year contract to provide LTS with Spaceport services from both the east and west coasts of the United States. For purposes of the contemplated acquisition, the geographic area includes only those states that border the coasts. This is to ensure stages are dropped in the broad ocean area. The purpose of the program is to provide enhanced capability and flexibility in commercial spaceport services in order to meet a wide variety of mission requirements for LTS's multi stage orbital and sub-orbital vehicles. "Spaceport 3" contractors will be required to provide launch site operations support, range/range integration support, logistics support, facility engineering and utilization, and program support. Depending on the mission, the government may provide selected ground handling, launch, and support equipment as Government Furnished Equipment (GFE). Interested vendors should submit a written Statement of Capability (SOC) to this office, expressing their desire and ability to meet "Spaceport 3" requirements. The SOC shall contain pertinent and specific information addressing the following areas (some areas will not be relevant to all potential commercial spaceport providers as they will be government range functions, the contractor should address only as appropriate): (1) Experience: an outline of previous launches, specific work previously performed or being performed and any in-house development effort, relevant to the specific task areas of this effort; (2) Personnel: name, professional qualifications, and specific engineering and program management experienced personnel who might be assigned to work in areas of the subject effort; and (3) Facilities: availability and description of facilities that may be used in the task under consideration, also a statement regarding industrial security clearance and facilities to support work at the SECRET level. Note that the facilities must have licenses or demonstrate the ability to obtain licenses from appropriate authorities (e.g. FAA) to perform launches of multi stage suborbital and orbital vehicles. Responses must also contain information demonstrating the interested contractor's ability to meet the following technical requirements: (1) Ability to support the in field integration, test, and launch of a variety of launch vehicles (one or more stages) while meeting all technical, mission, and safety requirements including any possible pathfinder activities; (2) Ability to provide the interface between range (on site and remote sites) and United States Air Force (USAF) personnel; (3) Ability to provide: a) logistics support (air, sea, rail, and ground operations) to and from the Spaceport for all program related equipment, facilities, and assets, and b) data as applicable; (4) Ability to provide support services during processing, testing, and launch, including the ability to provide or arrange for propellants, liquids and gases as needed; (5) Ability to provide engineering services for modifications to facilities to meet system or experiment requirements; (6) Ability to provide the necessary facilities and facility operations support, including the ability to provide a payload processing and test facility with 100,000 class clean room capability, to provide a storage facility for the vehicle components and all associated handling equipment and to provide a magazine for storing ordnance as applicable or when no government facilities are available; and (7) Ability to provide program management support for vehicle and ground hardware transportation, processing, integration, testing, and launch. The contractor should submit only unclassified information. If you are interested only in subcontracting possibilities, please indicate this clearly in your submission. Initial award of any resultant contract, if any, is anticipated by August 2009. Foreign vendors interested in submitting a SOC may do so, but are advised that they may not be allowed to participate in this acquisition at the prime contractor level as the research and test data produced may contain information whose export may be restricted. All responses shall include the vendor's size status and socioeconomic designation (8a, women owned, veteran owned, etc.) under the applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code 488999, and corresponding size standard of $6.5M in average annual receipts. Statements of Capability are limited to 50 pages, excluding resumes, and are to be mailed to SDTW/PKN (Attn: Ms. Angelica R. Armenta), 3548 Aberdeen Ave SE, Kirtland AFB NM 87117-5778. Electronic submissions are preferred and should be e-mailed to angelica.armenta@kirtland.af.mil. All submissions must be received by close of business on 17 July 2008. This synopsis is for information and planning purposes only and is not to be construed as a commitment, implied or otherwise, to procure equipment or services. Future requirements and procurements are uncertain. The Government will not reimburse respondents for the cost of submitting information in response to this Sources Sought.