EXTENSION OF NAS15-10110, SUSTAINING ENGINEERING SERVICES FOR THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION'S FUNCTIONAL CARGO BLOCK

NASA/JSC has a requirement for Sustaining Engineering (SE) services for the International Space Station's (ISS) Functional Cargo Block (FGB). Additionally, NASA requires Soyuz and Progress-related launch, landing, and logistics services in Russia and Kazakhstan. These services would provide the development and execution of on-orbit life sustaining plans for FGB module operations, ground engineering support for data trending and anomaly resolution, Crew training required to support FGB activities, Crew execution of on-board execution, ground maintenance of Mission Control Center (MCC) assets necessary to ensure health of the FGB modules, MCC personnel to perform flight control activities associated with the FGB, flight certification of hardware and software, and the use and management of ground assets, including test stands, necessary for the successful performance of the FGB module. The FGB was the first launched element of the International Space Station, built in Russia under US contract and owned by the United States. During the ISS assembly phase, ROSCOSMOS was responsible for technically integrating the FGB module into the Russian ISS segment, which is operated by ROSCOSMOS. As integrator and executor of the FGB sustaining engineering tasks, ROSCOSMOS maintains expert knowledge of the FGB on-orbit operating conditions and assets required for all factions of ground support. Further, the FGB module utilizes Mission Control Center - Moscow (MCC-M) and ground assets leased and maintained by ROSCOSMOS. ROSCOSMOS is also responsible for the Cosmonaut Crew time required to perform maintenance and troubleshooting of the module. ROSCOSMOS successfully executes critical on-orbit flight certification and FGB systems engineering services to ensure the FGB is sustained while maintaining critical interfaces with the Russian segment, and has performed these tasks, since the beginning of ISS assembly. ROSCOSMOS is currently the sole known contractor proven to integrate all functions of the scope of work required to satisfy the Government's requirements. Therefore, NASA is considering purchasing the support services for sustaining engineering tasks from ROSCOSMOS without competition. NASA/JSC intends to extend contract number NAS15-10110 from December 31, 2024, to December 31, 2025, to acquire these services from ROSCOSMOS. NASA's exemption to the Iran-North Korea-Syria Nonproliferation Act (INKSNA) ends on December 31, 2025. However, if Congress approves an extension to NASA's INKSNA exemption through at least 2028, the period of performance for contract NAS15-10110 can be extended through 2028 to align with Russia's commitment to support continued ISS operations through 2028. If Congress approves an extension to NASA's INKSNA exemption through at least 2030 and Russia extends its commitment to support continued ISS operations through 2030, the period of performance for contract NAS15-10110 can be extended through 2030 to align with section 10815 of the - Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors Act of 2002 which states that it shall be U.S. policy to continue full operations of the ISS through at least fiscal year 2030. Description of services to be acquired: The support services include the following: Contract and programmatic requirements for maintaining the current state of the FGB, validating the FGB operational requirements, storing FGB spares at KhSC and transporting spares to Baikonur, and ensuring ROSCOSMOS management accountability in support of the following sustaining engineering tasks: Ensuring the FGB systems function nominally during all phases of each ISS operating mode (including, but not limited to: propellant transfer, docking and undocking, USOS CMG desaturation, leak check, re-boost). Analyzing, calculating, and monitoring loads and strength of FGB materials (assure the strength and other properties of structures). Evaluating the microbial environment, providing recommendations and executing the performance of measures to optimize sanitary conditions. Assessing infrastructure materials for the climatic health and strength due to space flight factors. Monitoring the FGB structural components, cargo items, and panels. Ensuring the integrity and pressurization of habitable compartments. Ensuring functional properties of onboard cable network. Ensuring pressure integrity of the pneumatic/hydraulic system, propulsion system and spherical tanks. Sustaining the systems which receive, transfer, store and convert electrical power via FGB systems. Sustaining the operational life of onboard FGB complex control system avionics and support systems. Maintaining control of the FGB onboard complex avionics and FGB communications with the ground segment using United States Onboard Systems (USOS) and Russian Segment (RS) assets. Ensuring nominal FGB thermal conditions, life support and FGB atmosphere revitalization. Maintaining the exchange of FGB status via Caution and Warning system with USOS and RS. Sustaining the operational life of FGB power supply system devices, wire cables and insulation. Maintaining the FGB fire detection and suppression systems. Maintaining FGB lighting. Removing and replacing devices and hardware, as they fail, or as deemed technically feasible to ensure optimal performance of FGB systems. Providing FGB spares assessment and projections for the future needs and deliveries. Preparing FGB hardware for launch including; certification, safety documents and packaging. Transporting FGB hardware from bonded storage facility to launch site. Executing FGB flight control using ISS MCC assets and Russian communication channels. Maintaining the functional ability of MCC-M software and hardware. Maintaining and operating flight ground test stands. Supporting crew operations and fulfill international crew training requirements in relation to supporting FGB activities. Maintaining and operating flight system simulators. Conducting reviews and technical interchange meetings with system experts, technical boards, and panels. To execute all core requirements of this scope of work, the Contractor must: Manage and control Cosmonaut on-orbit crew time schedules with the ability to prioritize events in support of preventative maintenance and anomaly resolution at no additional cost. Manage, oversee, and validate FGB operational requirements by the analysis of system performance data to determine response to anomalous activity and the execution of corrective events and maintenance tasks. The Contractor must have access to Russian information and data to perform this work, to include Russian export controlled data. Maintain real-time access, without restriction to all FGB MCC-M flight control assets, MCC-M ISS RS MCC assets, flight system simulators, ground test stands, software verification facilities and crew trainer facilities to afford immediate response to critical anomalies without restriction, time delay or additional cost. Manage the development of mockups in real-time configuration, training procedures and execution of Cosmonaut External Vehicular Activity (EVA) training on the FGB to respond to critical anomalies without restriction or additional cost for such effort or training run. Manage the provision of transportation capability to transit hardware expeditiously from Russian (or a former Soviet Union country) to Baikonur, Kazakhstan (and back) for launch and landing with customs clearance. Ship FGB spares to the JSC for the launch on the US vehicles, for processing export control, custom, and shipment paperwork, and for reviewing hardware packing plan for vibration sensitive FGB hardware. Perform changes required to transition to new Komparus ground sites. Manage the capability to command to the FGB directly through the Russian ground stations. The Contractor must be a fully briefed active member of the Joint Commission, with the capability to have access to Russian controlled information regarding any FGB anomaly resulting in a Commission. The Contractor shall have the authority to receive full access to the data, analysis, and result of the Joint Commission anomaly findings without redaction to include Russian export controlled information. The Contractor must have the capability to have full access to the on-orbit crew flight data file with no redactions. Background: The purchase of these support services for sustaining engineering tasks will ensure the continued engineering support required to provide FGB Sustaining Engineering activities and services onboard the ISS through at least December 31, 2025, for all operating modes. The FGB module is a self-sufficient orbital transfer vehicle, which contains propulsion, guidance, navigation, and control, communications, electrical power, thermal control systems and stowage capacity. The support services for sustaining engineering tasks will ensure the monitoring and management of the health of the systems of the FGB. ROSCOSMOS management is responsible for the health of the module which includes, but is not limited to, subsystem and component performance of electrical power system, thermal control system, command and data handling system, environmental control system, motion control system and structures and mechanisms. These subsystems are monitored via on-orbit and ground assets and maintained by analyses, testing and the execution of crew and ground procedures. Additionally, ROSCOSMOS is responsible for procedures, crew training and crew time required to sustain FGB operations. The space environment can create adverse impacts on hardware due to ionizing radiation, cyclic temperature changes and the hazards of space debris. Sustaining engineering of component performance shall include the analysis, recovery planning and execution in the event of a failure or anomaly. Analysis and evaluation of FGB loads and materials will be performed to determine materials strength, module health and life span. ROSCOSMOS will provide projections of components to be delivered on-board to ensure hardware and software reliability results in a safe and habitable module. This includes the repair and replacement projections of hardware as determined by run to failure calculations. As a means to mitigate risks, hardware logistical planning shall be executed by run to failure mode, if the run to failure mode creates a lifespan hazard, hardware degradation analyses will be performed, and a replacement plan will be devised and executed. The Contractor will be responsible for the safety certification of launching and disposing FGB hardware as well as preparing and packaging the hardware for launch. The Contractor will provide the support services that will enable the aforementioned sustaining engineering tasks. ROSCOSMOS is currently the sole known contractor proven to integrate all phases of the scope of work required to satisfy the Government's requirements. The Government does not intend to acquire a commercial item using FAR Part 12. Interested organizations may submit their capabilities and qualifications to perform the effort electronically via email to Kelsey.j.klinger@nasa.gov not later than 4:30 PM Central Time on December 26, 2023. Such capabilities/qualifications will be evaluated solely for the purpose of determining whether or not to conduct this acquisition on a competitive basis. A determination by the Government not to compete this acquisition on a full and open competition basis, based upon responses to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the Government. NASA Clause 1852.215-84, Ombudsman, is applicable. The Center Ombudsman for this acquisition can be found at : https://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/procurement/regs/Procurement-Ombuds-Comp-Advocate-Listing.pdf