Initial Assessment for High-Vacuum Welding Glove Refurbishment by Original Vendor

NASA/NSSC is procuring a sole-source initial assessment and refurbishment of two Space Welding Vacuum Gloves originally manufactured by ILC Dover, to be conducted by ILC AstroSpace LLC under FAR 12.102(a) and FAR 19.8 as an 8(a) small business set-aside, identifying the vendor as the sole provider capable of performing this specialized work. The contract, identified by solicitation number 80NSSC26938210Q, is valued at $35,000 and will be administered by the NASA Shared Services Center, with performance taking place at ILC Dover’s facility in Houston, Texas, and final acceptance to occur either onsite or remotely as mutually agreed upon with NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The scope includes an initial assessment scheduled for June 8–12, 2026, during which NASA personnel will participate in a TEAMS meeting to finalize repair scope and funding, followed by refurbishment of critical components—including bladders, stitching, bellows, bearings, tethers, and seals—using parts of equal or superior quality, with all replaced components returned to MSFC alongside the refurbished gloves. Technical acceptance criteria are defined by ILC Dover’s internal leak testing and quality protocols and must ensure pressure retention in a high-vacuum lunar environment. Funding of $35,000 must be transferred by MSFC prior to June 8, 2026, to initiate work, with a completion timeline expected within two weeks of the initial assessment unless otherwise agreed. The acquisition is treated as a commercial item under FAR Part 12, with no formal CLIN structure, pricing breakdown, or detailed packaging, preservation, or marking specifications beyond the requirement for traceable return shipments. Responses to this non-competitive solicitation are due by 3:00 p.m. CST on August 5, 2026, and must be submitted in writing to the primary point of contact, McKenzie Hanson, via email, with oral communications expressly prohibited. The NASA FAR Supplement Clause 1852.215-84 on the Ombudsman applies, and no Contracting Officer’s Representative or technical representative is identified in the documentation.