RFI: Industry Interest in Use of NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) Test Facilities and Capabilities

Public Notice/Announcement – Request for Information (RFI)

THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. NO PROPOSALS ARE TO BE SUBMITTED IN RESPONSE TO THIS NOTICE.

This Request for Information (RFI) is issued by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Office of JPL Management and Oversight (NOJMO) to solicit responses from all interested parties. This document is for information and planning purposes and to allow industry the opportunity to express interest in the use of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) test facilities. 

This RFI is a standalone market research effort and is not related to, a continuation of, or a supplement to any previous RFI issued by NASA or NOJMO concerning the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), its facilities, capabilities, or potential industry use. This RFI is not related to any current or future competitive acquisition for the operation of the JPL. Responses to any prior RFI should not be considered responsive to this notice, and information submitted in response to a previous RFI does not constitute a response to this RFI.

This notice is issued for informational and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation, request for proposals, or an offer or commitment by the Government to enter into a contract or other type of agreement.

Purpose

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), a federally funded research and development center operated by the California Institute of Technology for NASA, maintains a broad portfolio of world-class facilities and test capabilities supporting spacecraft, instruments, robotics, and advanced technology development.

NASA is conducting market research to assess industry interest in the potential short-term or medium-term utilization of select JPL facilities and capabilities.

The purpose of this RFI is to:

1. Understand potential demand for JPL test and integration facilities and services located in La Cañada Flintridge, California and other NASA-owned facilities managed or operated under JPL purview
2. Inform internal planning related to facility utilization and potential access models
3. Identify general categories of industry use cases and constraints
4. Assess potential workforce, scheduling, and infrastructure considerations associated with external facility use

In addition to facilities located at the primary JPL campus, certain capabilities may exist at associated NASA sites managed by JPL, including the Table Mountain Facility in Wrightwood, California, which supports optical communications, astronomy, and related technology demonstrations.

Representative Facility Capabilities (see Attachment A)

Representative Support Services (see Attachment A)

Cost Recovery and Facility Use Considerations

External use of NASA facilities is generally subject to cost recovery and usage fees consistent with federal policy governing the use of government-owned facilities and infrastructure.

Depending on the nature of the activity, facility use may require reimbursement to NASA for costs including:

• facility operations and maintenance
• technical support services
• utilities and infrastructure usage
• scheduling and administrative support

Specific cost structures or pricing models are not defined at this stage and may vary depending on the scope and duration of any future activities.

Workforce and Staffing Considerations

NASA is interested in understanding how potential industry users would envision staffing activities conducted within JPL facilities. Respondents are encouraged to address:

• Whether they anticipate bringing their own technical personnel to conduct testing or development activities within the facilities.
• The extent to which they may wish to leverage existing JPL or Caltech technical staff, engineering expertise, or operational support already available onsite.
• Any considerations related to workforce integration, safety training, or operational oversight.

This information will help NASA understand potential operational models for facility utilization.

Requested Industry Input

Interested parties are invited to provide non-binding input addressing:

1. General interest in utilizing the aforementioned test facilities.
2. Types of activities or use cases that may benefit from access and utilization of such facilities.
3. Anticipated duration (short-term or medium-term).
4. High-level scheduling, access, or integration considerations.
5. Whether respondents anticipate bringing their own personnel or utilizing JPL technical staff. 
6. The type of agreement or legal instrument the respondent believes would be most appropriate for the proposed and the basis for that preference.
7. Any facility or infrastructure requirements not listed above.

Response Instructions

NASA invites responses from all categories of U.S. domestic entities, including commercial firms, academic institutions, and federal and state organizations, as well as United States Commercial Providers as defined in the Space Commerce Act, 51 U.S.C. § 50101(7). Responses are limited to U.S. entities only.

Interested parties should submit responses electronically in MS word or PDF format. Responses should not exceed 30 pages and should directly address the items identified under "Requested Industry Input" above.

Responses shall be submitted via NASA’s Enterprise File Sharing and Sync Box (EFSS Box), a FedRAMP Moderate certified platform. Electronic submissions shall not contain hidden formulas, tables, be locked, be password protected, or contain links to data not included in the electronic copy. All electronic submissions should be searchable and should not contain scanned documents, except those documents that must be provided in their native format (e.g., signature pages). Interested parties shall ensure documents are free from viruses and malware, as documents determined by NASA to contain a virus or malware will not be opened or reviewed.

Responses must be submitted to: https://nasagov.app.box.com/f/a2d4260d157d416882015f7432bf5486. Interested parties shall follow instructions regarding capability statement submission found at: https://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/procurement/other/EFSS-Box-Offeror-Proposal-Submission-Instructions.pdf

This RFI may be amended or withdrawn by NASA at any time. NASA seeks to ensure broad awareness and visibility of this notice; however, it is each respondent's responsibility to monitor SAM.gov for any amendments or additional information related to this notice.

Responses are voluntary and will be used solely for market research purposes and will not affect the ability to propose on future opportunities.  NASA does not intend to award a contract, Space Act Agreement (SAA), or any other legal implementing instrument in response to submissions received from this RFI.  NASA will not pay for any information submitted in response to this RFI, nor will NASA reimburse respondents for any costs incurred in preparing a response.

This notice does not imply facility availability, partnership, or future acquisition.

All submissions become the property of the Government and will not be returned.  It is not NASA's intent to publicly disclose responses or proprietary information submitted in response to this RFI.  Still, Respondents should clearly mark any proprietary or confidential information. No, Personally Identifiable Information (PII) should be submitted in response to this RFI. NASA will protect such information from public disclosure to the extent permitted by the Freedom of Information Act and other applicable laws and regulations.

NASA does not intend to reply individually to respondents but reserves the right to contact respondents for clarification or to conduct follow-up discussions, if needed.

Based on the responses received through this market research, NASA may consider hosting a future Industry Day or similar engagement opportunity to provide additional information regarding available test facilities, potential access models, and the technical expertise of the workforce at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Any such event would be announced separately and would be intended to further inform industry of potential capabilities and gather additional feedback.

Site Visit

NOJMO may, upon sufficient expressed interest, select JPL facilities available for site visits by appointment at any time.