Notice of Intent to Negotiate Sole Source - Neutron Spectrometer System (NSS) under Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) Mission

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Ames Research Center (ARC) intends to solicit, negotiate, and award a sole source contract to Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Center (LMATC) located in Palo Alto, CA pursuant to 10 U.S.C 2304(c)(1) - Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services will Satisfy Agency Requirement. The proposed contract action will result in the purchase of a neutron spectrometer system (NSS) under the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) mission, an in-situ resource characterization project with a payload that includes the NSS. Under the proposed contract action, the Contractor shall build, test, and deliver to NASA a protoflight instrument and a full set of flight-critical spares of the NSS for VIPER. The units shall conform to the established instrument requirements, specifications, interface control documentation, form, fit, and function of the previously delivered NSS engineering test units. The anticipated period of performance would be approximately 20 months with an estimated start date of February 2020 through October 2021. The protoflight unit and critical spare parts shall be tested and delivered to NASA in accordance with need dates established by the VIPER Project Office and Mission schedule, as updated by the Project prior to launch. Projected dates included: Critical Design in April 2020, instrument delivery for acceptance and flight qualification testing in May 2021, and instrument delivery required by October 2021. Since 2011, LMATC has provided the services and hardware for an initial NSS Instrument Engineering Test Unit (ETU) during the previously cancelled Resource Prospector (RP) mission. The initial NSS ETU instrument was completed and delivered to NASA ARC in September 2013. Following delivery, verification and validation of the instrument and environmental testing was successfully performed. In May 2017, during the RP phase A, a second ETU (version 2) with higher reliability parts was delivered and met TRL 6 requirements through flight qualification testing in October 2019. Due to the custom nature of the instrument's design, as well as prior NASA investment in VIPER NSS engineering test units, a sole source award is necessary. LMATC is the only entity capable of providing a flight-qualifiable version of the needed instrument: (a) with necessary flight electronic parts; (b) to the precise specifications for measurement sensitivity, instrument mass, power, volume and telemetry rate that the mission requires; and, (c) to meet project cost and schedule with acceptably low risk, as defined by NASA's Mission Assurance Requirements. The Government does not intend to acquire a commercial item using FAR Part 12. The proposed contract action is for supplies or services for which the Government intends to solicit and negotiate with only one source in accordance with 10 U.S.C 2304(c)(1), as implemented by FAR 6.302-1, "Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements." This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed effort on a full and open competition basis, based upon responses to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the government. Notwithstanding this stated intent, interested organizations may submit their capabilities and qualifications to perform the effort IN WRITING to Caroline.J.Brown@nasa.gov not later than 1:00 PM Pacific Time on December 10, 2019. Such communication of capabilities/qualifications will be evaluated solely for the purpose of determining whether or not to conduct this procurement on a competitive basis. Oral communications are not acceptable in response to this notice. Questions regarding this notice should also be directed to Caroline.J.Brown@nasa.gov no later than 1:00 PM Pacific Time on December 3, 2019. NASA Clause 1852.215-84, Ombudsman, is applicable. The Center Ombudsman for this acquisition can be found at https://prod.nais.nasa.gov/pub/pub_library/Omb.html. Information about major upcoming NASA procurement actions is available at https://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/procurement/forecast/.