Notice of intent to Sole Source for the Material Property Testing of Thermal Protection Systems for Science Mission Directorate Missions

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Ames Research Center (ARC) has a follow-on requirement to conduct high accuracy material property characterization of NASA-provided thermal protection system materials ranging from low density conformable or flexible materials to fully densified composites. The testing will support the Entry Systems and Technology (TS) Division at ARC including but not limited to the following projects: the Mars Sample Return Earth Entry System Aeroshell TPS (MSR EEV TPS) project, the Phenolic Impregnated Carbon Ablator -Domestic (PICA-D) project, the Conformal PICA (C-PICA) project, the Orion/Artemis project, and various Internal Research and Development (IRAD) projects within TS Division. This requirement will include testing of some of NASA-provided TPS materials. To ensure the continuity of test results, prior test results will be compared with results of current testing for the same or similar materials. The contractor shall perform material property characterization of NASA-provided thermal protection system materials. These services may include, but are not limited to: 1) Thermal conductivity over a range of temperatures and pressures by guarded hot plate, comparative longitudinal heat flow, radial inflow; 2) Specific heat by adiabatic drop calorimetry or differential scanning calorimetry; 3) Thermal expansion; 4) Tensile strength, strain to failure and modulus; 5) Compression strength, strain to failure and modulus; 6) Shear strength; 7) Gas permeability; 8) Additional material characterization as needed for various project requirements. NASA intends to acquire this requirement as a commercial item using FAR Part 12, under a single award, Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) with a base plus four option years. Orders placed against this BPA will be firm fixed price orders. NASA intends to issue this BPA as a sole source procurement to Kratos Defense & Rocket Support Services, Inc. in San Diego, CA, under the authority 10 USC 2304(c)(1), Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements. Interested companies may submit their capabilities and qualifications to perform te effort electronically via email to the Contract Specialist, Wilma L. Estrada at Wilma.L.Estrada@nasa.gov and to the Contracting Officer, Uyen Tu at Uyen.K.Tu@nasa.gov not later than 2:00 p.m., PDT, August 10, 2022. A determination by the Government not to compete this acquisition on a full and open competition basis, is based upon responses to this notice and is solely 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