Sources Sought Notice for the Material Property Testing of Thermal Protection Systems (TPS) for Science Mission Directorate (SMD) 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 from purchase orders NNA12AB39P, NNA11AB64P, NNA08BC29P, NNA07BB10P, and NNA06BC04P. 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. As described in the attached, draft Statement of Work (SOW), 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. The Government intends to acquire this requirement as a commercial item using FAR Part 12, under a single award, indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract with a base plus four option years. Interested organizations may submit their capabilities and qualifications to include the following information: 1. GENERAL INFORMATION: Briefly describe your company and the types of services performed. Please also include: the names, e-mail addresses, and phone numbers for any points of contacts (POCs), the company's address, CAGE Code/DUNS number, and the type of business demographic that applies (i.e., small business, large business, women-owned). 2. PAST PERFORMANCE: Provide contract information on similar contracts over the past three (3) years. This information shall include: the name of customer/agency, types of services provided, type of contract, total contract value, and whether the contractor was a prime or subcontract. If subcontract, please provide details regarding prime contract and your company's role in supporting the prime contractor. In addition, please provide any examples about your company's capabilities to quickly and efficiently staff to rapidly changing requirements. 3. CAPABILITIES: Provide information describing your company's capabilities to perform all aspects of the effort as stated above and in the attached, draft Statement of Work. All responses shall be submitted electronically via email to the Contract Specialist, Wilma.L.Estrada@nasa.gov, and Contracting Officer, Uyen.K.Tu@nasa.gov no later than 24 June 2022, 2:00 p.m. PDT. Please reference sources sought 80ARC022TPST and your firm/company name in any response. Such capabilities/qualifications will be evaluated solely for the purpose of determining whether 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. Submissions should also include socioeconomic categories of Small Businesses and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU)/Minority Institutions (MI), and members of the underserved communities as defined by Executive Order 13985, Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through The Federal Government, for the purposes of determining the appropriate level of competition and/or small business subcontracting goals for this requirement. The Government reserves the right to consider a Small, 8(a), Women-owned (WOSB), Service-Disabled Veteran (SD-VOSB), Economically Disadvantaged Women-owned Small Business (EDWOSB) or HUBZone business set-aside based on responses received. 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. This posting, in addition to any attached documents, will be available on www.Sam.gov. It is the interested organization's responsibility to monitor this website for any additional information or answers to questions. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code is 334511, Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing. Size standard is 1250 employees. This notice is for information and planning purposes only and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government nor will the Government pay for information solicited. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation. If a solicitation is released it will be synopsized in www.sam.gov. It is the potential offerors responsibility to monitor these sites for the release of any solicitation or amendments. The Government intends to review all responses submitted by industry. This data will not be shared outside the Government and may be used to further refine requirements. Please do not submit proprietary information.