Telescope and Dome IT System Software Support

The U.S. Air Force Academy, through the Department of the Air Force, is pursuing a sole-source firm-fixed-price acquisition for telescope and dome IT system software support under solicitation FA700026Q0085, with a response deadline of July 27, 2026. The requirement is for 200 hours of remote IT services to upgrade the USAFA One-Meter Telescope’s control system, including integration of a new main computer and enhancements to dome motion, tracking, pointing, and camera synchronization for improved low-earth orbit satellite tracking. The procurement is justified as non-competitive due to proprietary hardware and software interfaces exclusively controlled by the original equipment manufacturer, Astro Systeme Austria, with Lunt Solar Systems identified as the sole authorized U.S. distributor capable of providing the necessary support. No competitive evaluation factors, cost details, or pricing information are included, as the acquisition is structured under FAR 6.302-1 for sole-source justification. The place of performance is the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado, and the work is to be conducted remotely by qualified personnel from the contractor. Lunt Solar Systems is confirmed as a small business but no other socioeconomic designations are claimed. No security clearances are required, and no contract options, escalation clauses, or detailed payment or invoicing procedures are specified. Submission of a capability statement is the only anticipated response mechanism, to be sent via email to Ronald Wilson and Wanda Farr by the deadline, with no format, page limit, or file type restrictions provided. There are no formal contract clauses, packaging requirements, inspection criteria, or quality standards listed, as compliance is based solely on meeting OEM-specific proprietary specifications. The notice serves as an announcement of intent to award without competition, with all administrative, technical, and procurement actions centered around maintaining system integrity through authorized OEM support. The contracting office is located at the USAFA in Colorado, and the acquisition is administered under agency code FA7000 with no set-aside requirements applied.