NASA Solicitation: Announcement of Unique Capability in Life Support for Environment Protective Suit Systems
NASA JOHNSON SPACE CENTER ANNOUNCEMENT OF UNIQUE CABABILITY IN ENVIRONMENTAL-LIFE SUPPORT AND AIR-WATER MONITORING-RECYCLING AND ACTIVE THERMAL CONTROL AND EXTREME ENVIRONMENT PROTECTIVE SUIT SYSTEMS
Synopsis – Apr 08, 2013
General Information
Solicitation Number: NNJ13ZBH012L
Posted Date: Apr 08, 2013
FedBizOpps Posted Date: Apr 08, 2013
Recovery and Reinvestment Act Action: No
Original Response Date: Jul 08, 2013
Current Response Date: Jul 08, 2013
Classification Code: A — Research and Development
NAICS Code: 541712
Contracting Office Address
NASA/Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston Texas, 77058-3696, Mail Code: BH
Description
The NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) seeks to identify interest for potential partnering utilizing JSC’s unique capabilities to support government, university, and commercial activities. The unique integrated resources available at JSC, including human rated environmental test chambers, facilities, labs and technical expertise, can be of great benefit to the nation by aiding commerce, expanding human knowledge, preserving United States critical skills, and enhancing technological research and development.
This is a NASA Johnson Space Center Announcement of Unique Capability Transaction Opportunities (“Announcement”) issued solely for information and planning purposes and does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP). The purpose of this Announcement is to engage prospective partners in dialogue leading to research and development (R&D) efforts using these unique capabilities. To meet this purpose, NASA JSC requests written responses to this announcement to assess interest regarding the unique JSC environmental control and life support, active thermal control, and protective suits capabilities that have the greatest prospects to expand partnerships, customer base and economic opportunities consistent with the NASA mission. JSC seeks responses from organizations interested in utilizing JSC’s unique combination of expertise, labs, tools, and facilities, hereafter referred to as “capabilities” in the areas of human rated (also referred to as “Humans in the Loop”) environmental control and life support, thermal control, and protective suits development and testing, on a reimbursable basis. These capabilities have broad application within diverse industries operating in extreme or hazardous environments such as oil and gas sub-sea exploration/production, medical first responders, mining, and military, in addition to the aerospace industry.
UNIQUE NASA CAPABILITIES
JSC’s Environmental Control and Life Support, Air and Water Monitoring, Thermal Control, and Protective Suits unique capabilities include a full range of end-to-end human rated environmental and thermal simulation chambers, test labs, and tools as well as technical expertise associated with analyzing resultant data and operations. A distinguishing benefit to these capabilities is the access to engineers and technicians who work with human rated testing on a daily basis, as well as support continuous astronaut and cosmonaut training and mission operations.
The unique end-to-end human rated environmental control, thermal control, and protective suit testing capabilities include:
-Design of environmental control and life support subsystems and complete systems for orbital space flight vehicles with critical requirements for long duration cabin pressure, oxygen management, carbon dioxide and trace contaminant removal, and humidity control
-Rapid prototyping and fabrication of custom tailored components and systems for environmental control, thermal control, and protective suits
-Thermal vacuum and environmental testing and analyzing systems, assemblies, and entire vehicles, with humans in the loop, in extreme environments
-Thermal technology development, design, analysis, and test of active thermal control systems (ATCS) for orbital spacecraft and space flight systems (The traditional functions of ATCS include heat acquisition, transport, storage and rejection, and physical components may include cold plates, heat exchangers, pumped fluid loops, thermal transport fluids, heat pipes, evaporative systems, radiators, and thermal storage media. Primary unique development interests include mass reduction, system efficiency, reliability, fluids performance, variable heat rejection capability, phase management, and system architecture.)
-Evaluation of textile material properties for use in extreme or hazardous environments
The JSC core capabilities for prototyping, design, analysis, fabrication, testing, and integration which are uniquely tailored to the environments for humans living and working in low-earth orbit and beyond are:
– Environmental control and life support systems
– Air and water filtration and monitoring systems
– Active thermal control systems
– Extra-Vehicular Activity (EVA) and Launch/Entry Suit (LES) systems
– Advanced clothing systems
– Habitation and crew provisioning systems
– Payload and sample-return cold stowage systems
– Custom gloved-hand tools and work aides
THE PROCESS
The government’s intent is to engage with potential partners to make available, on a reimbursable basis, NASA JSC’s human rated environmental and thermal control facilities and expert NASA Science and Engineering staff. NASA reserves the right to apply criteria for assessing the “best fit” usage of its facilities and expertise, consistent with NASA’s mission. The government and partner will jointly define potential R&D efforts, develop mutually agreed to statements of work, cost, and schedule. The government anticipates some respondents may be interested in only one area or sub-area while others may be interested in broad efforts requiring more than one capability. Some organizations may want to partner because of their direct needs, or there may be respondents who wish to utilize JSC support to meet needs of third parties. The appropriate legal instrument (e.g., Space Act Agreement) for partnering will be determined on a case by case basis. NASA JSC expects to engage prospective organization(s) in further discussions regarding expanded partnerships, customer base and economic opportunities consistent with the NASA mission.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
No solicitation exists; therefore, do not request a copy of the solicitation. This is an Announcement issued solely for information and planning purposes and does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP). It is not to be construed as a commitment by the government, nor will the government pay for any information provided. Since this is an Announcement, no evaluation letters and/or results will be issued to the respondents. The expectation is that NASA JSC will be fully reimbursed for all costs incurred in the performance of work as described in the agreement.
INFORMATION REQUESTED FROM RESPONDENT
Interested parties shall submit statements of interest electronically, via email, to the Technical Point of Contact (POC) listed below. The statement of interest shall consist of a one page summary and additional pages of supporting detail as needed. Responses shall contain a minimum font size of 12. To facilitate a prompt review, the one-page summary shall clearly identify planned utilization of capabilities consistent with those described above. The one-page summary shall include: (1) Company information, specifically organization name, address, primary POC and telephone number, business size and type, and product or service line, and (2) Anticipated need dates. Responses are required no later than close of business (COB) on the response date specified above. Information received after this date will only be considered if deemed in the Government’s best interest. Respondents are cautioned to mark any information confidential if it is to be treated as proprietary.
TECHNICAL Point of Contact:
Name: Joe W. Gensler
Title: Branch Chief, EC8 Special Projects, Crew and Thermal
Systems Division
Phone: 281-483-0025
Fax: 281-483-9167
Email: joe.w.gensler@nasa.gov
Point of Contact
Name: Dana Altmon-Cary
Title: Contracting Officer
Phone: 281-483-8228
Fax: 281-483-4066
Email: dana.altmon-cary-1@nasa.gov
Name: Jonathan P. Prihoda
Title: Contract Specialist
Phone: 281-244-6959
Fax: 281-483-4173
Email: jonathan.p.prihoda@nasa.gov
