NASA Solicitation: Commercial Resupply Services – SpaceX and Orbital

Synopsis – Jun 18, 2015

General Information

    Solicitation Number: NNJ15ZBG003R

    Posted Date: Jun 18, 2015

    FedBizOpps Posted Date: Jun 18, 2015

    Recovery and Reinvestment Act Action: No

    Original Response Date: Jun 22, 2015

    Current Response Date: Jun 22, 2015

    Classification Code: 18 — Space vehicles

    NAICS Code: 541712

Contracting Office Address

NASA/Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston Texas, 77058-3696, Mail Code: BG

Description

NASA/JSC intends to extend the existing Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contracts NNJ09GA02B, with Orbital Sciences Corporation, hereinafter referred to as Orbital, and NNJ09GA04B, with Space Exploration Technologies, hereinafter referred to as SpaceX for up to 12 months from December 2017 to December 2018 at no cost. Both contracts were awarded in December 2008 and have a not to exceed (NTE) contract value of 3.1B each.

NASA/JSC has a requirement to perform all tasks necessary to ensure safe and reliable cargo integration and transportation to and from the International Space Station (ISS). With the extension of ISS to 2024, NASA intends to procure follow-on Commercial Resupply Services (CRS2) through the life of the program through full and open competition. The extension of the existing CRS contracts allows possible new providers the opportunity to address the readiness requirements necessary to show ISS integration capability before cargo services are required.

The Standard Resupply Mission may consist of pressurized upmass delivery, unpressurized upmass delivery, cargo disposal, or cargo return. Cargo includes both NASA-owned cargo and NASA-sponsored cargo and both pressurized and unpressurized payloads. The supplies to be delivered by terms of the contract include air, water, food, clothing, medicine, spare parts, and scientific experiments for use in the U.S. and International Partner experimental modules. The place of performance and launch site is identified in each task order.

Both providers are needed to provide these services to reduce the risk to the Agency. Two viable providers are needed to guarantee assured cargo access to the ISS in the event one contractor fails to successfully deliver cargo. An interruption of contract performance would jeopardize the timely delivery of critical cargo.

The statutory authority for proceeding with this acquisition under Other Than Full and Open Competition is 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1) as contemplated by the provision of FAR 6.302-1(a)(2)(iii), which states that full and open competition need not be provided when the services required by the Agency may be deemed to be available from one original source, in the case of a follow-on contract, for the continued provision of highly specialized services. The provision also states that this exception is applicable when it is likely that award to any other source would result in unacceptable delays in fulfilling the Agencys requirements and substantial duplication of cost to the Government that is not expected to be recovered through competition would be incurred. Both contracts will be extended under this authority.

Orbital and SpaceX were required to prove that their vehicles could successfully integrate with the ISS to deliver cargo. This seminal milestone took place under Commercial Orbital Transportation System (COTS) agreements. Demonstrating successful ISS integration is essential to limiting NASAs risk of damage occurring to valuable cargo and/or damage being done to the ISS itself. Orbital demonstrated successful ISS integration in June 2013 and SpaceX demonstrated successful ISS integration in April 2012. Hence, any party that is interested must have demonstrated successful ISS integration upon submission of any response. SpaceX and Orbital are the only U.S. commercial providers who have demonstrated this capability to date.

The Government intends to acquire a commercial item using FAR Part 12. Interested organizations may submit their capabilities and qualifications to perform the effort in writing to the identified point of contact not later than 12:00 p.m. local time on June 22, 2015. Such capabilities/qualifications will be evaluated solely for the purpose of determining whether or not to conduct this procurement on a competitive basis. 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.

Oral communications are not acceptable in response to this notice.

All responsible sources may submit an offer which shall be considered by the agency.

NASA Clause 1852.215-84, Ombudsman, is applicable. The Center Ombudsman for this acquisition can be found at http://prod.nais.nasa.gov/pub/pub_library/Omb.html .

Point of Contact

    Name: Aneesah K. Vaughn

    Title: Contracting Officer

    Phone: 281-244-5329

    Fax: 281-244-2370

    Email: aneesah.k.vaughn@nasa.gov

    Name: Adrian D. Clayton

    Title: Contracting Officer

    Phone: 281-483-8498

    Fax: 281-244-3370

    Email: adrian.d.clayton@nasa.gov