NASA JSC: Software Robotics and Space Systems Services Request for Information

Synopsis – Dec 14, 2012

General Information

Solicitation Number: NNJ13461147L
Posted Date: Dec 14, 2012
FedBizOpps Posted Date: Dec 14, 2012
Recovery and Reinvestment Act Action: No
Original Response Date: Jan 09, 2013
Current Response Date: Jan 09, 2013
Classification Code: R — Professional, administrative, and mgmt support services
NAICS Code: 541511

Contracting Office Address

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

Description

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)/Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (JSC) is hereby soliciting potential sources for software, robotics, and space systems services in the fields of (1) advanced collaborative engineering and process automation; (2) advanced automation software; (3) advanced human-computer interfaces and situational awareness systems; and (4) avionics flight software. These services are currently provided under the Intelligent Automation Systems Services (IASS) contract, NNJ08HC33C, with Tietronix Software, in support of the Software, Robotics, and Simulation Division (SRSD) at JSC. The SRSD develops and supports advanced intelligent systems and engineering analysis. SRSD also provides engineering in the areas of automation and intelligent systems as well as collaborative environments and situational awareness systems for ground and space flight applications. SRSD provides support for International Space Station (ISS), Multipurpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV), and projects under the Advanced Exploration Systems (AES) program.

NASA/JSC requirements include:

(1) Advanced collaborative engineering and process automation – NASA/JSC has a requirement for research and development of collaborative engineering tools. This requirement includes a development of strategy, content, and application of procedures in support of software engineering process improvement as well as provides support to the Engineering Directorate Software Engineering Process Group (SEPG) in process improvement and knowledge capture for inclusion in the Software Developer’s Assistant (SDA). The SDA, a C++ -based workflow tool developed under previous NASA requirements, is currently utilized by NASA/JSC as an engineering process automation tool to standardize project processes and procedures. Because of investments made in the development of the software for the use of NASA/JSC and its integration into the SRSD business model, it is the intention of NASA/JSC to continue utilization and maturation of this tool. NASA/JSC requirements include contractor support in maintenance, improvements, and upgrades to the SDA software.

(2) Advanced automation software – NASA/JSC requires research, design, and development of advanced software automation technologies for both ground based and on-board software for supporting Exploration Programs. Technologies based on Extensible Markup Language (XML) and related emerging standards are being used to develop procedural displays and the Collaborative Procedures Verification and Validation toolset for ISS, MPCV, and AES. Software technology is required to perform automated procedure verification and execution through desktop model-based procedure automation and verification, automatic procedure execution, model-based desktop simulator and automated executable SysML models along with health management skill and knowledge in the development of an advanced model based Capability / Impact Assessment technology to automate the assessment of impacts after failure. Support is also required to perform research to encode common representation of the space vehicle system behavior and operational practice as a key enabling technology to facilitate data exchange among diverse systems and vendors. Qualified organizations will have experience and capability in parallel computing (including small grain/general-purpose graphics processing unit and large-gain/multi-core processor architectures and parallel programming languages), programming computer vision algorithms, and utilizing data mining technology to access, organize, visualize and discover relationships of huge data sets from heterogeneous logistic planning and workflow databases using multi-dimensional data fusion.

(3) Advanced human-computer interfaces and situational awareness systems – NASA/JSC requires support in developing methods and tools used in the design, analysis, and the improvement of user interfaces. This will assist the designers and users involved in the utilization of software systems by developing methods and tools to support the user-centered design, analysis, and the improvement of human space systems. Required support includes assessing prototypes of advanced human-machine interaction devices; research, develop, and integrate software systems providing enhanced crew situational awareness with appropriate devices; and research and development in graphical user interfaces, audio based interaction, speech synthesis and understanding, natural languages, direct manipulation, and multimodal interaction dialogues, as well as human factors evaluation.

(4) Avionics flight software – NASA /JSC requires engineering services to support avionic flight software for MPCV from the perspective of 1) Vehicle System Management, 2) System Engineering and Integration, and 3) Engineering Analysis Environment support. This support includes: performance of analysis on MPCV and AES proposed life cycle implementation (including Software Requirements Specification level requirements), design, integration and test, production, certification and acceptance (primarily in the area of electronic procedures); developing strategy, content, and application of procedures in support of vehicle system interactions and mission operations; and interaction with the mission operations community, the MPCV, and AES projects located at JSC.

Additional requirements include services to provide electronic Procedure (eProc) content and an execution engine using standards such as XML and XML Telemetric and Command Exchange (XTCE), and developing a situation awareness system using data fusion technology such as video capture streaming of Mission data with telemetry synchronization.

Due to support requirements in developing mission critical software for an onboard and ground based system, interested parties submitting their capabilities must be, at a minimum, Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) Level 2 certified.

NASA/JSC is seeking capability statements from all interested parties, including Small, Small Disadvantaged (SDB), 8(a), Woman-owned (WOSB), Veteran Owned (VOSB), Service Disabled Veteran Owned (SD-VOSB), Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) businesses, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU)/Minority Institutions (MI) for the purposes of determining the appropriate level of competition and/or small business subcontracting goals for the requirements described above. The Government reserves the right to consider a Small, 8(a), Woman-owned (WOSB), Service Disabled Veteran (SD-VOSB), or HUBZone business set-aside based on responses hereto.

The Government is attempting to determine if a competitive market exists for the requirement, so all qualified vendors with the specialized capabilities described above are encourage to respond. The Government is especially interested in gauging the capabilities of small businesses certified in the Small Business Administration’s 8(a) program to fill the requirements. Interested offerors/vendors having the required specialized capabilities to meet the above requirements should submit the following in 10 pages or less:

1) A capability statement indicating the ability of the vendor and any subcontractors, including small businesses, to perform all aspects of the effort described herein.

2) Input regarding contract type, performance incentives period of performance with supporting rationale.

3) Potential organizational conflicts of interest.

Interested offerors/vendors must also include the following in their response:

1) Name and address of firm;

2) Size of business;

3) Average annual revenue for past 3 years and number of employees;

4) Whether they are large, or any category of small business;

4a) If categorized as a “small business”, list any socio-economic representations for which the business is certified (e.g. SDB, WOSB, VOSB, etc.);

4b) If categorized as a “small business”, specify whether the business is certified participant in the SBA 8(a) program;

5) Number of years in business;

6) Affiliate information: parent company, joint venture partners;

7) Potential teaming partners: prime contractor (if potential sub) or subcontractors (if potential prime);

8) List of customers covering the past five years (highlight relevant work performed, contract numbers, contract type, dollar value of each procurement; and point of contact – address and phone number).

The Government anticipates the North American Industry Classification System code for this effort to be 541511, Custom Computer Programming Services, which has a small business size standard of annual revenues of $25.5 million or less.

No solicitation exists; therefore, do not request a copy of the solicitation. If a solicitation is released it will be synopsized in FedBizOpps and on the NASA Acquisition Internet Service. It is the potential offeror’s responsibility to monitor these sites for the release of any solicitation or synopsis.

This synopsis is for information and planning purposes 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. Respondents deemed fully qualified will be considered in any resultant solicitation for the requirement.

Any questions shall be submitted, via email, to Rochelle Overstreet at rochelle.n.overstreet@nasa.gov. All responses to this synopsis shall be submitted, via email, to Rochelle Overstreet @ rochelle.n.overstreet@nasa.gov no later than January 9, 2013. Please reference “NNJ13461147L” in the subject line of any response.

Point of Contact

Name: Rochelle N Overstreet
Title: Contract Specialist
Phone: 281-483-6768
Fax: 281-483-4066
Email: rochelle.n.overstreet@nasa.gov

Name: Keith D Hutto
Title: Contracting Officer
Phone: 281-483-4165
Fax: 281-244-5331
Email: keith.d.hutto@nasa.gov