NASA: Seeking Potential Interest and Use for Some NASA Stennis Space Center Facilities
Synopsis – Nov 08, 2011
Sample Statement of Interest and SSC Overview – Posted on Nov 08, 2011
General Information
Solicitation Number: N/A Reference Number: NOA-RFI-NNS12ZDA001L Posted Date: Nov 08, 2011 FedBizOpps Posted Date: Nov 08, 2011 Recovery and Reinvestment Act Action: No Original Response Date: Feb 04, 2012 Current Response Date: Feb 04, 2012 Classification Code: X — Lease or rental of facilities NAICS Code: 927110 – Space Research and Technology
Contracting Office Address
NASA Office of Procurement, Stennis Space Center, MS 39529-6000
Description
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Stennis Space Center (SSC) is seeking to identify potential industry interest in an agency real property asset located at SSC. This announcement describes a NASA asset that is currently underutilized as a result of program cancellation.
SSC also seeks through this announcement to ensure broad awareness and visibility of the anticipated opportunities for Public-Private and Public-Public Ventures (PPV) between NASA and industry or non-federal public entities. Such ventures are defined as partnering tools in NASA’s Real Property Management Program to leverage underutilized Agency real property to maximize utilization and efficiency. NASA may use a PPV to grant a partner an interest in real property for a specified term through an instrument such as a lease, a use permit, or other form of legal agreement authorized by the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958. In addition to PPV agreements, NASA may pursue other approaches, as described in this announcement, to enable others to use facilities for which SSC has a current or future need to support NASA’s mission.
It is NASA’s intent to ensure fairness to all parties and to ensure best value to the Government in granting use of a NASA facility in a manner that optimizes its support for the agency’s missions and objectives, and the U.S. national space policy.
To meet these purposes, NASA requests written responses to this announcement to assist SSC in achieving the following objectives:
* Identify and document specific interest from industry and non-federal public entities in pursuing a real estate agreement with NASA for use of the SSC facility identified in this announcement.
* Assess the extent of overall interest by industry and non-federal public entities in using underutilized NASA assets on SSC to engage in activities supportive of NASA’s missions and purpose.
* Provide data to support SSC’s planning for infrastructure and facility utilization.
* Identify and document alignment with Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) efforts related to the commercial space and aerospace industry.
* Enable determination of how underutilized capacity at SSC may be made available in a fair and responsive fashion to industry and/or non-federal public entities to advance agency and national objectives.
The facility identified in this announcement that is anticipated to be partially or fully available for other users may subsequently be deemed by NASA as unavailable due to the agency’s own facility needs.
The Government may apply selection criteria and make the facility and its related assets available only if deemed in the Government’s best interests. NASA reserves the right to proceed with development and negotiation of one or more proposed PPVs or other partnering and facility utilization agreements with respondents to this announcement, without further notice, if it determines that it has met the purposes, intent and objectives identified in this announcement.
NASA is not precluded from entering into real estate agreements with other federal entities for use of the SSC facility identified in this Notice of Availability regardless of expressions of interest and proposed use that may be received from industry or non-federal public entities pursuant to this announcement.
NASA will be under no obligation to proceed with any PPVs or any other partnering arrangements with regard to the anticipated availability of the underutilized facility at SSC.
In lieu of using a PPV to grant a partner a real property interest through a lease or other instrument, NASA may employ Space Act authorities to allow use of the facility for specified purposes without granting the user any real property interest. For example, SSC may take such an approach on a facility operated by SSC for both NASA and non-NASA users on a regular basis.
If NASA determines that the facility is going to become idle with no known current or future NASA mission support requirement, but still of value in support of NASA’s purpose and national space policy if used by others, NASA may decide to divest the agency of the asset by transfer to another federal agency, or to others through established real property disposition processes administered by the General Services Administration (GSA).
BACKGROUND:
As directed by Congress, The NASA Authorization Act of 2010 directs that NASA proceed with development of a new Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle and Space Launch System that can access cislunar space and the regions of space beyond low-Earth orbit.
NASA is challenged as a key element of this transition to re-scope its infrastructure and facilities footprint to most efficiently support the missions within expected funding levels. SSC capabilities and assets that will become idle or underutilized for near-term NASA requirements may be re-purposed and used by the commercial space industry and others in direct support of NASA’s mission and purpose.
SSC seeks to strategically identify, develop and align the Center’s distinctive space transportation assets and capabilities with other government and commercial space markets. SSC seeks to expand partnerships, customer base and regional economic opportunities consistent with the NASA mission. SSC wishes to promote and enable the widest and fullest utilization of SSC assets and facilities to advance the nation’s goals for space exploration and development. These efforts are targeted to accelerate innovation and collaboration in support of new technologies which are applicable to space exploration, as well as to benefit humankind here on Earth where the capabilities will be available to both the commercial and government space services industry.
PRIORITY USES FOR AVAILABLE FACILITIES:
For the facility identified in this announcement, NASA intends to give priority consideration to prospective uses and users which align with the following:
* Entities which operate or directly support the advancement of space exploration for the U.S. Government at Stennis Space Center;
* Entities which operate or directly support commercial space launch or commercial space user missions, whether or not the U.S. Government is a customer. NASA will consider other technical, operationally compatible uses and users which are determined to directly or indirectly support its missions and purposes if underutilized capacity remains available; or
* Entities which directly provide services (e.g., education, insight, access to capital, business development, and related efforts) to entrepreneurs and small businesses that enable and accelerate the growth of emerging technology companies related to the advancement of space exploration.
USES THAT NASA WILL NOT CONSIDER:
For the facility identified in this announcement that may be available for potential PPVs or other partnering arrangements, NASA will not at this time consider responses that:
* Fail to show any relevance to NASA’s mission or purpose and U.S. Government interests, or fail to demonstrate a need for use of the requested SSC asset that cannot be met more appropriately at other locations outside the restricted area or off Center;
* Are deemed incompatible with the current SSC Master Plan, land use policies, environmental conditions, or pose a negative impact on NASA’s mission; or
* Request any proposed transfer of title to land, proposed residential uses, or proposed operation of commercial agricultural uses.
GOVERNMENT’S RIGHT TO APPLY CRITERIA:
NASA reserves the right to apply criteria for assessing the “best fit” for alternative uses and users which may be considered for the facility identified in this announcement. Such criteria may include, but not be limited to:
* The extent of alignment with NASA’s mission, purpose and the long-term development objectives and plans for SSC;
* Benefits to SSC, NASA and other U.S. Government interests;
* The alignment of the proposed use and occupancy need dates with the facility’s intended purpose, configuration and availability dates;
* An assessment of the financial capability of the proposed user;
* An assessment of the environmental, safety and security impacts of the proposed user;
* Potential for, and degree of, expected positive contribution to sustainment of SSC’s technical workforce; or
* Risks to SSC, NASA and other U.S. Government interests.
GOVERNMENT’S RIGHT TO DISPOSE OF FACILITIES:
This announcement does not preclude the Government’s option to dispose of the identified facility should it determine that there is no current or future need related to a NASA mission or purpose, and that it is in the Government’s best interest to dispose of the facility rather than to retain it. Such disposal may include, but not be limited to:
* Declaring facility improvements excess to the Government’s needs and disposing in accordance with the established processes of the General Services Administration (GSA);
* Deconstruction of the facility to enable re-development of the site at some future date; or
* Abandonment in place.
IDENTIFICATION OF FACILITY ANTICIPATED FOR AVAILABILITY:
This notice encompasses only the facility as described below, which is located within the secured and restricted-access area of SSC, generally referred to as “inside the fence.”
SSC E-4 Test Facility: Originally conceived and designed to conduct ground tests of propulsion systems in support of NASA’s Rocket Based Combined Cycle (RBCC) Program, the E-4 Test Facility was partially constructed but, to this date, has not been completed and further development is not planned at this time. The basic test facility capability was designed to provide low-pressure hydrocarbon fuel (JP-7) and oxidizer (Liquid Oxygen or LOX) to test articles having a thrust in the horizontal plane up to 50,000 lbf (maximum).
NASA envisioned the growth of test capabilities at the E-4 Test Facility to meet future RBCC or other propulsion testing requirements, including the following possibilities:
1) -the incorporation of Liquid Hydrogen (LH) as a possible fuel, and Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) as an oxidizer to support testing of power packs and engine systems; 2) -the addition of a “Ram Air” test capability up to Mach Number 0.8 to support engine systems testing; and 3) -the upgrading of the necessary propellant and structural elements of the test facility in order to support the testing of power packs and engine systems up to 500,000 lbf thrust (maximum).
No propellant systems, tankage or storage vessels were ever purchased or installed at the E-4 Test Facility.
The E-4 Test Facility consists of concrete-walled test cells and associated hard stand; a high-bay work area equipped with a bridge crane and adjacent work area; control room space; and personnel offices. The attached photographs represent each of the types of “space” which make up the E-4 Test Facility. Access to the E-4 Test Facility is provided by road and, due to close proximity to the onsite canal system, access by barge is also possible. Standard utilities are available in the building, which houses the high bay/work area, control room space and personnel offices. Duct banks and pipe races exist between the building and the test cells, and may be outfitted in accordance with future needs.
Customer/Partners making appropriate use of the E-4 Test Facility will have the ability to access the extensive SSC on-site support infrastructure through a demand services arrangement, which includes but is not limited to the following:
* Rocket propulsion system testing (engine system, stage/vehicle, component & subsystem); * Security and privacy zones; * Cafeterias; * Medical clinic and fire protection; * Shop facilities (weld, machine, carpenter, electrical, plumbing, component cleaning and certification, etc.) * Laboratory (sampling, cleanliness certification, instrumentation cleaning & calibration, etc.) * Information technology; * Environmental & industrial health; and * Institutional (janitorial, mail, shipping/receiving, storage, etc.).
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
No solicitation exists; therefore, do not request a copy of the solicitation. The purpose of this NOA/RFI is to determine industry’s level of interest in the facility, as noted above. This NOA/RFI is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government nor will the Government pay for any information solicited. Since this is a NOA/RFI, no evaluation letters and/or results will be issued to the respondents.
Pending the level of interest, a site visit will be conducted on January 12, 2012. The following is the schedule of events for the subject site visit.
Registration 8:30 – 9:30 AM Opening Remarks 9:30 AM Presentation 9:45 AM Site Tour Begins 10:30 AM Wrap up 11:30 AM
All interested parties may only bring four (4) authorized individuals per company/organization to attend the site visit. Each interested party shall submit the following registration information for each of the aforementioned individuals via email to Pennie.M.Turner@NASA.gov no later than 3:00 PM CDT, December 16, 2011 to:
Company Name Each Individuals First & Last Name E-mail Address Telephone Number (including area code) Citizenship
All interested parties shall proceed to the NASA Stennis Space Center (SSC) Visitor Entrance with a valid picture ID and upon entry follow the NASA Event Signs.
Foreign Nationals are permitted with pre-approved authorization. Please respond early if you feel it is absolutely necessary for a foreign national to accompany your team on the site visit. Also, allow additional time for processing an access request through the Agency system. There is no guarantee that the request will be approved.
Instructions for Responses: Potential users interested in the described SSC asset shall submit statements of interest electronically, via e-mail, to the primary 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 facility use and planned utilization of assets in support of the intended purpose noted previously. The one-page summary shall include: (1) Company information. Specify organization name, address, primary POC and telephone number, business size and type, and product or service line; (2) Assets. Identify the specific asset requirements and their proposed use; and (3) Timetable. Identify when the assets are needed for the proposed use and for what duration. Responses are required no later than close of business (COB) February 4, 2012. Information received after this date will only be considered if deemed in the Government’s best interest. Please reference this NOA/RFI in any response.
Respondents are cautioned to mark any information confidential that is considered proprietary by the respondent. All electronic responses should be sent to the POC, identified below, with the message line “Response to SSC Notice of Availability dated November 8, 2011.” Any questions you may have are to be submitted in writing, via email, no later than COB January 20, 2012 to the POC listed below.
POINT OF CONTACT
Name: John E. Stealey Title: SSC ETD Associate Director Phone: 228-688-2236 Fax: 228-688-7854 Email: john.e.stealey@nasa.gov
Point of Contact
Name: Marvin L Horne Title: Contract Specialist Phone: 228-688-3528 Fax: 228-688-6024 Email: Marvin.L.Horne@nasa.gov
Name: Marvin L Horne Title: Contract Specialist Phone: 228-688-3528 Fax: 228-688-6024 Email: Marvin.L.Horne@nasa.gov
