NASA Solicitation: SPHERES Facility Aboard The ISS for STEM Educational Purposes

Synopsis – Dec 10, 2009

General Information

Solicitation Number: NNH10322363R
Posted Date: Dec 10, 2009
FedBizOpps Posted Date: Dec 10, 2009
Recovery and Reinvestment Act Action: No
Original Response Date: Dec 28, 2009
Current Response Date: Dec 28, 2009
Classification Code: B — Special studies and analysis – not R and D
NAICS Code: 927110 – Space Research and Technology

Contracting Office Address

NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA Headquarters Acquisition Branch, Code 210.H, Greenbelt, MD 20771

Description

NASA/HQ has a requirement for Support Services for the ZERO Robotics competition. The ZERO Robotics competition enables high-school students to participate in the SPHERES (Synchronized Position Hold Engage Re-orient Experimental Satellite) program by writing their own algorithms to solve a problem provided by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) team. The pilot program involves two high schools that will compete against each other during a test session that will be conducted aboard the ISS during the winter of 2009-2010. The contractor will support the pilot program to completion and evaluate its results, setting clear and realistic objectives for a potential national program to start in the Fall of 2010 or 2011.

The Government intends to purchase the services from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). MIT is uniquely qualified to perform this pilot program and provide support engineering because they created the SPHERES program and hold proprietary ownership of the data.

The Government does not intend to acquire a commercial item using FAR Part 12. See Note 26.

Interested organizations may submit their capabilities and qualifications to perform the effort in writing to Danit Rainey not later than 4:30 p.m. local time on December 28, 2009. 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.

An Ombudsman has been appointed. See NASA Specific Note “B”.

Any referenced notes may be viewed at the following URLs linked below.

Point of Contact

Name: Danit P Rainey
Title: Contract Specialist
Phone: 301-286-6717
Fax: 301-286-0356
Email: Danit.Rainey@nasa.gov

Name: Sandra P. Bruce
Title: Contract Specialist
Phone: 301-286-3936
Fax: 301-286-0357
Email: sandra.p.bruce@nasa.gov