Potential Industry Interest and Uses For Some NASA Stennis Space Center Facilities and Real Property Assets
Synopsis – May 13, 2015
Attachment 1 – Posted on May 13, 2015
General Information
Solicitation Number: NNS15ZAA0002L
Posted Date: May 13, 2015
FedBizOpps Posted Date: May 13, 2015
Recovery and Reinvestment Act Action: No
Original Response Date: Jul 10, 2015
Current Response Date: Jul 10, 2015
Classification Code: X — Lease or rental of facilities
NAICS Code: 927110
Contracting Office Address
NASA Office of Procurement, Stennis Space Center, MS 39529-6000
Description
SYNOPSIS: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Stennis Space Center (SSC) is seeking to identify potential industry interest in, and proposed uses for some, agency propulsion test facilities and other related real property assets located at SSC in Mississippi. This announcement describes NASA assets that are currently underutilized as a result of program cancellations, changing needs or transitioning activities.
SSC also seeks through this announcement to ensure broad awareness and visibility of the anticipated opportunities for potential partnerships between NASA and industry or non-federal public entities to leverage underutilized Agency facilities and real property to maximize utilization and efficiency. NASA has a variety of partnership models available, as authorized by the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 and other legal authorities, to engage non-federal partners in Agreements that provide partner access to underutilized NASA facilities. These partnership models may grant a partner an interest in specified real property for a specified term, or may provide for the reimbursable provision of services from NASA controlled 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 partnership agreement with NASA for utilization of the SSC facilities identified in this announcement.
– Assess the extent of overall interest by industry and non-federal public entities in using underutilized NASA assets at SSC to engage in activities supportive of NASA’s missions and purpose.
– Provide data to support SSC’s planning for future infrastructure and facility utilization.
– Support future 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.
As NASA’s programs and missions are further defined, the agency continues to assess and identify which agency assets are required to meet existing and future agency requirements. Therefore, the facilities identified in this announcement that are 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 facilities and their 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 partnership 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 agreements with other Federal entities for use of the SSC facilities identified in this announcement regardless of expressions of interest and proposed use that may be received from industry or non-federal public entities. NASA is under no obligation to proceed with any partnering arrangements with regard to the anticipated availability of the underutilized facilities at SSC.
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 the 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: One of NASA’s Strategic Goals is to “Serve the American public and accomplish our Mission by effectively managing our people, technical capabilities, and infrastructure.” As Congress and the President direct NASA to continue development of new manned spaceflight programs such as the Space Launch System (SLS), each of the affected NASA field centers are challenged to continually re-scope its infrastructure and facilities footprint to most efficiently support these programs 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 launch testing assets and related capabilities with the emerging 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 facilities 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 SSC;
– 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 facilities identified in this announcement, 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 by the private sector at offsite (non-SSC) locations;
– Are deemed incompatible with the current SSC Master Plan, land use policies, environmental conditions, or pose a potential negative impact on NASA’s mission; or
– Requires any proposed transfer of title to Government land or facilities.
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 facilities identified in this announcement. Such criteria may include, but are not limited to:
– Alignment with NASA’s mission, purpose and the long-term development objectives and plans for SSC;
– Benefit to SSC, NASA and other U.S. Government interests;
– Alignment of the proposed use and/or occupancy need dates with a facility’s intended purpose, configuration and availability dates;
– Assessment of the financial capability of the proposed user;
– Assessment of the environmental, safety and security impacts of the proposed use;
– Potential for, and degree of, expected positive contribution to the sustainment of SSC’s technical workforce; and Risk 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 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 FACILITIES ANTICIPATED FOR AVAILABILITY:
Part 1 Propulsion Test Facilities This section of the announcement encompasses test facilities which are located within the secured and restricted-access test complex area of SSC. Each of the following facilities is located in an area with ample adjacent vacant land suitable for facility expansion purposes if necessary. Please see Attachment 1 for additional details and images of each of the facilities listed below.
1. A-2 Large Engine Test Stand A-2 is a single position, vertical firing test stand capable (in its current configuration) of testing Liquid Oxygen (LOX)/Liquid Hydrogen (LH2) engines up to 600,000 pounds thrust at simulated altitude conditions for extended durations.
2. A-3 Altitude Test Facility A-3 is a single-position, 300-foot-tall vertical-firing test stand used for simulated altitude testing of large liquid rocket engines and upper stages. The stand and its systems were designed and configured for testing of the 294,000 pound thrust J-2X Liquid Hydrogen (LH)/Liquid Oxygen (LOX) engine at 100,000 feet simulated altitude. 3. E-2 Engine/Stage Test Facility Cell 2 Cell Two of the E-2 Test Facility (E2C2) was originally constructed in 2001 to provide testing for medium thrust rocket engine systems, primarily on small to medium rocket stages. E2C2 is capable of supporting test articles generating up to 324,000 pounds thrust in a vertical orientation.
4. E-4 Test Facility: The E-4 Test Facility was partially constructed but has not been completed. The propellant and structural elements of E-4 were designed to support the testing of power packs and engine systems up to 500,000 pounds thrust in the horizontal plane. The facility consists of four concrete-walled cells and an associated concrete foundation; a Signal Conditioning Building; and a 12,825 square feet metal building with a high bay, shop area, and test control rooms.
Roadway and/or barge access is available to each of these test stands. SSC’s 125,000-acre acoustic buffer zone enables unlimited testing without disturbing the surrounding communities.
Part 2 Additional SSC Facilities The following offerings are part of a larger 4400-acre facility located in the north part of Stennis Space Center. The facility is the former Mississippi Army Ammunition Plant (MSAAP) for which NASA took ownership in 2011 following plant closure in the 1990’s and a subsequent Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process. In addition to the two large facility spaces described below, the former MSAAP also contains several smaller spaces that may be available, several abandoned outdoor facilities available for redevelopment, and large tracts of undeveloped land within the SSC boundaries. Please see the attachment for additional details and images of each of the facilities listed below.
5. Building 9100 Building 9100 is a large vacant industrial building built in 1982 containing approximately 240,000 square feet of building space, including a 300×590 feet contiguous warehouse space and 34,000 square feet of office and lab space along the front (north side) and rear (south side) of the building.
6. Building 9101 Building 9101 is a 546,000 square foot building that was also part of the MSAAP complex. Built in 1981, the building currently has approximately 270,000 square feet of contiguous vacant industrial space in the western half of the building with varying clear heights and two bridge cranes.
AVAILABILITY OF SUPPORT SERVICES Entities making appropriate use of any of these facilities 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);
– Shop facilities (weld, machine, carpenter, electrical, plumbing, component cleaning and certification, etc.)
– Laboratory services (sampling, cleanliness certification, instrumentation cleaning & calibration, etc.)
– Information technology services;
– Medical clinic and fire protection services;
– Environmental and industrial health services; and
– Security and privacy zones;
– Cafeterias;
– Institutional services (janitorial, mail, shipping/receiving, storage, etc.).
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: No solicitation exists; therefore, do not request a copy of the solicitation. The purpose of this RFI is to determine industry’s level of interest in the facilities, as noted above. This 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 RFI, no evaluation letters and/or results will be issued to the respondents.
SSC will make all facilities available during the week of June 22-26 for site visits. Interested parties should contact Don Beckmeyer (see contact information below) to schedule a site visit. Additional dates near the scheduled site visit week may be accommodated on a limited basis. Interested Parties are limited to a maximum of four (4) authorized individuals per company/organization at the scheduled site visit. Each interested Party shall submit the following registration information for each of the aforementioned individuals via email to Don.H.Beckmeyer@nasa.gov no later than 3:00 PM CST, June 15, 2015:
Company Name Each Individuals First & Last Name E-mail Address Telephone Number (including area code) Citizenship
All interested Parties shall proceed to the SSC Visitor Entrance with a valid picture ID (state-issued drivers licenses must be REAL ID Act compliant). 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, as the process nominally requires 30 days advance notice. There is no guarantee that the request will be approved.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR RESPONSES: Potential users interested in one or more of the described SSC assets 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 1-2 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 may be submitted at any time following the release of the RFI. NASA requests that responses be submitted no later than close of business (COB) July 10, 2015 in order to be considered during the initial evaluation period. Responses will be accepted as long as the RFI remains open, however priority will be given to those responses submitted prior to the July 10 requested date. Please reference this 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 Request for Information” And should include the RFI number. Any questions you may have are to be submitted in writing, via email, no later than COB July 3, 2015 to the POCs listed below in order for an answer to be provided prior to the initial deadline.
POINTS OF CONTACT Name: Don Beckmeyer Title: Manager, Strategic Business Development Phone: 228-688-3788 Fax: 228-688-3240 Email: Don.H.Beckmeyer@nasa.gov
Alternate POC Name: Robert Bruce Title: Business Development Manager Phone: 228-688-1646 Fax: 228-688-6083 Email: Robert.C.Bruce@nasa.gov
Point of Contact
Name:Gerald L Norris
Title:Contracting Officer
Phone:228-688-1718
Fax:228-688-1141
Email:gerald.l.norris@nasa.gov
