Sources Sought Notice: Space Shuttle Astronaut Crew Clothing

General Information

• Document Type: Sources Sought Notice
• Solicitation Number: 03-JBI-001
• Posted Date: Mar 28, 2003
• Original Response Date: May 01, 2003
• Original Archive Date: Mar 28, 2004
• Current Archive Date:
• Classification Code: 84 — Clothing, individual equipment & insignia

Contracting Office Address NASA/Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston Texas, 77058-3696, Mail Code: BV

Description

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Space Shuttle Program (SSP) seeks information (listed in Part B below) from organizations that may be interested in collaborating with NASA to provide Astronaut Crew Clothing (as described in Part A below) for a minimum of 2 years on approximately 12 Space Shuttle flights for up to 7 crewmembers per flight.

This collaboration would be on a non-exclusive basis, at no additional cost to the Government, with advertising restrictions (as described in Part C below).

NASA may in the future issue a “Request for Entrepreneurial Offer” (REO) that could lead to one or more Space Act Agreements. This Request for Information (RFI) is for planning and information purposes only and is NOT to be construed as a commitment by the Government nor will the Government pay for information solicited hereunder. Respondents will not be notified of the results.

An ombudsman has been appointed — See NASA Specific Note “B”. Part A: SSP Astronaut Crew Clothing Requirements Introduction The SSP provides clothing and accessories for the male and female astronaut crewmembers to wear for the duration of a Space Shuttle mission (up to 15 days in micro-gravity).

Crewmembers range in size from a 5th percentile Asian female to a 100th percentile Caucasian male. Typical clothing for a Space Shuttle mission is listed below. Flight specific shirts are also provided to the crew 1 year prior to launch for use in training and public appearances. Most crew clothing can be reused on future flights except the flight-specific flight and training shirts. Material Properties All clothing materials require review and approval by NASA Materials and Processes prior to flight.

Documents JSC28484 appendix D and JSC27301D refer to material certifications. Clothing containing a minimum of 95 percent cotton is recommended based upon the preference for material that would char rather than melt (such as polyesters) if exposed to high temperatures or flash fires. Sweaters must be at least 70 percent cotton. Exceptions to the 95 percent cotton requirement include undergarments worn under other clothing items and nylon athletic shorts provided for exercise only and not as a main clothing item. Exceptions are handled on a case-by-case basis through the NASA materials review and approval process. Items that are lint producing are washed and tumbled multiple times, followed by shaving, if necessary, to decrease the amount of lint particles.

The vendors will be required to provide similar linting prevention methods prior to delivery as required for their particular items. Products that are antilinting, antistatic and antiodor are encouraged. Other innovations will be considered.

Typical Flight Preparation Clothing and accessories will be first selected by the crew, and are to be delivered by the vendor for fitting and crew review, with sufficient time for resizing or modification by the vendor, as necessary, prior to final delivery. The final items must be delivered to NASA Johnson Space Center 6 weeks prior to launch.

The vendor must provide a materials listing to NASA in order to close all certification issues prior to final delivery. To reduce lint, clothing/personal items are currently washed with standard off-the-shelf detergent per manufacturer’s instructions and tumbled dry for 2 hours in 1-hour increments.

Clothing items are shaved as necessary to remove lint particles. Representative List of Current Crew Clothing. (Numbers specified below are on a per crewmember basis. Total number needed will be multiplied by up to 7 crewmembers per mission and up to 6 missions per year).

1. Sleep/Exercise Shirt Sleep/exercise shirts are short sleeved, pocketless, knit, athletic shirts. Recommended usage rate is two to five per mission.

2. IVA Flight and Training Shirts The flight and training shirts are either long sleeve or short sleeve shirts in colors and styles selected by the crewmember. All crew shirts may be monogrammed at crew request. Recommended usage rate is one shirt per day for flight and two shirts for training activities.

3. Sweater/Jacket Each crewmember selects one jacket or one sweater per mission.

4. Athletic Shorts Athletic shorts can be worn with or without bike shorts. Recommended usage rate is three to five pair per mission.

5. Shorts Crew shorts will have adjustable waistbands and contain at least three pockets that can be opened and securely closed with one hand on demand. The pockets will contain small loose items in a 0-g environment. Shorts have a Velcro pattern on the front legs to support addition of the removable pocket. The legs must be long enough to cover approximately two-thirds of a crewmember?s inseam above the knee to avoid exposure when viewed by multiple camera angles on-orbit. Recommended usage rate is three to five per mission.

6. Trousers Trousers will have an adjustable waistband, two side pockets, two hip pockets, a lower leg pouch, and Velcro pattern on the legs to support a removable pocket. Recommended usage rate is three to five per mission.

7. Undergarments (male and female) Undergarments have a recommended usage rate of one per day.

8. Socks The crew is allowed to choose from a variety of crew and tube socks made of cotton and/or polyester. Recommended usage rate of crew/tube socks is one pair per day. Slipper socks are a wool blend with a leather sole. Recommended usage rate of slipper socks is one per flight.

9. Long Underwear Long Underwear is worn under the pressure suits during launch and landing. Depending on the time of launch and inclination of the mission, either midweight, lightweight or heavyweight top and bottom long underwear are flown. Crewmembers may also fly additional sets for sleeping. Recommended usage rate is two to three per flight.

10. Gloves Glove options include deerskin gloves or summer weight pilot?s gloves for both men and women. Recommended usage rate is one per mission.

11. Shoes Shoes include athletic running shoes without cleats and cycling shoes with ?look-style? cleats. Cycling shoes with cleats are used to interface with the Flight ergometer. Recommended usage rate for both types of shoes is one pair per mission.

12. Handkerchief Handkerchiefs are white and made of cotton. Recommended usage rate is three to five per mission.

PART B: Business Offer Contents

1. Description of Offer: a. Describe business venture ‘ technical and commercial merits b. Top level project milestone schedule c. Services required from the U.S. Government/NASA d. Research and Development and other benefits to the U.S. Government/NASA e. Terms and conditions of agreement f. Advertising rights g. Intellectual property rights

2. Technical Information: a. Description of clothing (including pictures, technical features (i.e. zippers, pockets), colors, cleaning properties and material properties) b. Description of services (how many, how often, fit checks, servicing, monogramming, tailoring, etc.)

3. Company Information and Management Team: a. Ownership b. Location and facilities required c. Points of Contact (business & technical)

PART C: NASA Regulations for Advertising Requests NASA generally has no objection to the reproduction, distribution, or use of NASA imagery, including NASA photographs, subject to the following conditions:

1. NASA imagery may not be used to state or imply the endorsement by NASA or by any NASA employee of a commercial product, service, or activity, or used in any manner that might mislead.

2. NASA should be acknowledged as the source of the imagery.

3. It is unlawful to falsely claim copyright or other rights in NASA imagery.

4. NASA shall in no way be liable for any costs, expenses, claims, or demands arising out of the use of NASA imagery by a recipient or a recipient’s distributees.

5. NASA does not indemnify nor hold harmless users of NASA imagery, nor release such users from copyright infringement, nor grant exclusive use rights with respect to NASA imagery.

6. NASA imagery is not protected by copyright unless noted. If copyrighted, permission should be obtained from the copyright owner prior to use. If not copyrighted, NASA imagery may be reproduced and distributed without further permission from NASA.

7. If a recognizable person (e.g., an astronaut or other individual) appears in NASA imagery, use for commercial purposes may infringe that individual’s personal right of privacy or publicity. If that individual is not currently employed by the U.S. Government, permission should be obtained from that individual if the proposed use of the NASA material could be viewed as a commercial exploitation of that person. Government ethics laws prevent current Federal employees from granting such permission. However, if the intended use of NASA material is primarily for communicative purposes, i.e., books, newspapers, and magazines reporting facts of historical significance (constitutionally protected media uses), then such uses will generally be considered not to infringe such personal rights.

8. Federal law precludes the use the of the words “National Aeronautics and Space Administration” or the letters “NASA”, or any combination, variation, or colorable imitation of those words or letters either alone or in combination with other words or letters, (1) as a firm or business name in a manner reasonably calculated to convey the impression that such firm or business has some connection with, endorsement of, or authorization from, NASA which does not, in fact, exist; or (2) in connection with any product or service being offered or made available to the public in a manner reasonably calculated to convey the impression that such product or service has the authorization, support, sponsorship, or endorsement of, or the development, use, or manufacture by or on behalf of NASA which does not, in fact, exist. 9. Use of NASA graphic identifiers, particularly, the NASA insignia, sometimes referred to as the NASA “meatball”: a. The manufacture and commercial sale of the NASA insignia as a separate and distinct device in the form of an emblem, patch, insignia, badge, decal, vinylcal, cloth, metal, or other material which would preclude NASA’s control over its use or application is prohibited. b. No approval for use of the NASA insignia will be authorized when its use can be construed as an endorsement by NASA of a product or service. c.

Items bearing the NASA insignia such as souvenirs, novelties, toys, models, clothing, and similar items (including items for sale through the NASA employees’ nonappropriated fund activities) may be manufactured and sold only after the NASA insignia application has been submitted to, and approved by, the Associate Administrator for Public Affairs, or designee, NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C. 20546. d. Use of the NASA insignia for any other purpose than as prescribed herein is prohibited, except that the Associate Administrator for Public Affairs may authorize on a case-by-case basis the use of the NASA insignia for other purposes when the Associate Administrator for Public Affairs deems such use to be appropriate.

Responses Due: Interested organizations should submit their response in writing on official company letterhead to NASA/Johnson Space Center, Attn: BV/Space Shuttle Procurement Office, Jennifer K. Ariens, Reference Number: 03-JBI-001, 2101 NASA Road 1, Houston, Texas 77058-3696 no later than 4:30 p.m. central daylight time on May 1, 2003. Oral communications are not acceptable in response to this notice. All information received will be kept completely confidential. Technical Points of Contact: Name: Sharon C. Conover Title: Commercial Mission Manager Phone: (281) 244-8158 E-mail: sharon.c.conover@nasa.gov Name: Jennifer D. Villarreal Title: Crew Clothing Subsystem Manager Phone: (281) 483-7306 E-mail: jennifer.d.villarreal@nasa.gov The Internet site, or URL, for the NASA/JSC Business Opportunities home page is http://prod.nais.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/eps/bizops.cgi’group=C&pin=73 It is the offeror’s responsibility to monitor the Internet cite for the release of the solicitation and amendments (if any). Potential offerors will be responsible for downloading their own copy of the solicitation and amendments, if any.

Original Point of Contact Jennifer K. Ariens, Contract Specialist, Phone (281) 483-1874, Fax (281) 483-6919, Email jennifer.k.ariens@nasa.gov – Billy E. Autry, Contracting Officer, Phone (281) 483-6864, Fax (281) 483-6919, Email billy.e.autry@nasa.gov

Email your questions to Jennifer K. Ariens at jennifer.k.ariens@nasa.gov