Justification for the Sole Source of the Payload Processing for the DART Mission

NASA KSC had a requirement to obtain the payload processing service for Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) Spacecraft. This service was obtained in accordance with the statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition is 41 U.S.C. 1901 as implemented by Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.302-2. The services needed by the Agency were urgent and compelling, as described below: As a result of a launch delay, DART moved into a congested manifest where SpaceX has a launch every 30 days, preventing DART from processing more than 30 days in the SpaceX PPF and requiring an additional PPF to conduct its pre-launch processing. The launch delay and the impaired availability of the SpaceX PPF created the urgent and compelling necessity to secure a PPF. The procuring of a PPF at this stage in the mission cycle is already allowing less than a 1/3 of the normal time for the facility to prepare for the processing service. Any further delay in award of a contract would result in the facility being unable to provide the support required in time, causing the spacecraft to miss its launch opportunity and planetary period, jeopardizing the mission itself. Additionally, if an additional delay were to occur, the NASA Launch Services (NLS II) contract would experience significant launch delay costs.