Description
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) has a requirement for the continuation of Contract NNG04EB99C with the Southwest Research Institute (SWRI) for a continuation of the Magnetospheric MultiScale (MMS) mission. SwRI, through its subcontract with the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at the University of Colorado in Boulder, is currently performing the instrument operations management, which includes instrument operations planning, scheduling, and engineering parameter review and trending, as well as the science operations, which includes planning all instrument modes, calibrations, regions of interest, and data dissemination to the funded co-investigators and general scientific community through the Science Data Center at LASP. NASA/GSFC intends to issue a sole-source Request for Proposal (RFP) to SwRI. The estimated period of performance of this cost-plus-fixed-fee (CPFF) contract extension will be for 13 months from September 1, 2020 through September 30, 2021. SwRI is the only organization currently qualified to perform the subject requirement for the following reasons: 1) Only SwRI possesses the high level of scientific expertise, the detailed knowledge of the MMS instruments and spacecraft, and the capability to carry out the determination of regions of interest and detailed operations in a manner such that the scientific operations can be merged with the flight operations to optimize the scientific return of the mission. 2) Current SwRI team members are unique in their knowledge of the MMS instrument payload, including design, testing, and calibration, as well as their integration on the four MMS spacecraft. From 2007-2015, SwRI managed the design, fabrication, calibration, testing, and integration all 100 MMS instrument boxes with the four MMS spacecraft, including testing at the Spacecraft level after delivery to GSFC. Under contract NNG04EB99C, SwRI has successfully carried out the science operations and science data analysis of the instruments on the MMS spacecraft since their launch in March 2015. 3) Dr. James L Burch of SwRI is a leading expert in his field of magnetospheric and space plasma physics who was selected for a concept study as MMS Science Payload Principal Investigator in September 2003, based on an evaluation of his team’s proposal, submitted under the Announcement of Opportunity for MMS (AO 03-OSS-01). The SwRI team was subsequently selected for MMS development, based on their Concept Study Report and November 2004 Site Visit, in May 2005. 4) The MMS Science payload is a state-of-the-art fields and particles science payload comprising 25 individual sensors or boxes on each of the four identical MMS spacecraft. It advances the prior art by a factor of up to 100 through use of multiple linked sensors to view the entire sky without waiting for the spacecraft to spin. The entire mission science payload was conceived, planned, and managed by SwRI, including unique processes and software for: (a) managing instrument modes and operations across the large number of sensors and spacecraft, (b) managing the collected data to identify and select high resolution segments for downlink, (c) processing the raw data for scientist manipulation, display, and analysis, and (d) maintaining transparent documented access to the data for both team members and the general research community of guest investigators. 5) This effort requires the detailed understanding of all the numerous instruments and all related software. No other organization was involved with these activities on an in-depth level, and no other organization currently has the knowledge and experience to perform the requirement with the level of return required for this mission. Statutory authority for this procurement is 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1)--Only One Responsible Source. However, organizations who believe they can provide these services without any detrimental impact to the program schedules supported by this work should fully identify their interest and capabilities within 15 days after publication of this synopsis. Interested organizations may submit their capabilities and qualifications to perform the effort in writing to the identified point of contact not later than 4:30 p.m. EST on TBD. 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. All responsible sources may submit an offer which shall be considered by the agency. The Government does not intend to acquire a commercial item using FAR Part 12. NASA Clause 1852.215-84, Ombudsman, is applicable. The Center Ombudsman for this acquisition can be found at http://prod.nais.nasa.gov/pub/pub_library/Omb.html. Oral Communications are not acceptable in response to this notice.