Description
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) has a requirement for the continuation ofContract NAS5-03131 with the University of California at Berkeley (UCB) for the In-SituMeasurements of Particles and CME Transients (IMPACT) Investigation on the SolarTerrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) Mission. The UCB is currently performing boththe flight operations, which includes spacecraft mission planning, scheduling, andengineering parameter review and trending, as well as the science operations whichincludes initiating all commands to the instrument, planning all instrument modes andturn-ons, data dissemination to the co-investigators and to the general scientificcommunity. NASA/GSFC intends to issue a sole-source Request for Proposal (RFP) to the UCB. Theestimated period of performance of this cost-no-fee (CNF) contract extension will be for32 months from February 1, 2010 through September 30, 2012. The UCB is the onlyorganization currently qualified to perform the subject requirement for the followingreasons: 1) This procurement will enable the science and flight operations activities tobe merged and carried out at UCB with a substantial university undergraduate and graduatestudent educational involvement. Only UCB possesses the high level scientific expertise,the detailed knowledge of the IMPACT instrument and STEREO spacecraft, the capability tocarry out the operations in a manner in which the scientific operations and the flightoperations can be merged. 2) UCB scientists and engineers are unique in theirfamiliarity with the IMPACT instruments and STEREO spacecraft and the flight computersoftware systems. From 2000-2006, UCB designed, fabricated, calibrated, tested, andintegrated the science instruments and flight computers on the IMPACT instrument for theSTEREO spacecraft. Under contract NAS5-03131, UCB has successfully carried out thescience operations of the IMPACT instrument on the STEREO spacecraft since their launchin October 2006. The UCB developed software for: testing the instruments on-orbit,generating commands to operate the instruments, checking telemetry received for healthand safety of the instruments, processing the raw data so that scientists can manipulate,display, and analyze the scientific data received, and producing summary data. Thiseffort requires the detailed understanding of the instruments and flight computer and allrelated software. Since no other organization was involved with these activities on anin-depth level, no other organization currently has the knowledge and experience toperform the requirement. 3) UCB scientists have helped lead the effort in the communityto analyze the energetic particles and fields data from the STEREO spacecraft, and arecurrently the only organization with the capability to carry out the combined scientificand instrument operations in conjunction with the educational opportunities. Statutory authority for this sole source procurement is 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1)--Only OneResponsible Source. However, organizations who believe they can provide these serviceswithout any detrimental impact to the program schedules supported by this work, shouldfully identify their interest and capabilities within 15 days after publication of thissynopsis.Interested organizations may submit their capabilities and qualifications to perform theeffort in writing to the identified point of contact not later than 4:30 p.m. local timeon May 12, 2009. Such capabilities/qualifications will be evaluated solely for thepurpose 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 opencompetition basis, based upon responses to this notice, is solely within the discretionof the government. All responsible sources may submit an offer which shall be consideredby the agency.The Government does not intend to acquire a commercial item using FAR Part 12. See Note26. An Ombudsman has been appointed. See NASA Specific Note "B". Any referenced notesmay be viewed at the following URLs linked below.