Description
NASA/MSFC has a requirement to extend the current contract NAS8-03060 for missionoperations and data analysis for the Chandra X-Ray Observatory (CXO). The extension willprovide the Chandra X-Ray Center (CXC) functions comprised of the CXO Operations ControlCenter and the Science Center. The functions include science system engineering, groundsystem development and maintenance, mission operations,science and operations planning,science research, science dissemination, general observation program and outreach supportfor the CXO Program. The contractual action that will result from this action will be amodification extending the current contract NAS8-03060 with the Smithsonian AstrophysicalObservatory (SAO) in Cambridge MA. The CXO was launched on July 23, 1999, for a five-year mission. This mission durationwas subsequently approved as a ten-year mission in 2000. This resulted in a sole sourcecontract award to SAO for mission/science operations and data analysis for the periodSeptember 1, 2003 to July 31, 2010. The contract currently provides mission/scienceoperations through July 31, 2009 plus one year of data analysis after spacecraftoperations end. Given the performance of observatory systems over the course of theprogram and lifetime studies performed, it is expected that the CXO will continue to meetor exceed program requirements through FY2018 (for a total mission life of nineteen yearsand two months). Therefore this contractual action would extend the CXO contract throughSeptember 30, 2018 for mission/science operations, with one additional year to completedata analysis. NASA/MSFC intends to modify the current contract, NAS8-03060 with SAO. The objective ofthe CXO is to address some of the most fundamental and pressing questions in present-dayastrophysics through observations of matter at the extremes of temperature, density, andenergy content. The CXO is the third of NASAs four Great Observatories. Thiscontract extension will provide continuation of the CXC functions comprised of theOperations Control Center and the Science Center. This includes maintaining all of thesystems, software, products, procedures, and tools necessary for operating and executingthe science program of a world-class observatory, maintaining the health and safety ofthe observatory through a dedicated group of engineers and scientists that have adetailed knowledge of all the observatory systems and subsystems, and the scientificexpertise to define and execute the scientific observation program and analyze theresulting data products of the CXO. SAO has a unique and demonstrated pre-eminent capability in x-ray astronomy that iscritical to ensure that the science being conducted by the CXO Science Center issuccessfully completed. SAOs technical expertise and knowledge in x-ray optics, x-rayinstrumentation and systems integration, its understanding of spacecraft observatoryrequirements for x-ray astronomy, and its scientific expertise in x-ray astrophysics makeSAO the unique source for continuing the CXO mission operations and data analysis effort. SAO has demonstrated its capabilities by applying highly specialized skills inperforming the CXC task for the CXO Program, enabling the CXO to achieve unparalleledsuccess in x-ray astronomy since its launch in July 1999. As the CXC prime contractor,SAO has been responsible for developing and implementing the science and ground systemarchitecture as well as the challenging task of executing the scientific mission of theCXO. SAO also has the detailed knowledge required to maintain the ground calibration ofinstruments that is necessary to ensure the proper interpretation of the on-orbit data. As a result, SAO has significant and irreplaceable knowledge of the program from allpossible vantage points technical, scientific, managerial, and operational. Overall,SAO is the only known source that has a sufficiently relevant and capable work force thatcan successfully achieve the challenging goals and objectives required to plan andconduct the CXO mission.Award of this requirement to a source other than SAO will result in unacceptable delaysin fulfilling NASA requirements. It is emphasized that the CXO is a non-serviceableobservatory, and any science data that may be lost resulting from a transition to asuccessor contractor could not be recovered considering the limited observatory missionlife. A transition to any other contractor would most certainly result in lowerefficiency and a direct loss of science, but even more crucially it would result in anincreased level of mission risk. The CXO is a major and valuable asset to NASA and thescientific community having made or verified many fundamental observations anddiscoveries that are at the core of space science and cosmology in this era ofexploration. The CXO is unique and its contributions cannot be fully replaced by anycurrent space-based or ground observatories. A loss or degradation in its performancecannot be recovered or offset. Since CXO is life-limited and non-serviceable, any lossof science time resulting from inefficiencies or transition problems cannot be recovered. The Government does not intend to acquire a commercial item using FAR Part 12. See Note26.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 December 8, 2008. 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.Oral communications are not acceptable in response to this notice.All responsible sources may submit an offer which shall be considered by the agency.An Ombudsman has been appointed. See NASA Specific Note "B".Any referenced notes may be viewed at the following URLs linked below.