Alicat Scientific Inc. has been awarded a $68,170 firm fixed-price purchase order by NASA's Shared Services Center for mass flow controllers supporting the Hypersonic Materials Environmental Test System (HYMETS) at NASA Langley Research Center. This sole source procurement, posted as a Special Notice in August 2025, involves the replacement of 28 existing MKS brand mass flow controllers with new Alicat Scientific units—specifically 25 nitrogen-based controllers and 3 argon-based controllers. The replacement addresses critical operational deficiencies in the existing equipment, including poor calibration stability, obsolete measurement technology, and frequent out-of-tolerance performance that have compromised research data quality and facility operations. NASA determined that Alicat Scientific is the only provider capable of meeting the specialized requirements through FAR 13.106-1(b)(1)(i), having validated the company's Laminar Differential Pressure technology through internal testing and metrology review.
The contract carries a firm fixed price structure with no set-aside designation and an ultimate completion date of September 26, 2025, providing approximately 30 business days for delivery plus shipping time. Alicat Scientific Inc., a Tucson-based manufacturer with a longstanding track record supplying precision scientific instrumentation to federal agencies since 2001, will perform work at its facility in Tucson, Arizona. This award reflects NASA's confidence in Alicat's specialized expertise in mass flow measurement equipment and represents the continuation of a critical capability upgrade for the HYMETS facility to restore operational reliability and research data integrity.