Tab_06_-_JOFOC.1.pdf

TO: 126/Contracting Officer, Office of Procurement

FROM: Robert L Akamine, Robert.l.akamine@nasa.gov, (757) 864-5005

LOFTID Avionics Lead

LaRC, Electronic Systems Branch (D203)

SUBJECT: Justification for Other Than Full and Open Competition (JOFOC) for an ABSL

System and Tank Heater Battery (PR 4200696447)

1. Recommendation

I recommend that NASA Langley Research Center negotiate with ABSL Power Solutions Inc. for an ABSL 8S20P 28V 30Ah Li-Ion Rechargeable Battery at a cost of $200,000 per unit.

2. Nature of the Action

The nature of the action being approved is a firm, fixed price purchase of a rechargeable battery to be used with other space flight electrical components from ABSL to implement the avionics design in the Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) reentry vehicle.

3. Description of the Supplies or Services

The System and Tank Heater Battery implements a power source for electrical and electronic components for the LOFTID Battery functions, performances, and interfaces. The final end use is for the LOFTID reentry vehicle.

4. Statutory Authority

Provision for this JOFOC is made under the statutory authority of 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1), only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. FAR Part

13.5 procedures are used under the statutory authority of 10 U.S.C. 2304(g)(4) which requires

NASA to follow 41 U.S.C. 1901(e).

5. Contractor’s Unique Qualifications

Purchase Order 80NSSC18P3197 was competitively awarded to ABSL on August 21, 2018, for the design and development of a System and Tank Heater Battery Engineering Development Unit

(EDU). The EDU’s design is unique because it was designed to meet the limited volume constraints in the LOFTID Reentry Vehicle (RV). The Reentry Vehicle assembly was designed and built around the ABSL EDU and in compliance to Kennedy Space Center’s range safety requirements.

The project has begun cutting metal and building to the baseline design. The previously purchased

EDU battery is being used in the meantime. Two of the same battery is needed for redundancy purposes. If different batteries end up winning this procurement, then the RV will need to be redesigned and new engineering analysis be performed. This will lead to an estimated $479,500 increase in cost to LOFTID for labor and materials. These numbers are based on experience and mailto:Robert.l.akamine@nasa.gov historical values from doing the first round of designs and analysis. In addition, LOFTID has been manifested on JPSS-1 and has a set delivery date the project must meet. Redoing designs would also extend the readiness date to the point of forcing LSP to de-manifest our payload and fly a mass simulator (in short this procurement is on the critical path schedule).

6. Efforts Made to Solicit Offers

Efforts to solicit other offers were completed during the System and Tank Heater Battery

Engineering Development Unit (EDU) procurement (See Order Number 80NSSC18P3197). The

EDU procurement defined functional, performance, and interface specifications derived from the

LOFTID concept of operations and further decomposition into the Avionics design concept.

7. Determination of the Contracting Officer

With assistance from the NASA requiring organization, the Contracting Officer will conduct a thorough review of the proposal received to ensure that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable.

8. Description of the Market Research

In addition to the full and open bids for the System and Tank Heater Battery procurement

(80NSSC18P3197), technical trade studies were documented to evaluate the feasibility of the

LOFTID avionics design concept. The System and Tank Heater Battery trade study evaluated other commercial and government sources (ABSL, USAF and MSFC).

9. Any Other facts supporting the use of other than full and open competition:

The System and Tank Heater Battery was ordered for EDU development in previous orders, and the associated interactions with other electrical components in the reentry vehicle have been designed with these specific parts as the baseline design. Selecting any other source would result in substantial duplication of cost to NASA that will not be recovered through competition. In addition, selecting other sources would lead to unacceptable delays in fulfilling NASA flight obligations.

The basis for claiming duplication of costs, and unacceptable delays, is as follows:

1.) Cable and harnesses that connect the System and Tank Heater Battery with other subsystems and electrical components have been designed. If the System and Tank Heater Battery is not selected, two Full Time Employees (FTE) would spend six additional months redesigning the cables to the new interconnects. The avionics design is on the schedule critical path, and this delay may cause the Launch Service Provider (LSP) to de-manifest the LOFTID payload from the launch vehicle. A new procurement effort for new connectors, back-shells, and contacts would increase the cost to LOFTID by $51,000. The cost for the two full time FTE for six months each is $171,000.

The total cost increase is estimated at $222,000.

2.) The reentry vehicle design has placed the System and Tank Heater Battery into CAD models to demonstrate the mechanical fit of components and other structures. If the System and Tank Heater

Battery is not selected, a FTE would need six months to reorganize and redesign the placement of new components. Using new components would be a significant project risk that would need assessment. Dimensional volume in the LOFTID reentry vehicle is limited, and dimensional constraints were placed on components baselining the System and Tank Heater Battery. The new components would be required to fit within the same dimensional constraints if at all possible. The cost to the project would be $86,500. The mechanical redesign, if the System and Tank Heater

Battery is not selected, would not likely impact the schedule critical path.

3.) The design analysis that referenced the System and Tank Heater Battery would require rework if it was not selected. Design analysis includes, but not limited to, the following topics: interface compliance, power compatibility, EEE parts compatibility, EMI/EMC design, flight heritage, flight shock environment compatibility, flight random vibration environment compatibility, and flight thermal environment compatibility. If the System and Tank Heater Battery was not selected, then two FTEs for six months would be required to repeat the design analysis. This would increase the cost to NASA by $171,000.

The cable redesign, reentry vehicle redesign, and repeating design analysis is estimated to cost the government $479,500 if the System and Tank Heater Battery is not selected for flight production.

10. Listing of Sources

NA

11. Subsequent Competitive Acquisitions

This procurement is a subsequent contract to 80NSSC18P3197 to continue the LOFTID design with the flight System and Tank Heater Battery production. Additional flight procurements for spare units may follow this new procurement.

12. Certifications

Technical Certification

I certify that to the best of my knowledge and belief, the date furnished above is complete and accurate.

Robert Akamine Date

Technical Requestor

Contracting Officer Certification

I hereby certify that the above justification is accurate and complete, to the best of my knowledge and belief, and the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable.

Deborah L. Ford Date

Contracting Officer

5/22/2019

5/23/19