MARS V (JOFOC) - 12-8-2025 - Fully Executed - Redacted.pdf

Rev.: 10/2025

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

Goddard Space Flight Center / Wallops Flight Facility (GSFC/WFF)

JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

(JOFOC)

For Solicitation 80GSFC26R0008, Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport 5 (MARS V)

1. Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.104-1(a)(1) – Identification of the agency and the contracting activity, and specific identification of the document as a “Justification for other than full and open competition.”

This document is a justification for other than full and open competition prepared by

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center/Wallops Flight Facility (GSFC/WFF)

The procuring agency is the NASA, and the contracting activity is GSFC/WFF.

2. FAR 6.104-1(a)(2) – The nature and/or description of the action being approved:

This justification provides the rationale for contracting by other than full and open competition to award a sole-source follow-on contract to the Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority (VCSFA).

The WFF Launch Range is NASA’s only NASA-owned launch range and is managed by GSFC/WFF. This Range supports NASA space operations, science, and technology research programs. The Range also supports launch operations sponsored by other Government agencies, commercial industry, and educational institutions. WFF provides a variety of services to these internal and external customers, including mission management, range safety, tracking and data services, launch vehicle and spacecraft processing, and launch pad services.

NASA has a longstanding partnership with VCSFA, currently governed by a Reimbursable Space Act Agreement executed under the authority of the National Aeronautics and Space Act on February 18, 1997. This led to the establishment of the VCSFA Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport located on the southern portion of Wallops Island. This 35-year Agreement enables VCSFA to carry out launch range infrastructure improvements and to provide launch services at WFF for the purposes of supporting the commercial launch industry through the provisions of the Commercial Space Launch Act. VCSFA currently operates two orbital launch pads on the WFF launch range that are suitable for launching orbital payloads and supporting equipment. VCSFA maintains significant specialized technical knowledge related to national launch system designs and processes. The reimbursable agreement permitted VCSFA to acquire services from NASA to support its operation of MARS. In turn, NASA obtained a broad array of services from VCSFA, both for agency operations and to support work with external partners at WFF, through a FAR-

Rev.:10/2025 based contract. The current version of the contract is the fourth Mid Atlantic Regional Spaceport contract (MARS IV).

The objective of this proposed follow-on contract is to ensure there is a vehicle in place to acquire services needed to provide launch service infrastructure to launch small/medium class orbital launch missions for NASA, other Government organizations, and NASA’s commercial partners.

3. FAR 6.104-1(a)(3) – A description of the supplies or services required, to meet the

Agency’s needs (including the estimated value):

Mission Planning and Feasibilities: VCSFA will perform feasibility studies, as requested by NASA, to assess the ability to meet launch support requirements, and estimate resource requirements to do so. VCSFA will also participate in pre-mission planning activities such as analysis, mission working groups, and other preparatory tasks necessary to adequately carry out customer requirements. VCSFA will also provide mission planning and feasibility documentation.

Launch Site Associated Services: VCSFA will perform services involving activities related to the operations of its launch complexes. These activities may include moving or assembling flight hardware, protecting hardware, supporting safety monitoring of launch site activities, providing expendable products necessary at the launch site, infrastructure improvements, and providing for access to the vehicle and spacecraft while located at the launch site.

Unmanned System Runway Services (UMS): VCSFA will also provide the necessary personnel, materials, equipment, and commodities as needed to support to Government and partner UMS operations utilizing the runway.

NASA’s GSFC/WFF proposes to issue a follow-on Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract with an effective ordering period of 5-years, from March 1, 2026, to February 28, 2031, with a maximum ordering value of $7,500,000. The Government’s cost estimate for the planned follow-on is $ .

4. FAR 6.104-1(a)(4) – An identification of the statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition:

The statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition is 10 U.S.C. 3204(a) (1), as implemented by FAR 6.103-1(b), Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements.

5. FAR 6.104-1(a)(5) – A demonstration that the proposed contractor’s unique qualifications or the nature of the acquisition requires use of the authority cited:

The rationale supporting the use of 10 U.S.C. 3204(a)(1) as implemented by FAR 6.103-1(b), only one responsible source and no other supplies or services can satisfy agency requirements is further described below.

Presently, there are four U.S. launch sites fully capable of providing orbital and large suborbital launch services. These sites are the United States Air Force’s Eastern and Western Ranges, Alaska Aerospace Development Corporation’s Kodiak Launch Complex, and GSFC/WFF. Each of these launch sites have distinct capabilities and varying abilities to accommodate the spectrum of launch customers and their requirements. To illustrate, for orbital missions, the alternative to GSFC/WFF as a U.S. launch site for inclined orbit missions is the USAF Eastern Range in Florida. Although GSFC/WFF and the Eastern Range can accommodate some of the same orbital and suborbital missions, there is a technical advantage of one site over another for each given mission. For example, Wallops can support missions that require inclinations between 38 and 60 degrees, as opposed to the Eastern Range which supports 39-to-57-degree inclination.

Technical and programmatic determining factors include the maximum spacecraft weight available to a specific orbit, proximity to ground-based instrumentation stations, availability of unique launch-site equipment, safety-of-flight considerations, coordination with other missions, ability of a launch site to accommodate schedule requirements, and treaty considerations. In many cases one launch site may be more suited to the specific requirements of a given mission. While the Eastern Range’s strengths include the ability to support low-to-mid inclination launches for large launch vehicles, GSFC/WFF’s strengths include its ability to support research and development missions, mid-to-higher inclination launches, and small/medium class launch vehicles. This role makes WFF the ideal site for its current mission set of suborbital and small/medium orbital missions.

The only existing launch infrastructure at GSFC/WFF capable of satisfying many small/medium class launch vehicle requirements are those maintained by VCSFA. VCSFA’s unique experience with these missions, combined with the already existing infrastructure owned by NASA and VCSFA, creates a strong base for the mission set required. Due to current and expected future needs to support orbital and larger suborbital missions, GSFC/WFF has a need for services only VCSFA can provide using its MARS launch complexes to execute Government and Government-sponsored commercial missions.

VCSFA is the only entity uniquely qualified to provide the services for the MARS IV follow-on requirement. In addition to the use of this infrastructure, NASA requires supporting specialized services associated with knowledge of particular launch designs, specialized logistical support of various launch vehicles, and specialized knowledge and capabilities associated with the use of VCSFA’s launch infrastructure. VCSFA maintains detailed knowledge of the technical capabilities, critical design characteristics, and technical issues associated with its infrastructure. VCSFA also maintains specialized expertise and valuable commercial arrangements associated with ground processing and launch pad activities. This expertise was acquired as part of VCSFA’s business plan to provide value-added services in addition to NASA-supplied services, envisioned primarily in support of commercial and Governmental launch vehicle designs, developed means for interfacing those vehicles to its launch infrastructure, established relationships with critical suppliers, and established an integrated series of processes with GSFC organizations to carry out an efficient set of launch-site specific services. VCSFA is the only current source sufficiently knowledgeable and with these capabilities to meet near-term mission requirements.

VCSFA has the infrastructure, training, experience, and expertise to provide uninterrupted continuation of mission critical support as they are the incumbent contractor. Since the functions under the MARS V contract are to be continued, detailed knowledge of the existing MARS IV requirements greatly aids the contractor’s ability to effectively, and efficiently manage the ongoing tasks, projects, and mission sets in a safe, timely manner during the planned follow-on. This will benefit the Government through lower cost and reduced technical and mission risk. VCSFA is the only source that is qualified to perform this work within the needed time frame due to the immediate need for these services and requirement for uninterrupted continuation of support.

Furthermore, VCSFA currently maintains the only Federal Aviation Administration license to conduct commercial launches from the WFF to which GSFC’s WFF is permitted priority usage of the VCSFA-owned launch infrastructure on land owned by NASA.

6. FAR 6.104-1(a)(6) – A description of the efforts made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as practicable, including whether a notice was or will be publicized as required by part 5 and, if not, which exception under part 5 applies:

A notice to the Government Point of Entry (GPE) website (Sam.gov) was published on May 7, 2025, in accordance with FAR part 5. This posting informed potential sources of NASA’s intent to award this sole-source follow-on contract to VCSFA. The results of this synopsis are summarized in Section 10 below.

7. FAR 6.104-1(a)(7) – A determination by the contracting officer that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable:

The contracting officer’s signature on this document indicates that the contracting officer has determined that the anticipated cost to the government will be fair and reasonable. The contractor must be required to submit a proposal to be evaluated and negotiated by the Government. Prior to execution of the contractual instrument, a proposal analysis will be performed. The proposal analysis will ensure that the final agreed-to price for the contract action is fair and reasonable.

VCSFA will be required to submit a proposal for each task order issued. The proposed costs will be evaluated by the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), the requiring activity and the Contracting Officer to ensure that the direct labor rates, direct labor hours, skill mix, other direct costs, indirect costs, and fee(s) are fair and reasonable. The GSFC Contracting Officer and the COR will monitor VCSFA’s performance. VCSFA will be required to submit technical progress reports and financial management reports to be reviewed and analyzed by the Government.

8. FAR 6.104-1(a)(8) – Description of the market research conducted, and the results, or a statement of the reason market research was not conducted (e.g., urgent, and compelling requirement):

VCSFA has decades of experience successfully operating singular and geographically fixed launch site infrastructure at WFF. This wholly unique capability is directly related to the performance of tasks to be issued under this contract. The COR has in-depth knowledge of the market related to this requirement including the technical capabilities of the launch sites, given the aforementioned facts, no additional market survey was performed.

9. FAR 6.104-1(a)(9) – Any other facts supporting the use of other than full and open competition:

None

10. FAR 6.104-1(a)(10) – A listing of the sources, if any, that expressed an interest in writing in the acquisition:

A notice of NASA’s intent to award this sole-source action was synopsized on the GPE website (Sam.gov) per FAR part 5 (See Section 6 above). The synopsis was posted on May 7, 2025, and closed on May 21, 2025, the government received zero (0) responses.

11. FAR 6.104-1(a)(11) – A statement of actions, if any, the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers to competition before any subsequent acquisition for the supplies or services required:

The Agency will continue to examine the market in the future for alternative solutions or new sources before executing any subsequent acquisitions for the same requirements.

Rev.: 10/2025

Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport 5 (MARS V)

JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

SIGNATURE PAGE

Technical Representative: I certify that the facts presented in this justification are accurate and complete.

Eric Littleton Technical Representative (MARS IV COR)

Contracting Officer: I hereby certify that the above justification is complete and accurate to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Aaron Case Contracting Officer, Code 176

APPROVED:

Eric Newman Competition Advocate Goddard Space Flight Center

ERIC

LITTLETON

Digitally signed by ERIC

LITTLETON

Date: 2025.12.08 11:53:04 -05'00'

Aaron Case Digitally signed by Aaron Case Date: 2025.12.08 11:54:42 -05'00'

Eric Newman Digitally signed by Eric Newman Date: 2025.12.08 12:29:56 -05'00'