Questions and Answers from Dec 2024 Acq. Update.pdf

Ques�ons and Answers from Dec 2024 Acquisi�on Update

Pre-Decisional: All content is considered dra� and subject to change prior to final RFP release

PROCUREMENT STRATEGY

1. How will NASA assess "commercial viability" and what specific metrics will providers need to demonstrate? NASA plans to provide more informa�on at an industry forum and/or in the Dra� RFP regarding what specifics are required to provide proof of commercial viability; for instance, NASA plans to evaluate each provider’s ability to show viability in addi�on to a government customer.

2. When assessing “commercial viability,” will NASA consider the incremental actual cost basis of each vendor to deliver the ini�al and full capability? For example, a ver�cally integrated CLD partner which has already made significant R&D investments in subsystems, primary structure manufacturing, etc. will have lower incremental costs than a vendor using a tradi�onal outsourced aerospace supply chain. As a result, a ver�cally integrated partner would then only require a more conserva�ve and realis�c revenue target overall to break even and be profitable, thereby making it more “commercially viable.” NASA plans to provide more informa�on at an industry forum and/or in the Dra� RFP regarding NASA’s evalua�on criteria and what specifics offerors are required to provide to demonstrate proof of commercial viability.

3. Will NASA consider Funded Space Act Agreements for the development por�on of Phase 2 leading to cer�fica�on, instead of contracts? And then use contracts under the FAR for services? NASA does not plan to compete and award addi�onal Funded Space Act Agreements at this �me for the development of Commercial LEO Des�na�ons Contract (CLDC). The agency currently plans for CLD Contract (Phase 2) to be competed and awarded as a FAR-based contract.

4. How will NASA equitably account for any private capital spent on hardware development, test, and demonstra�on related to a CLD bid, par�cularly if such capital investment dras�cally outweighs any funding received by that bidder from NASA before the bid? NASA plans to provide more informa�on at an industry forum and/or in the Dra� RFP regarding NASA’s evalua�on criteria. NASA may consider the investments that providers have made, impact to financial capability, and/or ability to close a business case.

5. Does NASA an�cipate a FAR part 15 compe��on or FAR Part 35.016 compe��on or a mul�ple-award IDIQ type contract? NASA plans to provide more detailed informa�on at an industry forum and in the Dra� RFP regarding contract type. NASA is currently an�cipa�ng a FAR part-15 based contract, which allows for and may include IDIQ Task Orders, and, depending on available federal funding and receiving proposals of adequate merit, plans to award none, one, or mul�ple awards.

6. How many awards does NASA an�cipate making as a result of the CLD Phase 2 compe��on? (We understand based on the slides that NASA will also provide for on-ramp opportuni�es.) NASA may award none, one, or mul�ple awards depending on available federal funding and receiving proposals of adequate merit. As noted, NASA also an�cipates including an On-Ramp clause in the solicita�on. More details will be released at an industry forum and/or in the Dra� RFP.

7. How will NASA account for the delays experienced by the CDISS contractor when evalua�ng their proposed approach? NASA plans to evaluate Past Performance for all offerors.

8. How have the changes made to the CDISS habitat modules impacted the CLD Phase 2 acquisi�on strategy? Individual CLD providers’ development during Phase 1 has not impacted the CLD Contract (Phase 2) acquisi�on strategy.

9. How has NASA leveraged lessons learned on the CDISS contract and CLD Phase 1 Space Act Agreements when developing the CLD Phase 2 acquisi�on strategy and will NASA share those lessons with all compe�tors? NASA is leveraging lessons learned from contracts and SAAs, along with other lessons learned across the en�re agency and Government. NASA does not plan to share detailed acquisi�on lessons learned with compe�tors.

10. How have NASA’s deorbit plans for the ISS impacted, if at all, the CLD Phase 2 acquisi�on strategy? NASA’s desire to reduce or eliminate the gap between the CLD and ISS transi�on has influenced NASA defining a minimum ini�al opera�ng capability by 2029 and may drive NASA’s ISS end of life plans.

11. Does NASA think it is important (and how would you approach) having an equitable compe��ve field between companies without funded SAAs and those with funded SAAs (and the CDISS contractor if permited to bid)? Will NASA include or take into account the previous funding and support NASA has provided some contractors when evalua�ng and comparing the CLD Phase 2 proposals? Prior NASA agreements and/or contracts have been competed as full and open compe��ons. NASA plans for the CLD Contract (Phase 2) procurement also to be conducted as a full and open compe��on.

Compe�tors will be evaluated against the same criteria for award.

12. Current interna�onal partner coopera�ve efforts are embodied in interna�onal trea�es and implemented through government-to-government barter agreements. Is NASA considering how to preserve these rela�onships under a commercial opera�ons model?

NASA plans to con�nue interna�onal rela�onships and build new ones in the future, and leverage them where possible, to address liability and other concerns associated with CLDs. NASA also intends to enter into Gov-Gov agreements around joint science and possibly other areas of coopera�on in the CLD era. The nature of these agreements will depend on the areas of collabora�on. NASA plans to request industry feedback at an industry forum and/or in the Dra� RFP.

13. Will terms be similar to Commercial Crew Program or will there be a set of specific FAR based terms applied for this procurement? NASA is s�ll evalua�ng the terms and condi�ons to be included in the CLD Phase 2 solicita�on and resul�ng contract. Clauses are expected to be similar to Commercial Crew Program, however; NASA is evalua�ng lessons learned and contract clauses from all past contracts and poten�ally unique clauses associated with this procurement. NASA is currently planning to award a FAR-based contract.

14. When will the Source Evalua�on Board be named/established? NASA will appoint the Source Evalua�on Board members in the approximate �meframe when the Dra� RFP is released per NASA’s standard procurement process.

15. How will NASA deal with limi�ng CLD operator liability to a reasonable extent? NASA is evalua�ng op�ons for a liability framework for the Phase 2 CLD Contract and will share more informa�on for feedback at an upcoming industry forum and/or in the Dra� RFP.

16. In the baseline acquisi�on strategy slide, what does NASA mean by “overlap between CLD and ISS capabili�es” is desired? NASA is evalua�ng different mission scenarios and �melines to decrease the risk of a gap in human presence in LEO. NASA’s goal is to not have a gap in con�nuous human presence and desires to have an opera�onal CLD before deorbi�ng ISS at the end of the decade.

17. “Long term goal for NASA is to become one of many customers for commercial transporta�on opera�ons in LEO…”

a. How will opera�onal costs—such as crew transporta�on, life support systems, and maintenance—be shared between NASA and providers? NASA is evalua�ng and developing its acquisi�on strategy with respect to cost structure and will provide more informa�on at a future industry forum and/or in the Dra� RFP.

b. Will NASA’s required presence during key opera�ons (e.g., launch, docking, emergency response) incur addi�onal costs or delays for providers? NASA is evalua�ng and developing its acquisi�on strategy with respect to services the agency may provide and the cost structure. NASA will provide more informa�on at a future industry forum and/or in the Dra� RFP.

18. Policy and Regulatory Challenges

a. What regulatory hurdles remain unresolved (e.g., spectrum alloca�on, space debris management)? NASA is s�ll evalua�ng policy and the regulatory landscape as we dra� requirements and will provide more informa�on at a future industry forum and/or in the Dra� RFP.

GTA/GFS

19. How will NASA fund the GTAs and RSAAs referenced in the charts? And how will NASA fund the ini�al set of commercial flights it plans to purchase? NASA funding will be managed via the nominal NASA PPBE process. NASA is evalua�ng lessons learned from other contracts and the use of GTAs. Details pertaining to GTAs and RSAAs will be provided at an industry forum and/or the Dra� RFP but are expected to be similar to past contracts.

20. Could a high-level list of poten�al NASA-provided Explora�on Subsystems be provided?

NASA is evalua�ng GTAs and GFE that may be offered under the contract including Explora�on subsystems. A full list will be provided at an industry forum and/or in the Dra� RFP.

21. When will and what types/class of NASA equipment/services/explora�on subsystems to be offered to CLD providers be available? NASA is evalua�ng GTAs and GFE that may be offered under the contract including Explora�on subsystems. A full list will be provided at an industry forum and/or in the Dra� RFP.

22. Slide 6 of the CLD Phase 2 Industry Acquisi�on Update notes that NASA intends to offer more support/services than previously planned through RSAAs or GTAs. Please explain the types of services/support NASA is considering. NASA is evalua�ng GTAs and GFE that may be offered under the contract including Explora�on subsystems. A full list will be provided in an industry forum and/or in the Dra� RFP.

TRANSPORTATION

23. Will crew and cargo services be procured directly from Flight Providers, or could integrators be eligible to aggregate and bid these services? Ini�ally, NASA plans to procure transporta�on services directly from cer�fied transporta�on providers for NASA missions, with plans to transi�on the full responsibility of transporta�on to the CLD provider at a later date. CLD Providers may propose an alterna�ve approach as part of their proposals if they do not want to u�lize NASA-procured transporta�on. NASA does not plan to procure crew and cargo services for missions that do not have a NASA need, such as an exclusive Private Astronaut Mission (PAM) to the CLD.

24. How will the ini�al crew and cargo transporta�on services be procured? Will there be a new acquisi�on or will exis�ng contracts be u�lized? NASA is s�ll evalua�ng crew and cargo transporta�on procurement op�ons and will share more informa�on at an industry forum at a later date.

25. Are CLD providers s�ll responsible for flights that launch, ou�it, and ready their des�na�on for NASA use? NASA does not currently plan to provide transporta�on for CLD assembly flights, but may provide, or partner with the CLD contractor(s) to provide cargo transporta�on for ou�i�ng the CLD, if those ou�i�ng flights include NASA requirements.

26. Do you an�cipate also covering crew and cargo needs of NASA's interna�onal partners, or NASA's direct needs only? NASA envisions mixed missions including NASA, Interna�onal Partners (IPs), and other private astronauts. NASA-provided transporta�on may be u�lized for mixed mission needs. A type of value exchange for use of transporta�on for non-NASA customers is expected. Details would be nego�ated as part of the contract.

27. Will/could interna�onal contribu�ons be used to fulfill ini�al NASA crew or cargo transporta�on services? NASA will procure transporta�on for ini�al missions u�lizing currently cer�fied vehicles. However, for future flights, NASA may decide to on-ramp new cer�fied vehicles and/or u�lize IP-provided vehicles for future missions based on NASA and industry needs.

28. Can you confirm that, during the period NASA procures crew transport services, NASA will be responsible for the full transport and space sta�on cost for the four crew members? Although NASA will provide ini�al transporta�on and s�ll expects to be one of many customers on CLDs; the agency will reserve one to two seats per flight for Interna�onal and/or non-NASA astronauts. The considera�on that NASA would receive in exchange for those seats is yet to be determined.

29. Can you provide further clarifica�on/specificity around NASA providing crew/cargo services to the CLD –what does that encompass? How are you defining “missions associated with NASA services”? An�cipated frequency? Can CLDs u�lize excess capacity? NASA plans to order full crew and cargo missions and plans to offer any excess capacity to the provider, including for crew and cargo. NASA only plans to provide transporta�on services for missions related to NASA’s needs (i.e., involving NASA crew and payloads) although addi�onal missions could be proposed by the CLD provider.

30. Can you describe the process and �meline through which more details will be released on the scope and dura�on of these ini�al transporta�on services? NASA is s�ll evalua�ng the scope and dura�on of the ini�al transporta�on services and plans to provide more informa�on at an industry forum and/or the Dra� RFP.

31. What is the planned acquisi�on milestone schedule for the NASA crew/cargo transporta�on? NASA is s�ll evalua�ng its crew and cargo acquisi�on strategy and will share informa�on in this regard as soon as the agency is able to do so.

32. How will NASA's crew and cargo service purchases be distributed among providers?

NASA is s�ll evalua�ng the scope and dura�on of the ini�al transporta�on services and plans to provide more informa�on at an industry forum and/or in the Dra� RFP.

33. “Ini�ally, NASA will provide transporta�on for all missions associated with NASA services (Resupply and Crew)”

a. What is NASA’s ini�al assump�on on number of missions and transi�on �meline for the crew and cargo flights? NASA is s�ll evalua�ng the scope and dura�on of the ini�al transporta�on services and plans to provide more informa�on at an industry forum and/or in the Dra� RFP.

b. How will the manifes�ng for crew and cargo be adjudicated if NASA is the provider of the flights? NASA plans to order the full crew and cargo missions and plans to offer any excess capacity to the provider, including for crew and cargo. The agency plans to reserve one to two seats per flight for Interna�onal and/or non-NASA astronauts.

NASA is s�ll evalua�ng manifests and any adjudica�on processes.

c. What role will NASA play as part of the Pre-flight integra�on and flight opera�ons integra�on between crew and cargo transporta�on providers and CLDP providers?

NASA is s�ll evalua�ng the Government provided services it may provide and plans to provide more informa�on at an industry forum and/or in the Dra� RFP.

34. “CLD and transporta�on providers will be responsible for mee�ng NASA’s cer�fica�on requirements.”

a. Is there an example or outline of NASA’s cer�fica�on requirements and process? How does NASA plan to differen�ate the cer�fica�on of short dura�on mission/crew tended pla�orms from those that provide a con�nuous presence? NASA's cer�fica�on requirements and process are s�ll being finalized and will be defined and provided as a part of the Dra� RFP. Cer�fica�on is planned to be similar to the CCP process for crew transporta�on vehicles. NASA is s�ll evalua�ng if there are any differences between that process and what will be levied under the CLD Phase 2 Contract.

REQUIREMENTS

35. Does NASA an�cipate the insight or oversight requirements for this procurement are going to be managed like the ISS program, or will it be more like the current Commercial Crew program? NASA is s�ll evalua�ng planned Insight and Oversight Approach and plans to share this informa�on at a future industry forum and/or in the Dra� RFP.

36. Is NASA planning to levy the “Interna�onal Space Power Systems Interoperability Standards (ISPSIS)” and “Modular Electronics Standard for Space Power Systems” for the CLD effort? NASA is s�ll evalua�ng requirements and finalizing its approach and will share informa�on as the agency is able to at the Safety and Requirements Workshop.

htps://sam.gov/opp/405df8857dfd451688a40d2514d74819/view

37. Is NASA planning to levy the S-Band Common Communica�ons for Visi�ng Vehicles (C2V2) as a standard interface protocol for Visi�ng Vehicles docking with a Commercial LEO Des�na�on? If not, is NASA planning to levy a commercial standard equivalent to C2V2 to eliminate the likelihood of incompa�ble proprietary protocols between compe�ng Des�na�on OEMs and Visi�ng Vehicle OEMs? NASA is s�ll evalua�ng requirements and finalizing its approach associated with standardized communica�on requirements and plans to share such informa�on at a future industry forum and/or in the Dra� RFP.

38. Will structural health monitoring (SHM) and/or condi�on-based maintenance (CBM) be requirement for the new LEO des�na�on spacecra�, habitats, and structures? If not, why not?” NASA is s�ll evalua�ng whether formal requirements will be levied in this area or whether these are derived requirements based on provider designs, material, and environment. NASA plans to share more informa�on at a future industry forum and/or in the Dra� RFP.

https://sam.gov/opp/405df8857dfd451688a40d2514d74819/view

CERTIFICATION/QUALIFICATION

39. How will crew and cargo vehicles be qualified to new sta�on des�na�ons? NASA will work directly with transporta�on providers to determine the delta qualifica�on that will be needed and develop a forward plan on qualifica�on efforts.

40. How does NASA plan to par�cipate in cer�fica�on? And will cer�fica�on be included in the procurement? NASA is evalua�ng its approach to cer�fica�on and plans to release more informa�on at an upcoming industry forum and/or in the Dra� RFP.

MINIMUM INITIAL OPERATING CAPABILITY (IOC) AND FULL OPERATIONAL

CAPABILITIES (FOC)

41. Will there be opportuni�es and budget for capabili�es beyond that date? (“Full capability required by December 2031”) NASA plans to procure on-orbit services from the CLD Provider beyond December 2031 to an end date to be determined. NASA is also interested in any addi�onal capabili�es CLD providers may offer in addi�on to the requirements outlined in the RFP. NASA is considering a CLIN for op�onal services in the Dra� RFP.

42. When does NASA plan to provide the details on Min IOC? (Reference: Slide 6: “Min IOC required by December 2029 (Details of Min IOC s�ll in work)”) NASA is s�ll evalua�ng the details and defini�on of Minimum IOC and plans to provide more informa�on at an industry forum and/or in the Dra� RFP.

43. What is the defini�on of “Full capability”? (Reference: Slide 6: “Full capability required by December 2031”) NASA plans to define the ini�al opera�ng capability (IOC) and full opera�onal capabili�es (FOC) for the CLD at an industry forum and/or in the Dra� RFP.

44. Does “Full capability required by December 2031” imply that NASA does not expect any addi�onal capabili�es to be deployed a�er December 2031? I.e., must the full set of proposed capabili�es be opera�onal by December 2031? NASA plans to require FOC by December 2031 and is evalua�ng the need for capabili�es beyond the ‘full capability requirement set.’ It is an�cipated that if any addi�onal capabili�es are needed beyond the ‘full opera�onal capability,’ that those will be procured though the provider’s CLD Phase 2 contract.

45. Will NASA define ini�al and full capabili�es for a commercial des�na�on before the dra� RFP? In a process for public review similar to this? NASA plans to define the ini�al opera�ng capability (IOC) and full opera�onal capabili�es (FOC) for the CLD at an industry forum and/or in the Dra� RFP.

46. “NASA will require a minimum of two NASA astronauts con�nuously living in LEO by 2031.”

a. Is this two per CLD provider or between the two CLD providers? NASA plans to require con�nuous human presence by December of 2030 based on having mul�ple CLD providers, but it is s�ll to be determined if NASA will award none, one, or mul�ple CLD contracts.

b. Annually or semi-annually? NASA is currently planning for 6-month missions during con�nuous presence but may s�ll evaluate the need for shorter or longer dura�on missions.

INDUSTRY ENGAGEMENT

47. The slides men�on a "Requirements and Safety Workshop in January with release of documents". Will this be an in-person workshop open to all interested par�es? What documents do you an�cipate releasing? NASA plans to hold this workshop in person at JSC for all interested par�es. Documents pertaining to this workshop are publicly available in SAM.gov. htps://sam.gov/opp/405df8857dfd451688a40d2514d74819/view

48. When will this Workshop be scheduled? (Reference: Slide 8: “Rqmts & Safety Workshop Jan 2025”). See pos�ng on SAM.gov:

htps://sam.gov/opp/405df8857dfd451688a40d2514d74819/view

49. When is Industry Day scheduled? Will it be in person/virtual or both? NASA tenta�vely plans to hold an in-person mee�ng in March or April 2025 for Industry Day. Virtual op�ons are also being considered.

50. Will one on one mee�ngs be offered as part of Industry Day? NASA tenta�vely plans to hold an in-person mee�ng in March or April 2025 for Industry Day. NASA plans to hold one-on-one mee�ngs as part of this Industry Day.

51. How will industry engage in the LMCR ac�vi�es? NASA plans to con�nue consul�ng with internal and external stakeholders to ensure NASA’s low Earth orbit (LEO) plans remain aligned with NASA’s CLD Phase 2 procurement. NASA intends to hold regular workshops to facilitate this consulta�on. NASA’s LEO Microgravity Strategy is available at this link:

htps://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/2024-12-lms-final-goals-and-objec�ves.pdf https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/2024-12-lms-final-goals-and-objectives.pdf https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/2024-12-lms-final-goals-and-objectives.pdf