JOFOC_Redacted.pdf

Rev.: 10/2025

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

Johnson Space Center (JSC)

JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

(JOFOC)

For 80JSC026RSUITS

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 the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Johnson Space Center (JSC).

The procuring agency is the NASA, and the contracting activity is JSC.

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 contract to David Clark Company Incorporated (DCCI) of Worcester, MA for the acquisition of Orion Crew Survival Systems’ Suit model S1041 (OCSS Suit) and accompanying support hardware. The effort will provide for production of flight crew and backup flight crew suits, along with supporting suit hardware and repair services, for Artemis 3 (A3) and subsequent flights. These items will also be used by the Orion Crew Survival Systems team in critical integrated-system tests and flight crew training. The detailed effort is specified in Statement of Work SOW-PRS22-2836. The total value of this effort is estimated at $15M.

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):

The supplies being procured to meet the Agency’s needs are the OCSS Suit and accompanying support hardware and repair services. The effort will provide for production of flight crew and backup flight crew suits, along with supporting suit hardware, for A3 and subsequent flights. These items will also be used by the Orion Crew Survival Systems team in critical integrated-system tests and flight crew training.

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 Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements.

Rev.:10/2025

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 is only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements as described below.

The OCSS Suit is unparalleled in form, fit and function with unique qualification that meets the rigorous requirements for Criticality 1 (Crit 1) life support equipment pressure suits. The hardware is based on proprietary manufacturing techniques utilized by DCCI prior to being chosen as the sole source supplier at the inception of the Shuttle Program. DCCI possesses all fabrication drawings and patterns and has developed the unique manufacturing, test and overhaul procedures related to this hardware.

Due to the unique Artemis missions requiring the Orion suit to be capable of 144 hours outside the crew module and the thermal management capabilities associated with extended space activities, DCCI is the only responsible source able to satisfy NASA’s requirements.

This ability to satisfy NASA’s requirements is attributable to DCCI’s proprietary intellectual property (IP) regarding the materials and patterning techniques needed in order to produce the qualified Orion suit. Intellectual property protections and Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) governing design similarity and suit‑specific manufacturing techniques prevent any other space suit manufacturer from producing suits comparable to those qualified by DCCI.

Furthermore, no other space suit vendor has developed space suits capable of obtaining NASA qualification to perform the same activities required by the Artemis missions. DCCI has demonstrated its experience with this unique hardware including design and testing of the components utilized in pressure suits by being the sole supplier of pressure suits for the entirety of the space shuttle program.

Additionally, the OCSS suit is the only suit to have successfully completed the full qualification efforts for compatibility with the Orion vehicle and the Artemis mission requirements. Qualifying a similarly capable design from a newly identified alternate source would require approximately three years, resulting in risks to the agency’s ability to meet the anticipated launch date for the A3 and subsequent missions. Accelerating the qualification period would elevate risks to astronaut health and safety by reducing the thoroughness of the review and potentially allowing critical issues to go unidentified.

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 April 22, 2026, in accordance with FAR part 5. This posting informed potential sources of NASA’s intent to award this sole-source contract to DCCI. 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 cost analysis will be performed. The analysis will ensure that the final agreed-to price for the contract action is fair and reasonable.

The OCSS Suit has been developed and manufactured by DCCI using GSA approved rates.

DCCI will produce the OCSS suits for A3 and beyond based on current GSA rates documented in GSA Supply Schedule GS-10F-0467Y. Suit manufacture costs are primarily labor hours, as materials have largely been previously procured by NASA. Quotes for suits are cited via categorization of labor hour categories required to customize, draft, construct, document, inspect, etc. for each suit. Labor hours for total manufacture of the suits have been reviewed and refined based on development suit efforts and flight suit manufacture for A2 crewmembers.

Due to the Government’s ability to define the requirements in sufficient detail and complexity and the same or similar products being previously procured as Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP), the resulting space suits will be procured on a FFP basis.

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):

Per Project #02934 Charter via the Orion Government Equipment Management Control Board (GEMCB) dated 07/29/2015, the OCSS Suit was directed to be based upon an updated version of the Space Shuttle-era launch and entry suit, the Advanced Crew Escape Suit (ACES), which had been manufactured by DCCI. All Advanced Crew Escape Suits remaining at the end of the Shuttle program were transferred to the OCSS project and leveraged for re-use, development, upgrades and testing to create a Modified ACES (MACES) which led to the finalization of the OCSS suit in accordance with the program charter. The final suit inspections and processing are performed at JSC.

At the time of the Mod-ACES/OCSS development at the start of Project 02934, no other suit manufacturers existed that had successfully implemented a Crit 1, spaceflight qualified, launch entry suit with the required materials, features, and constraints of Orion. Since that time, no other vendors with the capabilities to manufacture to the unique materials, pressure, and longevity requirements of the OCSS Suit have entered the market. During the course of suit manufacture for Artemis 2 (A2), the OCSS suits were qualified for Orion via an approximately three-year long test campaign. During this period, DCCI has demonstrated unique capability to manufacture the flight qualified OCSS suit designed for Orion.

Qualifying a similarly capable design from a newly identified alternate source would require approximately three or more years, resulting in risks to the agency’s ability to meet the anticipated launch date for A3 and subsequent missions. Accelerating the qualification period would elevate risks to astronaut health and safety by reducing the thoroughness of the review and potentially allowing critical issues to go unidentified.

A notice to the Government Point of Entry (GPE) website (Sam.gov) was published on April 22, 2026 with responses being due no later than May 7, 2026. The notice informed potential sources of NASA’s intent to award this sole-source contract to DCCI. There was one response submitted related to the intent to sole source.

The company that responded submitted a response indicating its interest in the acquisition and capabilities. However, upon review of its capabilities, it was determined that the company is primarily a hardgoods manufacturing company. The agency’s requirement is for softgoods patterning of certified designs, fabrication of those softgoods per certified processes, and integration of already existing hardgoods. The items the company is capable of manufacturing are not within the scope of the requirement. Therefore, it is not able to satisfy the agency’s requirements.

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

Since initial design, the OCSS Suit has gone through three updates with the final design having completed full qualification testing. As a result, the OCCS suit is certified for NASA spaceflight on Orion via GCAR G6455. To date, approximately ten years and have been spent on design iterations, testing, and hardware delivery. The award of a sole-source procurement to DCCI provides savings and enhanced schedule control.

Other project hardware items such as umbilicals forming the life support interface to the suit, seat headrests, and waste management hoses that have already been certified for use on Artemis and has been installed in the A2 vehicle was specifically designed to interface with the OCSS suit. Additionally, the OCSS suit boots have unique inserts that clip into specific foot constraints. The OCSS suit’s internal suit Helmet Restraint Assembly is qualified in tandem with seatbelts to prevent head and neck injuries. As a result, the OCSS suit is the only suit qualified and capable of reducing health and safety risks to astronauts.

The OCSS project model for long-term suit fabrication includes refurbishment and re-use of high value hardgoods such as Emergency Breathing System Bottles, all suit hardgoods (bearings, connectors, and helmets), the Dual Suit Controller, the off-nominal waste management system, and life preservers with emergency locator beacons that have been procured at costs estimated in excess of . Considering alternate design or manufacturing options would lead to unacceptable risks in ability to ensure astronaut health and safety while meeting Artemis mission dates. Due to the unique qualifications, the remaining compatible Shuttle era hardware, the proprietary nature of this hardware, prior investment, and timeliness of hardware needs, DCCI is the only qualified source for conducting this production effort. Therefore, no other vendor is capable of meeting the necessary materials/product/application and requirements for this unique hardware.

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 to the Government Point of Entry (GPE) website (Sam.gov) was published on April 22, 2026 with responses being due no later than May 7, 2026. The notice informed potential sources of NASA’s intent to award this sole-source contract to DCCI. There was one response submitted related to the intent to sole source.

The company that responded submitted a response indicating its interest in the acquisition and capabilities. However, upon review of its capabilities, it was determined that the company is primarily a hardgoods manufacturing company. The agency’s requirement is for softgoods patterning of certified designs, fabrication of those softgoods per certified processes, and integration of already existing hardgoods. The items the company is capable of manufacturing are not within the scope of the requirement. Therefore, it is not able to satisfy the agency’s requirements.

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.