BNJ Redacted.pdf

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NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

NASA SHARED SERVICES CENTER

RECOMMENDATION AND DETERMINATION TO SOLICIT FROM ONE SOURCE

OR BRAND NAME

Brand Name Justification:

☒I recommend that NASA, NASA Shared Services Center negotiate with only with vendors who can provide the subject brand name from Skypersonic for their Skycopter drone and rover hardware and software solutions. The total estimated cost of this effort is XXXXXX and the estimated period of performance estimated period of performance is five years to support the full analog test plan with initial delivery of training piloting software 60 days after award.

This recommendation is for the acquisition of supplies or services determined to be reasonably available from only one source/only one manufacture. Competition is impractical for the following reasons (please answer the questions below):

1. What are the reasons for soliciting only the suggested source/suggested brand name? Please provide the unique characteristics of the items or services along with the supporting rationale and the market research performed to substantiate your reason for the suggested source/brand name.

Skypersonic is unique in that the pilots can control their drone and rover via the internet from anywhere in the world allowing for the isolated CHAPEA crew to pilot the hardware without interacting with other personnel and breaking the analog's immersion and isolation protocols. This unique remote piloting scenario is why Skypersonic was chosen as the only reasonably priced option to meet the needs of the CHAPEA analog testing.

2. What is the impact to the government if another vendor/brand is used? Include any dollar, schedule, or compatibility impacts if possible.

No other company has developed the remote piloted hardware from anywhere in the world that NASA deems a viable solution to support this analog testing scenario where the pilots will be isolated at the Johnson Space Center while the drone and rover will be located most likely in another state. Failure to procure this hardware and software solution developed by Skypersonic would cause harm to NASA’s current and future CHAPEA analog testing plans

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:

CHAPEA is a year long Mars analog test (that will be run three times over the next five years) at JSC with 4 crew isolated from interactions with the outside world so having a telerobotic system like Skypersonic provides will enable simulating a Mars telerobotic scenario where the crew is controlling the drones from their Martian habitat to perform science scouting elsewhere on Mars

Michael Interbartolo III 7/24/2021 Technical User Name Date

CHAPEA Engineer Title

EX2, NASA JSC

Office