JA for STRIVE Extension Comp Adv (signed & approved).pdf

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

Justification and Approval (J&A) for Other Than Full and Open Competition

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY March 2018 Page 1 of 7

Is this a new or amended J&A Document? New Amended ( Prior to Award Only! )

Is this a Bridge Action as defined in the AF Bridge Action Reduction Plan? Yes No

Funding level for this acquisition: < $700K > $700K and < $13.5M > $13.5M and < $93M > $93M

Contracting Activity: AFRL RVKI

Purchase Request / Local ID Number:

Program / Project (and PE, if applicable): Space Technology Research & Integrated Vehicles Experiments (STRIVE) Contract

Program Type (PEO or Other Contracting): PEO

Authority: 6.302-1 – 10 USC 2304(c)(1), Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements

Estimated Contract Cost (including options): $2,542,312 J&A Type: Class Individual

C O O R D I N A T I O N (AFFARS 5306.304( a)) ** The text in the signature blocks below is editable, including the title.

APPROVAL (AFFARS 5306.304( a))

Date Competition Advocate Kevin Slone

AFRL/RVK - 505-853-0071

Signature

NOTE: If a Justification and Approval was approved for the preceding acquisition, a copy of the approved J&A for the predecessor action must be included in the staff package for approval of the instant J&A. This applies to all J&A staff packages that are submitted for review and approval at a level above the contracting officer. The predecessor J&A will be used as a reference document by the approving official.

Date Project Lead / Program Mgr / Requiring Activity Kevin Bryant

AFRL/RVEP - 505-846-2798

Signature

Date Contracting Officer James Melancon

AFRL/RVKI - 505-846-3896

Signature

Date Local Legal Reviewer

Date Chief of the Contracting Office (COCO) Kevin Slone

AFRL/RVK - 505-853-0071

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I. Contracting Activity.

U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Phillips Research Site (PRS), Space Vehicles Contracting Directorate (RVK), Kirtland AFB, New Mexico 87117-5773 and the Space Vehicles Directorate's Integrated Experiments and Evaluation Division (AFRL/RVE) are the organizational activities responsible for the proposed contracting action. AFRL/RVE conducts innovative research and development of ground, near-space, and spaceflight experiments from the engineering, integration and testing of components and subsystems through system-level integration and test, and execution of experiment mission operations. This document is an individual Justification and Approval (J&A) document for other than full and open competition.

II. Nature and/or description of the action being processed.

The purpose of this bridging action is to modify an existing contract due to a Government Accounting Office (GAO) protest and Competition in Contracting Act (CICA) Stay. This modification will extend the ordering/technical period of performance for the Space Technology Research and Integrated Vehicle Experiments (STRIVE) IDIQ contract. The order/technical period of performance of the basic contract will be extended from January 31, 2020, to May 31, 2020. This will allow four (4) mission critical Task Orders (TO) to continue performance until the completion of the pending protest. The period of performance of each TO will be extended through March 31. 2020, and will incorporate an option period of April 1, 2020 through May 31, 2020. As a result only four TOs that will be modified under this J&A.

This bridging action is to retain critical research and development efforts for technology research, analysis, integration, and test and evaluation performed in support of RVE's on-going space flight experiment programs until conclusion of the protest period. The performance of the basic contract is for research and development efforts and therefore does not contain the provisions of FAR 17.207.

Contract No.: FA9453-12-D-0285 Contract Type: Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee Single Award Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ)

In accordance with the basic contract, the overall ceiling for all TOs is $170,000,000. The cumulative value of all TOs (active and closed) is $150,758,494. Thus, $19,241,506 of ceiling currently remains. As previously stated, a total of four TOs are in need of extensions: 0004, 0010, 0011, and 0013. As described in the following sections, it is estimated that the total increase for all four TOs will be $2,542,312. As a result, the total value of all TOs combined (both active and closed) will increase from $150,758,494 to $153,300,806, which would leave $16,699,194 of unused ceiling.

The total estimated CPFF increase for each of the four TOs (including unexercised options) is provided in the following table:

Order # Base Period (01 Feb 2020 - 31 Mar 2020) Option I (01 Apr 2020 - 31 May 2020) Total Increase Cost Fixed Fee CPFF Cost Fixed Fee CPFF

0004 $230,000 $20,000 $250,000 $230,000 $20,000 $250,000 $500,000 0010 $409,512 $35,610 $445,122 $429,589 $37,356 $466,945 $912,067 0011 $314,640 $27,360 $314,640 $530,840 $46,160 $577,000 $919,000 0013 $97,799 $7,824 $105,623 $97,799 $7,824 $105,623 $211,245 Totals $1,115,385 $1,399,568 $2,542,312

As a result of the changes describe in the previous table (above), the following changes will occur:

Current Contract Totals Estimated Increase(s) New CPFF Totals

Order # Cost Fixed Fee CPFF Cost Fixed Fee CPFF Cost Fixed

Fee CPFF

0004 $12,463,779 $651,047 $13,114,826 $460,000 $40,000 $500,000 $12,923,779 $691,047 $13,339,643 0010 $13,821,434 $869,686 $12,951,748 $839,101 $72,966 $912,067 $14,660,535 $942,652 $15,603,187 0011 $9,983,532 $586,104 $10,569,636 $845,480 $73,520 $919,000 $10,829,012 $659,624 $11,488,636 0013 $3,941,788 $244,850 $3,696,938 $195,598 $15,648 $211,246 $4,137,386 $260,498 $4,397,884

Totals $40,333,148 $2,542,312 $45,104,533

TOs to be extended:

Task Order 0004. The Demonstration and Science Experiments (DSX) spacecraft conducts experiments to characterize the medium earth orbit radiation environment, specifically to study the effects of very-low frequency (VLF) radio waves on energetic particles in the region, mapping those energetic particles to anchor current models of the region, and studying the degradation of various spacecraft materials in a high radiation environment to impact future spacecraft design. Secondly, DSX exploits its large VLF antenna booms to study the behavior of large deployable structures - a knowledge that will also be transferred to future spacecraft and mission designs. As the mission is actively in its experimental operations phase.

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• Providing Mission Operations Center (MOC) support to include: Spacecraft Systems support to the mission operations team;

Hardware, Software, and System Administrator support of the ground systems terminals, the servers, data recorders, FEPS, COMSEC, and their network; and Information Assurance (IA) support.

• Providing Support of the ECS - the DSX spacecraft's payload computer to include: creating and ground testing of ECS payload computer software updates; data processing and algorithm development of ECS code related to the ACE campaign; and BBR/SRX driver updates for the ECS payload computer.

• Providing Support of the IAS - the DSX spacecraft's flight computer to include: Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GN&C) Algorithm updates, and reach-back to the original IAS code architect.

• Providing General program and payload reach-back.

The estimate for the extension will be $250,000 for February/March and $250,000 for April/May for a total of $500,000 for the bridge action.

Task Order 0010. The Next Flight Experiment Program (NFEP) TO is the incubator TO, supporting start-up efforts for potential next flight experiment from initial development to “graduation” following approval of program and technical baselines. This supports Varying Permeability Model (VPM), Recurve and Ascent operations.

This effort includes:

• Engineering

• Design, Fabrication and Assembly

• Integration and Test to ensure space worthiness

• Mission Development including Post-Launch Support

• Program Management

• Integration and Test Facility Support

• Evaluation and Review of Advanced Technology Flight and Ground Testing Concepts

The estimate for the extension will be $445,122 for February/March and $466,945 for April/May for a total of $912,067 for the bridge action.

Task Order 0011. Advance GPS Technologies (AGT) is working to maintain and enhance the asymmetric advantage provided by space-based PNT pervasive services by providing timely and cost-effective maturation of new payload technologies, signals, and advanced concepts for GPS and future space-based PNT assets. It provides the warfighter with precise, accurate, assured PNT available anywhere, anytime; improved robustness and resiliency; and reduced size, weight, and power to the operational system with increased performance.

This effort includes:

• Amplifier Test and Evaluation

• Digital Waveform Generator Test and Evaluation

• Antenna Test and Evaluation

• Development of PNT Payload Government Reference Designs

• Test Planning and Evaluation of PNT Payload Performance

• Modeling and Simulation of PNT Systems

The estimate for the extension will be $342,000 for February/March and $577,000 for April/May for a total of $911,000 for the bridge action.

Task Order 0013. The Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) Secondary Payload Adapter (ESPA) Augmented Geosynchronous Laboratory Experiment (EAGLE) Payload Integration Configuration (EPIC) TO supports development of multiple specific payloads hosted on EAGLE. This TO provides support for on-orbit EAGLE mission operations, including spacecraft and payload engineering, software maintenance, and anomaly resolution. It requires part time support from multiple engineering disciplines totaling just under 1¾ full time equivalents through the remaining duration of the TO.

This effort includes:

• Manage the health and status of EAGLE space systems and payloads during on-orbit operation.

• Maintain EAGLE mission software.

• Maintain EAGLE payload ground systems.

• Support troubleshooting and corrective action for on-orbit anomalies.

The estimate for the extension will be $105,623 for February/March and $105,623 for April/May for a total of $211,245 for the bridge action.

III. Description of supplies/services required to meet agency needs.

The follow-on contract to STRIVE was awarded 01 March 2019 under contract number FA9453-19-D-0002 and is entitled Research and

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Development Integrated Space Experiments (RISE). The award decision is currently the subject of a GAO protest and, as a result, a CICA Stay has been issued. Thus, in order to sustain needed contract support while the protest awaits resolution, the change described in Section II (above) is required. The change to the basic contract will allow for modifications to extend the performance period on four (4) separate TOs for up to four (4) months - if needed.

The AFRL/RVE conducts innovative research and development of ground, near-space, and spaceflight experiments from the engineering, integration and testing of components and subsystems through system-level integration and test, and execution of experiment mission operations. The STRIVE contract provides the required research, engineering, and technical support in experiment development, assembly, integration and test for one-of-a-kind innovative integrated space, near-space and ground systems. System components and subsystems typically include power, structures, mechanisms, data processing, communication, ground support systems, optics, electronics, guidance, navigation, and controls, and associated software/firmware. The functional areas in which support is required include integrated ground experiments, ground support systems, spacecraft, high altitude balloon payloads, launch vehicles (orbital and suborbital rockets, space plane, International Space Station deployments), platform/subsystem/component design, analyses throughout the research and development system engineering process, design optimization and review, testing and evaluation, deployment of experimental and proto-operational assets, and transition phases. Concurrent with these functional areas, technical support is required in the area of information systems, information assurance and COMSEC engineering in order to fully integrate and execute spacecraft, ground, or high altitude balloon experiment integration, test, and mission development.

The STRIVE contract provides support required for three primary integration and test facilities, including two dedicated to space hardware at Kirtland AFB, NM, and one dedicated to high-altitude research balloon projects at Holloman AFB, NM, as well as the occasional support at other AFRL/RV facilities, field sites and contractor facilities. STRIVE provides the highly specialized technical services required to accomplish the RVE mission. These services enable continued advancement of research and development objectives, execution of experiments, maintenance of experimental equipment, technology transition to customers, and the multi-level security necessary for site research and operations.

In any given year, AFRL/RVE generally executes the following number/type of experiments:

• 3-4 major flight experiments in the integration and test (I&T) phase which includes satellite bus and payload I&T,

• 5-10 small experiments (nanosat/cubesat class satellites),

• 1-2 satellites on orbit,

• 2-3 short duration, high altitude balloon flights,

• 50-60 Payload or component tests (vibration, thermal-vac, EMI, load analyses (CGI/MOI, etc.).

The extension of the four TOs as described in Section II will continue to provide engineering and technical support for the following Integrated Space Experiment Research and Development Activities:

STRIVE TOs are funded predominantly by 3600 appropriations with some 3400 appropriations; the 3400 funds are provided by operational users (e.g, US Space Force (USSF)) in the event that transition of the experimental asset to operations is desired/required following the one year of on-orbit experimental operations.

IV. Statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition.

The statutory authority is 10 USC 2304(c)(1), as implemented by FAR 6.302-1(a)(2)(iii), Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements and required by FAR 6.303-2(b)(4).

V. Demonstration that the contractor's unique qualifications or nature of the acquisition requires the use of the authority cited above (applicability of authority).

This request for extending the period of performance to cover services until the GAO protest is resolved is justified because an award of this contract for highly specialized services to any source other than the incumbent would result in unacceptable delays in fulfilling the agency's requirements. The STRIVE extension will provide for continuation of highly specialized services including R&D, engineering, experiment execution, and test facility maintenance activities on a wide array of state-of-the-art systems at three one-of-a-kind AF-owned integration and test facilities. Successful prosecution of RVE's mission includes conducting innovative research and development of ground, near-space, and spaceflight experiments with technical efforts ranging from engineering, assembly, integration and testing of components and subsystems through system-level integration and test, and execution of experiment mission operations. Mission operations for space flights are nominally one year on-orbit, with the potential to transition to operational use until satellite end- of-life. Mission lifetime for near-space (e.g., high altitude balloon and sounding rocket launches) and integrated ground experiments vary.

Finding Key personnel for up to four months presents challenges. The prospective employees would only have up to four months of financial stability. Aerospace Engineers in the local area are scarce and in high demand. There is no guarantee that a new contractor would be able to retain or hire incumbent employees for that short of a time period. A new contractor would not be able to simply pick up where the last contractor stopped performance/work. This is a very technically complex requirement that has a steep learning curve.

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It would take the new contractor personnel months or even years to become fully acquainted and up to speed which will increase cost and risk.

Highly specialized technical services: Under STRIVE, ATA Aerospace has continuously provided the highly specialized technical services needed to advance critical AF research and development objectives, execution of experiments, maintenance of experimental equipment, technology transition to customers, and the multi-level security necessary for site research and operations.

Specifically, STRIVE personnel have provided expertise in such scientific disciplines and practices as systems engineering, software and test engineering, integrated ground experiment design, fabrication, and assembly, flight hardware design, fabrication, and assembly, flight software/firmware development and test, flight payload and platform integration and test, ground system hardware and software development, integration, test, and deployment, mission development (CONOPS development, design, and test/mission operations planning), analytical modeling and analyses and evaluation for all phases of experiment development and execution starting at the concept design phase and extending through mission operations (e.g., physics models for emerging/innovative science/technology development, and physics/engineering models required to support system design, integration, and testing), engineering support for spacecraft launch, commissioning, and on-orbit mission operations.

Over the life of the STRIVE contract, ATA Aerospace has provided a stable, reliable workforce with the required education, expertise, experience, certifications, and security clearances to successfully achieve the Government's requirements. As a result, ATA Aerospace is uniquely positioned to continue successfully providing these highly specialized technical services under STRIVE without any delay or mission degradation and without the duplication of costs associated with transitioning to a new workforce.

This bridge contract will allow the government to continue its mission under the four TOs. It will not be possible for the Government to successfully keep the portfolio of experiments on schedule for launch and/or ground execution. The performance of the STRIVE effort by the incumbent, ATA Aerospace, until the follow-on RISE contract can be successfully awarded and a smooth transition implemented, will ensure RVE continues to successfully execute its critical mission.

Failure to extend these TOs will severely impact RVE's ability to meet critical mission requirements. Experiment execution is highly dependent on critical factors outside of RVE's control, in particular, launch vehicle availability and launch facility schedules. Launch slips, with associated cost growth, are the norm, rather than the exception. The use of new design/experimental launch vehicles by our launch partners in recent years has resulted in increased scheduling uncertainties and frequent schedule slips. RVE must retain the technical expertise of the experiment development and integration team over gaps to do otherwise risks mission.

The impacts per TO is defined below:

DO 0004: DSX requires personnel to support the on-going mission operations. Such support includes the monitoring of spacecraft systems during experimental operations, flight software updates and maintenance to support the experimental operations, maintaining and updating the ground system software (Satellite Asset Manager (SAM)) through the experimental operations, and ground system administration through experimental operations. DSX is currently funded through TO 0004 on the STRIVE contract, however, the technical period of performance ends 31 Jan 2020. DSX Program Office is requesting that ATA-Aerospace continue with the on-orbit support they have been providing under STRIVE TO 0004 Through 31 May 2020.

ATA-Aerospace has been providing critical operations support, including anomaly resolution since the start of DSX early operations. DSX requires intensive operations support to maintain nominal functionality. If this support were to be lost, it would inevitably result in the incapacitation of and the probable loss of a $172M one of a kind space asset. In addition, cessation of experimental activities due to such a loss or lack of operations support will result in a major loss of data and critical science. While the data being collected by DSX is considered invaluable to the scientific community, dividing the worth of the spacecraft across each month of operations results in ~$14.5M per month worth of data and critical science. If DSX were to lose operational capability as early as February 2020 due to the lack of support, the Government would consequently lose ~$102M worth of data, as DSX would not be able to complete its mission. This not only accounts for loss of data over the four (4) months of requested support, but also the remaining three (3) months of experimental operations after the proposed technical period of performance ends as the loss of this asset would result in the failure of DSX to continue its mission.

DO 0010: The impacts will be to VPM spacecraft operations by supplying a chief engineer and two engineers required for on-console support for the launch of the VPM scheduled for 31 Jan 2020. Due to cost and technical reasons, there is not enough time to train a personnel to meet the mission need. Without this support, there is a high likelihood of the $5M mission failure critical to support of a $172M DSX mission. The current contractor has extremely specialized knowledge on the VPM spacecraft which must be retained and cannot be effectively replicated in time. The Recurve program with the electronics hardware manufacturing, fabrication technician services and the systems engineers; and the Ascent program by providing primary systems engineer and chief technician/engineer. As secondary payloads, both the Ascent and Recurve missions must have this support to meet program milestones needed to make critical

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(rare) launch opportunities. There could be delays in operational capability and further cost and schedule increases to both of these programs without this support.

DO 0011: The extended effort will be a direct benefit to the government as work is needed to ensure timely maturation of technology in support of the GPS Program Office to ensure timelines are met for technology transition and AFRL capabilities are in place.

Additionally, there are five key members that are needed, especially as NAVFEST testing approaches in March 2020. That testing is key not just for AGT but also for NTS-3 as it will be the programs first-ever event at WSMR and we will be developing CONOPS and procedures that will also help NTS-3.

This will impact the AGT mission in the following ways:

• Long lead items may not get purchased, for example;

- Test equipment for specific AGT tests (e.g., nonlinear VNA)

- NTSIL support items, network, off-network computers, test assets

- NTSIL Near-field scanner (NTS-3 program)

- NTSIL GS Antenna System and Radome

• License Agreements (Matlab, LabVIEW, Orolia) may come due and be renewed under ATAA, forcing additional work after contract change

• NAVFEST 2020 test planning and execution is likely to be managed across contracts causing a lack of efficiency and likely performance

• NDAs will not migrate with personnel, may cause months of delay on other contract

• Overloading contractors (team management thru hindering of hiring)

• Access to STRIVE Management is time shared

• STRIVE Administrative support remains overloaded

• Attendance of the ION Joint Navigation Conference will likely not include STRIVE contractors due to their very advanced payment requirement

• AFRL will save money with the lower overhead and staffing (est. ~5 FTE * wrap rate)

DO 0013: Engineering and software maintenance support is required for continuing operation of the EAGLE spacecraft while on-orbit.

Loss of this support would require the program office to decommission the spacecraft, rendering it unable to conduct further experimentation and preventing the transition of the spacecraft to the USSF. Without transition, USSF will be unable to use EAGLE as a testbed for development of new tactics, techniques, and procedures for future military space system operations.

VI. Description of efforts made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as practicable.

Due to the GAO protest and CICA Stay this bridging action is not being solicited due to the mission impact. The STRIVE contract was acquired under a competitive procedures as small business set-aside acquisition. AFRL issued a request for information through FEDBIZOPS in which twelve companies responded. A request for proposal was later issued in which only two offerors submitted proposals. The contract was awarded to ATA Aerospace after the second proposal was assessed as being outside of the competitive range.

VII. Determination by the Contracting Officer that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable.

Proposal analysis for the STRIVE TOs extensions will be accomplished in accordance with FAR 15.404-1. The contractor's proposed costs will be carefully examined and verified to the maximum extent possible in accordance with this FAR authority to develop the government objective for negotiation. Examples including: using historical cost data, inputs from the AFRL/RVE Program Manager (technical and cost evaluation) quantitative analysis, Defense Contract Audit Agency (verification of direct and indirect rates), forwarded pricing agreements and Weighted Guidelines. In addition, in accordance with FAR 15.403-4, certified cost and pricing data will be required as applicable. Thus, the resulting negotiated cost and fixed fee will be found fair and reasonable prior to award of the contract.

VIII. Description of the market research conducted and the results, or a statement of the reasons market research was not conducted.

Market research was not completed due to the GAO and CICA Stay, but there was Market research in the form of a Request for Information conducted in conjunction with the original STRIVE award.

IX. Any other facts supporting the use of Other Than Full and Open Competition.

A follow-on contract to STRIVE, FA9453-19-D-0002 (RISE) was awarded on March 1, 2019. However, shortly thereafter the award was protested to the GAO by an unsuccessful offeror. Consequently, a CICA Stay was put in place, which restricted performance on both the incumbent contract (STRIVE) and the new contract (RISE). As a result, performance under the new RISE contract is prohibited

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY March 2018 Page 7 of 7 until the protest is resolved. IAW AFFARS MP 5333.104 (h) Mandatory Stay of Award or Performance (1) Statutory Requirements (31

USC 3551-3556).

These TOs have mission critical tasks to our customers. The loss of support would require the program office to decommission the spacecraft, rendering it unable to conduct further experimentation and preventing the transition of the spacecraft to USSF. Without transition, USSF will be unable to use it as a testbed for development of new tactics, techniques, and procedures for future military space system operations. They also impact VPM, Recurve, and Ascent.

X. List of any sources that expressed, in writing, an interest in the acquisition.

Not applicable

XI. A statement of the actions, if any, the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers to competition before making subsequent acquisitions for the supplies or services required.

A full and open competition for RISE (subsequent contract) was award but protested requiring this bridging action.

XII. Certification by the Contracting Officer.

The Contracting Officer's (CO) signature on the Coordination and Approval Document is evidence that the document has been determined to be both accurate and complete to the best of the CO's knowledge and belief.

XIII. Certification by the technical/requirements personnel.

As evidenced by their signatures on the Coordination and Approval Document, the technical/requirements personnel have certified any supporting data contained herein, which is their responsibility, is both accurate and complete.