Rev.:5/2024

JOFOC # FY26-02

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

Armstrong Flight Research Center (AFRC)

JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

(JOFOC)

For Task Orders 80AFRC25F7010 and 80AFRC25F7014 under the Engineering and Technical Support Services (ETSS) IDIQ contracts 80AFRC19D0001 and

80AFRC19D0002

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) Armstrong Flight Research Center (AFRC) Office of Procurement.

The procuring agency is NASA, and the contracting activity is the AFRC Office of Procurement, an office of the Research Centers Procurement Office.

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 new work modifications to current bridge Task Orders numbers 80AFRC25F7010 and 80AFRC25F7014 with New Horizons Aeronautics, LLC and Analytical Mechanics Associates, Inc. for Engineering Technical Support Services (ETSS).

For continuation of services, the extensions are required to maintain necessary ongoing flight operations at the center. The current base period of performance for all two Task Orders is August 1, 2025 through October 31, 2025. The extension to the current base period of performance will be a total of nine months, November 1, 2025 through July 31, 2026. An option period of 12 months, August 1, 2026 through July 31, 2027 will be added to the base period. The extension changes the ultimate period of performance to August 1, 2025 through July 31, 2027 if the option is exercised.

Contract Task Order Vendor Task Order Title Period of Performance

80AFRC19D0001 80AFRC25F7010 New Horizons Aeronautics, LLC

Research Engineering and Flight Operations

Base: August 1, 2025 – July 31, 2026

Option: August 1, 2026 – July 31, 2027

80AFRC19D0002 80AFRC25F7014 Ananlytical Mechanics Associates, Inc. Mission Operations

Base: August 1, 2025 – July 31, 2026 Option: August 1, 2026 – July 31, 2027

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):

JOFOC # FY26-02

Rev.:5/2024

This action is to include a one-month and an eight-month extension of the base period and add a one-year option for bridge Task Orders. The Task Orders have a cost-plus-fixed-fee (CPFF) main CLIN, with a cost-no-fee (CNF) CLIN for Other Direct Costs (ODCs) to meet the needs of Engineering and Technical Support Services (ETSS) at the Armstrong Flight Research Center (AFRC). Task Order 80AFRC25F7010 provides services for Research Engineering and Flight Operations, from aerodynamics study to flight operations engineering, which lies at the heart of what AFRC does, aeronautical research and flights.

Task Order 80AFRC25F7014 provides services for Mission Operations through simulation, range engineering and range operations. The full potential period of performance, including base and all options is August 1, 2025 through July 31, 2027. The total estimated costs of the proposed modifications to include a nine-month extension and add a one-year option for each Task Order is outlined with further details below.

Task Order Vendor Task Order Title Estimated Total Value

80AFRC25F7010 New Horizons Aeronautics, LLC

Research Engineering and Flight Operations

80AFRC25F7014 Ananlytical Mechanics Associates, Inc. Mission Operations

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 the FAR 6.103-1 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 is as described below.

NASA solicited and awarded two IDIQ contracts for Engineering Technical Support Services (ETSS) using full and open competition. Each of the original Task Orders for Research Engineering and Flight Operations and Mission Operations were competed between the two IDIQ holders, New Horizons Aeronautics, LLC and Analytical Mechanics Associates, Inc.

The current contractor for each of the task orders were awarded due to their identified capabilities in highly specialized services. Both IDIQ awardees were given a fair opportunity to be considered when the original task orders were solicited. Therefore, as the follow-on contracts, bridge Task Orders 80AFRC25F7010 and 80AFRC25F7014 should continue with options in the interest of economy and efficiency. The government expects substantial duplication of cost that is not expected to be recovered through competition since the task orders were already competed and the most capable offerors were awarded one each of the task orders. When the request for proposals (RFP) were sent to both contractors in September, AFRC required all hands-on-deck from ETSS personnel as the Low Boom Flight

Rev.:5/2024

Demonstrator X-59 was preparing for first flight. Furthermore, continuation of services were critical as a public solicitation would result in unacceptable delays in fulfilling the agency’s requirements.

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 not published.

The decision to extend the contract for one month and eight months was made while the federal government was shut down, and employees were on furlough.

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 Contractors shall be required to submit a proposal to be evaluated and negotiated by the Government. Prior to execution of the contractual instruments, a proposal analysis will be performed. The proposal analysis will ensure that the final agreed-to price for the contract actions are fair and reasonable.

The extensions and options will be priced using the labor rates agreed upon in Service Contract Act Labor Standards Wage Determinations 2015-5603 Revision 29 (Kern County), dated December 3, 2025. Pricing for the Task Orders will be on a cost-plus-fixed-fee basis for the main CLINs and cost-no-fee for the ODC CLINs. The rates were determined fair and reasonable during the evaluation for task order awards. The accepted rates were the rates that had adequate pricing competition when the IDIQ awardees competed for the Task Orders, with escalation applied as appropriate. The Time and Materials rates had adequate pricing competition when the base IDIQs were awarded and will remain unchanged.

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

Market research was not conducted to see if other vendors are interested in the opportunity for several reasons. The task orders must be awarded to either one of the IDIQ holders, New Horizons Aeronautics, LLC and Analytical Mechanics Associates, Inc., as these two companies are currently contracted with AFRC to provide all ETSS until January 31, 2027. It is not in the best interest of NASA to award a new task order in less than 30 days with a nine-months period of performance. There would be serious delays to AFRC daily operations with a new vendor performing the services required for nine months. Additionally, the phase-in and phase-out of contractors across several branches and directorates would be severely disruptive to AFRC operations for a nine-month contract as a newly awarded Task Order requires a one-month phase-in. Furthermore, AFRC is undergoing restructuring of the

Rev.:5/2024 engineering directorates. The current contractors have the capabilities and flexibility to adjust and adapt with the ongoing changes at the center.

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

The acquisition process for the successor contract will start later this year to allow for adequate planning and conducting a full and open competition. The successor contract would combine the services required for Research Engineering and Flight Operations, Mission Operations and Safety and Mission Assurance into a single contract. The technical requirements combination and contract type change from firm-fixed-price to cost plus fixed fee have led to a more complex acquisition. Furthermore, the Source Evaluation Board members are all branch chiefs who have more urgent duties to resolve. Additionally, AFRC Procurement Office has lost a significant number of personnel.

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 award for this sole-source action will be posted on (Sam.gov) per FAR part 5 (See Section 6 above). The notice will be posted along with the redacted document once it is signed.

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 current bridge Task Orders 80AFRC25F7010 and 80AFRC25F7014 need to be extended to avoid a lapse in service, while providing sufficient time for the recompete of a combined contract for Research Engineering and Flight Operations, Mission Operations and Safety and Mission Assurance to be awarded. A solicitation for a combined contract is expected to be posted in 2027. It is in the best interest of NASA to extend Task Orders 80AFRC25F7010 and 80AFRC25F7014 to avoid substantial disruption in services and significant impacts to the AFRC missions. The Contracting Officer is working diligently with technical team to enable competition as the combined contract will go through full and open competition

Engineering Technical Support Services (ETSS) for Task Orders 80AFRC25F7010 and 80AFRC25F7014

JOFOC # FY26-02

JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

SIGNATURE PAGE

presented in this justification are accurate and complete.

Josue Cmz Technical Representative

I hereby ce1iify that the above justification is complete and accurate to the best of my knowledge

Jenny Staggs Contracting Officer

APPROVED:

Jennifer Stock Chief of Contracting Office Competition Advocate NASA Annstrong Flight Research Center

Rev.:5/2024