JOFOC_EarthDaily_clean MD_Redacted FINAL.pdf

Rev.:4/2026

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

Headquarters (HQ)

JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

(JOFOC)

For Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition (CSDA)Program Contract for EarthDaily

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) Headquarters (HQ), Washington

DC.

The procuring agency is NASA, and the contracting activity is NASA Headquarters (HQ), Washington, DC.

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 commercial contract to EarthDaily Analytics for Earth science data observations and SLI Commercialization project formulation support services, including commercial Earth observation vendor engagement, product requirements development, validation workflow support, calibration and validation planning, and technical strategy support for the Sustainable Land Imaging-Framework for Unified Land Surface Imaging Operation and Integration (SLI Commercialization project).

The action in this contract is required to advance the project’s formulation objectives, below, and to support the development of a commercial data integration approach for Landsat-class products and higher-level analysis-ready data products.

• Develop and maintain the Landsat-class product requirements, metadata standards, and requirement-compliance criteria that commercial providers must meet.

• Specify interoperability and data formatting standards that enable USGS and other federal users to integrate commercial observations into existing Landsat workflows and archives.

• Design and expand calibration and validation (Cal/Val) capabilities, including the use of LandIS and other long-term references, to anchor commercial observations to Landsat heritage standards.

• Implement continuous quality monitoring and evaluation methodologies that NASA can apply to multi-vendor commercial datasets, ensuring scientific integrity of Landsat-class products regardless of who procures the data.

• Advance algorithms and processing chains that support fusion of data from multiple commercial providers into coherent Landsat-class products.

Rev.: 4/2026

• Prototype and demonstrate hybrid workflows that show how commercial observations can be transformed into operational products, providing a technical blueprint USGS can adopt for routine operations.

• Analyze commercial business models and data-as-a-service approaches from a technical and mission-needs perspective, providing recommendations on feasibility, risks, and constraints, while leaving final procurement authority open.

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 of $ ):

The required services include support for vendor onboarding and technical interchange activities, development of product-based requirements, evaluation of commercial sensor capabilities, support to validation and compliance workflows, calibration/validation gap analysis, processing architecture trade studies, and related formulation products needed to mature SLI Commercialization project toward Key Decision Point -A (KDP-A) where proven commercial data sources can be successfully integrated into a harmonized or fused demonstrated data product and subsequent lifecycle milestones.

NASA requires contractor support to execute key formulation tasks for the SLI Commercialization project. Under this action, the contractor will provide specialized technical services that enable NASA and USGS to evaluate, mature, and integrate commercial Earth observation capabilities into Landsat-class product architectures. These services include:

• Vendor engagement and onboarding, including technical interchange meetings and coordination needed to introduce multiple commercial providers into NASA’s evaluation and requirement-development framework.

• Development of Landsat-class, product-based requirements, metadata standards, and compliance criteria that commercial providers must meet to be considered viable for integration into government workflows.

• Evaluation of commercial sensor and product capabilities, including technical review of multispectral observations, radiometric quality, interoperability features, and suitability for transformation into Landsat-class products.

• Support to validation and compliance workflows, helping NASA define, test, and refine processes that validate commercial observations against Landsat heritage standards.

• Calibration and validation (Cal/Val) gap analysis and planning, including the design of methods that anchor commercial observations to long-term references such as LandIS.

• Processing architecture and trade studies, analyzing hybrid cloud workflows, multi-vendor fusion approaches, interoperability standards, and operational feasibility for transforming commercial observations into coherent Landsat-class products.

• Assessment of commercial business models and data-as-a-service structures, providing NASA with technical insights into feasibility, risks, licensing constraints, and lifecycle support considerations.

This work is essential for maturing the SLI Commercialization project toward Key Decision Point-A (KDP-A). The contract provides the analytical foundation, requirement development, technical onboarding, and validation workflow design needed for NASA to determine whether commercial observations can be reliably integrated into Landsat-class product generation. Without these services, NASA cannot:

• evaluate vendor capabilities in time to maintain an early-2030s demonstration schedule,

• develop scientifically defensible Landsat-class standards for commercial observations,

• design interoperable workflows that USGS can adopt for fused or hybrid operational products, or

• ensure that multi-vendor commercial datasets meet accuracy, stability, and quality thresholds required for national land imaging continuity.

NASA HQ is requesting a sole source FFP contract with a period of performance of one year and estimated dollar value of $

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.

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) is as described below.

EarthDaily is the only responsible source capable of performing the requirements of this action because the SLI Commercialization project formulation effort requires a highly specialized and uniquely qualified provider with proven, mission-specific commercial Earth observation expertise. The technical work described in Section 3-including development of Landsat-class product requirements, calibration and validation (Cal/Val) planning, multi-vendor fusion strategy development, validation workflow design, commercial sensor capability evaluation, and product standardization-is not generic commercial data support. It demands a vendor with demonstrated capability to integrate commercial Earth observation data into Landsat-class product architectures, familiarity with NASA and USGS data standards, and the ability to provide immediate technical interchange, onboarding, and requirement-development support aligned with SLI Commercialization project’s formulation objectives.

Delay in executing these activities would jeopardize the project’s ability to meet its early-2030s objective to demonstrate commercial integration for operational product development.

EarthDaily is the only source that possesses:

• Established commercial Earth observation expertise directly relevant to NASA’s CSDA Program and the Landsat heritage, enabling informed evaluation of vendor data characteristics and alignment to Landsat-class standards.

• Demonstrated capability in Cal/Val, quality assurance, and long-term reference anchoring, necessary to support the SLI Commercialization project requirement for scientifically defensible Landsat-class product development.

• Experience supporting hybrid government-commercial architectures, including multi-vendor fusion, data formatting interoperability, and processing workflow development consistent with SLI Commercialization project’s technical concept of operations.

• Domain knowledge of commercial provider business models and technical readiness, allowing NASA to assess commercial data feasibility, requirement compliance, and architecture trade studies in real time.

NASA’s market research and RFI evaluation determined that no other vendor demonstrated overlapping capabilities or the specialized technical qualifications required for these formulation tasks. The responses revealed no competition among viable commercial providers for the specific SLI Commercialization project requirements, confirming that EarthDaily is the only responsible source capable of meeting the mission-specific technical needs of this acquisition. EarthDaily’s capability is therefore required to bridge the government’s technical and programmatic needs with the commercial data strategy envisioned for SLI Commercialization project.

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 Subpart 5.1 and, if not, which exception under 5.101 applies:

A Request for Information (RFI) notice was posted to the Government Point of Entry (SAM.gov) on August 15, 2025 as part of early formulation planning for the SLI Commercialization project. NASA held a dedicated SLI Industry Week, during which commercial Earth observation vendors participated in technical interchange sessions. As a result of the above, a notice to the Government Point of Entry (GPE) website (Sam.gov) was published on July 22, 2026 in accordance with FAR Subpart 5.1. The results of this synopsis are summarized in Section 10 below.. This synopsis informed industry of NASA’s intent to award a sole-source contract to EarthDaily.

The Government will continue to seek competition to the maximum extent practicable through broader SLI Commercialization project vendor engagement, including industry outreach and future competitive opportunities as the project transitions from formulation to implementation.

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 shall be required to submit a proposal to be evaluated and negotiated by the Government. Prior to execution of the contractual instrument, a proposal analysis will be performed. The proposal analysis will ensure that the final agreed-to pricing for the contract action is fair and reasonable.

The proposed price(s) will be evaluated by the Contracting Officer’s Representative and the Contracting Officer in conjunction with a management representative(s) of the Earth Science Division to determine that the price(s) associated with the unique data set and the identified supporting data and data use authorization are fair and reasonable. Price analysis with be conducted in accordance with FAR Part 15.404(b), by examining and evaluating the proposed price without evaluating its separate cost elements and proposed profit. The Price analysis may include evaluating data other than certified cost or pricing data obtained from the offeror or contractor, if the government is unable to determine a fair and reasonable price.

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):

A Request for Information (RFI) notice was posted to the Government Point of Entry (Sam.gov) on August 15, 2025, with capability statements due on August 29, 2025. As part of early formulation planning for the SLI Commercialization project, NASA held a dedicated SLI Industry Week, during which commercial Earth observation vendors participated in technical interchange sessions. Vendors presented their imaging systems, product specifications, processing approaches, radiometric and geometric performance characteristics, and data-delivery methods. These interchanges provided NASA with insight into vendor technical maturity, compatibility with Landsat-class requirements, and the feasibility of integrating commercial multispectral or thermal observations into NASA and USGS workflows.

Following Industry Week, the RFI responses underwent detailed evaluation by the Mission Alternatives Assessment Team (MAAT). The MAAT reviewed all formal submissions and conducted follow-up technical research based on vendor-provided technical papers and one-on-one discussions with NASA. Each vendor supplied a technical paper describing its system design, capabilities, and product maturity, and NASA held individual technical meetings with responders. The MAAT augmented these inputs with independent analysis of feasibility, readiness, and alignment with Landsat-class product requirements. Multiple vendors were evaluated during this process. EarthDaily was ultimately the only vendor that demonstrated the mission-specific technical capability necessary to support SLI Commercialization formulation tasks and was the only vendor that responded to the formal Sam.gov synopsis.

NASA’s market research, including RFI evaluation, SLI Industry Week engagement, and MAAT analysis, found no overlapping or competitive capabilities sufficient to meet the SLI Commercialization requirement for Landsat-class product development and formulation support. As noted by Project Staff, “there was no overlap in the information provided by the viable responders to the RFI, which indicates that competition between the vendors does not exist at this time.” The project’s early formulation schedule requires development of product requirements, onboarding of commercial vendors, and design of a validation workflow compatible with NASA and USGS systems. Awarding this effort to EarthDaily now ensures

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. At present, NASA is considering plans to formally re-engage the community every one to two years through an RFI requesting capability statements to evaluate and determine if additional contracts for datasets should be issued. To encourage and research the opportunities for competition, all types of data that support NASA’s Earth observing requirements and/or supplement the NASA-generated data sets will be considered under the next RFI. If this activity and/or other market research determines that there is the potential for competition among commercial suppliers of any relevant datasets desired by NASA, subsequent actions will be competed.