JOFOC GATS Signed 2023.pdf

Rev.:4/2023

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER (GSFC)

JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION (JOFOC)

FOR THE CONTRACT NNG07EK68C EXTENSION WITH

G&A TECHNICAL SOFTWARE, INCORPORATED (GATS)

1. Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.303-2(b)(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) Goddard Space Flight Center

(GSFC).

The procuring agency is the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the contracting activity is Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC).

2. FAR 6.303-2(b)(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 an extension modification to contract NNG07EK68C with G&A

Technical Software, Incorporated (GATS) for the continuation of the data processing, payload operations and data management for the Sounding of the Atmosphere using the

Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) instrument. The SABER instrument is a vital component of the Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics Dynamics (TIMED) satellite.

3. FAR 6.303-2(b)(3) – A description of the supplies or services required, to meet the

Agency’s needs (including the estimated value):

The proposed contract extension is for a continuation of the data processing, payload operations and data management for the SABER instrument that is one of four instruments on the TIMED satellite. The primary goal of the SABER experiment is to provide data needed to advance the understanding of the fundamental processes governing the energetics, chemistry, dynamics, and transport in the mesosphere and the lower thermosphere. The proposed 3-year extension is from January 1, 2024, through December 31, 2026, and the estimated value is approximately $831,000.

4. FAR 6.303-2(b)(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. 2304 (c)

(1), as implemented by FAR 6.302-1, “Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements.”

5. FAR 6.303-2(b)(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. 2304 (c) (1), “Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements”, is described below.

In accordance with FAR 6.302-1(a)(2)(iii), for DoD, NASA, and the Coast Guard, services may be deemed to be available only from the original source in the case of follow-on contracts for the continued provision of highly specialized services when it is likely that award to any other source would result in unacceptable delays in fulfilling the agency’s requirements.

GATS is the only organization currently qualified to perform the subject requirements for the following reasons: The selected Co-Investigator and his company, GATS, have had extensive experience in radiative transfer methods and spaceflight instruments. GATS invented a radiative transfer method which was used to simulate Limb Infrared Monitor of the Stratosphere (LIMS) observations in seconds with nearly the accuracy of line-by-line calculations and wrote the level 1 and level 2 LIMS processing systems. The LIMS algorithms became the basis for the Cryogenic Limb Array Etalon Spectrometer (CLAES) processing system on the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS). Following LIMS and CLAES, the GATS team supplied the same functions for the Halogen Occultation

Experiment (HALOE) instrument.

The TIMED SABER satellite procurement and instrument compliment was initiated by

Announcement of Opportunity (AO) 92-OSSA-1 dated April 21, 1993, entitled, “Thermosphere-Ionosphere-Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics (TIMED) Mission”. On

June 30, 1993, Wesley T. Huntress, Jr., Associate Administrator for Space Science of NASA

Headquarters selected Dr. James Russell of NASA/Langley Research Center, which included

Dr. Larry L. Gordley, Co-Investigator at GATS, who was named in the selection letter.

Furthermore, the NASA HQ Heliophysics Director, Margaret Luce, approved the TIMED

SABER mission by for continuation for another three years as part of the 2023 Heliophysics

Senior Review process on August 20, 2023.

The success of the LIMS data processing and the Emission-to-Absorption (EGA) and Limb

Radiative Transfer (LIMTRAN) Radiative Transfer Algorithm (RTA) codes, which were developed and copyrighted by GATS, were the key to the credibility of the SABER proposal and instrumental in the SABER feasibility studies included in the proposal for TIMED

SABER. GATS helped establish the SABER design and test requirements and monitored and analyzed the testing. GATS used EGA and LIMTRAN to create an advanced Non-Local

Thermodynamic Equilibrium (non-LTE) model that is used in SABER processing. The EGA speed is what makes possible SABER processing with a full, rigorous non-LTE model.

GATS solved and implemented key corrections to the SABER calibration, such as off–axis response using lunar scans. GATS diagnosed and directed a correction for detector memory effects using statistical fitting to derive correct coefficients. GATS developed and maintained the operational SABER processing system consisting of some 50 nodes in a cooled environment. No other contractor has the knowledge, skill, and expertise to fulfill the task required by the SABER instrument. This effort requires the detailed understanding of the instrument and all related software. Since no other organization was involved with these activities on an in-depth level, no other organization currently has the knowledge and experience to perform the requirement.

GATS has been a member of the TIMEDSABER mission since it was originally proposed and launched in 2001. For over two decades, GATS has been performing the acquisition and analysis and post processing of SABER data and disseminating the data products to the international scientific community.

6. FAR 6.303-2(b)(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 5.2 and, if not, which exception under 5.202 applies:

A notice to the Government Point of Entry (GPE) website (Sam.gov) was published on

October 10, 2023, in accordance with FAR Subpart 5.2. This posting informed potential sources of NASA’s intent to award this extension modification to GATS. The results of this synopsis are summarized in Section 10 below.

7. FAR 6.303-2(b)(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 price for the contract action is fair and reasonable.

The Government will perform a comprehensive evaluation of the contractor's proposal to ensure that the negotiated cost is fair and reasonable. This evaluation will be based on inputs from a technical evaluation to be performed by the Contracting Officer’s Representative

(COR) and from verification of direct and indirect costs.

8. FAR 6.303-2(b)(8) – Description of the market research conducted, and the results, or a statement of the reasons market research was not conducted:

Ongoing market research and the knowledge of the COR indicates that no entities currently exist that can perform the technical requirements of this procurement since they require detailed knowledge of a unique instrument, as cited in Paragraph 5 above.

9. FAR 6.303-2(b)(9) – Any other facts supporting the use of other than full and open competition:

No benefits to the Government would be obtained from attempting to compete this requirement. No other institution has the knowledge of the TIMED SABER instrument operations, flight instrument design, and calibration, and spacecraft to be able to continue the mission operations and data analysis phase.

10. FAR 6.303-2(b)(10) – A listing of the sources, if any, that expressed an interest in writing in the acquisition:

A notice of NASA’s intent to award this sole-source action was synopsized on the GPE website (Sam.gov) per FAR Subpart 5.2 (See Section 6 above). No responses were received upon the expiration of the synopsis.

11. FAR 6.303-2(b)(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:

No actions are anticipated by the Agency to remove or overcome the barriers to competition for any subsequent acquisition of similar services because of the unique requirements of the

TIMED SABER mission operations and the qualifications of this contractor. Any future decision for continued operations will be based on the technical merits of the mission and the availability of funds. If the Agency determines that continued operations of the TIMED

SABER mission is in its best interests, then a follow-on sole source contract based on their unique knowledge and capabilities stated above may be required. Any such follow-on contract will be supported by a properly approved synopsis and JOFOC.

CONTRACT NNG07EK68C EXTENSION WITH

G&A TECHNICAL SOFTWARE, INCORPORATED (GATS)

JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

SIGNATURE PAGE

Diego Digitally signed by Diego Janches Date: 2023.10.20 Janches_______________________09:16:30 -04'00'

Diego Janches Technical Re presentative NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Contracting Officer: I hereby certify that the above justification is complete and accurate to the best of my knowledge and belief.

JULIE JANUS

Digitally signed by JULIE

JANUS

Date: 2023.10.25

_______________________16:48:26 -04'00' Julie Janus Contracting Officer NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

CONCURRENCE:

MARY Digitally signed by MARY

STEVENS

Date: 2023.11.16 STEVENS_______________________14:37:21 -05'00'

Mary V. Stevens Procurement Officer NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

APPROVED:

Raymond J. Rubilotta Competition Advocate NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Rev.:4/2023

Technical Representative: I certify that the facts presented in this justification are accurate and complete.

Raymond J: