JOFOC_HiNL silicon carbide_r4 TR_Redacted.pdf

Aug 7, 2020

TO: 12/Contracting Officer, Office of Procurement

FROM: , Aerospace Engineer, Atmospheric Flight and Entry Systems Branch, Engineering Directorate

SUBJECT: Justification for Other Than Full and Open Competition (JOFOC) for

Proposed Procurement of Hi-NicalonTM silicon carbide 1800 denier fiber tow, PR 4200741327

1. Recommendation

It is recommended that NASA Langley Research Center negotiate with COI Ceramics, Inc. for the procurement of Hi-Nicalon silicon carbide 1800 denier fiber tow with an estimated cost of $525,000.

2. Nature of the Action

The nature of the action being approved is the justification of other than full and open competition to the purchase of 100 kg of Hi-NicalonTM silicon carbide 1800 denier fiber tow for the Low earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) project and follow-on HIAD technology development project.

3. Description of the Supplies or Services

This procurement is for 100 kg of Hi-NicalonTM Silicon Carbide (SiC) 1800 denier fiber tow. The fiber shall be provided on spools with at least 500 meter continuous length of fiber. Material Certification Data Sheets shall be provided with each lot that includes description of material, quantity, manufacture date, order number, spool numbers and test results.

After receipt of the fiber tow by NASA LaRC, it will be used to produce cloth, thread, cord, and tape under a separate contract task for F-TPS fabrication. The Hi-NicalonTM products will then be used by the F-TPS contractor to manufacture F-TPS components and test articles. The 100kg of Hi-Nicalon SiC has an estimated cost of $525,000.

4. Statutory Authority

Provision for this JOFOC is made under the statutory authority of 10 U.S.C. 2304(g)(4) which requires NASA to follow 41 U.S.C. 1901(e) when FAR Part 13.5 procedures are used.

5. Contractor’s Unique Qualifications

COI Ceramics is the only provider of Hi-NicalonTM silicon carbide fiber in the United States. The fiber is produced using a proprietary method by NGS Advanced Fibers Co., LTD. NASA Langley Research Center competitively purchased Hi-NicalonTM silicon carbide fiber in 2013, 2014, and 2016 for the HIAD project. These competitions resulted in Purchase Orders NNL13AD21P, NNL14AF47P, and NNL16AD88P awarded to COI Ceramics. In 2016, NASA Glenn Research Center issued a solicitation that also resulted in one offer and award to COI Ceramics. An additional procurement was made in 2017 for the LOFTID project under Purchase Order 80LARC18P0002. The orders were completed by COI Ceramics, Inc. with delivery of Hi-NicalonTM fiber that fully complied with the requirements and specified documentation. The fiber is produced by NGS Advanced Fibers Co., LTD in Japan using proprietary manufacturing processes.

The HIAD and HIAD-2 projects, led by NASA LaRC, investigated very high temperature and strength fibers to meet requirements for thermal protection of space vehicles for extreme thermal environments entering Mars and Earth atmospheres from space. Based on numerous material characterization tests, fabrication demonstrations, and thermal tests at relevant heating conditions of candidate fibers, Hi-NicalonTM silicone carbide was determined to provide the best overall performance and meet the requirements. The fiber was used to produce soft good products (cloth, thread, and tape) that were used to fabricate F-TPS components for testing and manufacturing demonstrations. Hi- NicalonTM products were tested for thermal and mechanical properties and thermal performance at relevant entry vehicle in arc jet test facilities at NASA LaRC and .

In 2014, a 3.7 meter diameter F-TPS was fabricated with Hi-NicalonTM silicone carbide outer layer to demonstrate use in manufacturing and aeroshell system integration and testing. Additionally, F-TPS components with this fiber were used for packing tests to demonstrate tolerance to high density packing and mechanical properties for inflatable aeroshells. The HIAD and HIAD-2 projects have invested over $2M in design, analysis, fabrication demonstrations, and testing to conclude that Hi-NicalonTM silicone carbide has the best overall properties and performance to meet the extreme thermal requirements for an inflatable aeroshell entry vehicles. Based on investigations noted above, the LOFTID flight demonstration project has baselined the use of Hi-NicalonTM silicone carbide for the 6 meter diameter aeroshell F-TPS outer layer. No other fiber has the demonstrated capabilities to meet LOFTID requirements. The F-TPS Contractor has fabricated an Engineering Development Unit (EDU) 6 meter diameter F-TPS using Hi- NicalonTM silicone carbide fiber products for LOFTID . The EDU F-TPS complied with all fabrication requirements and successfully completed packing and load tests. The LOTFID F-TPS is proceeding with fabrication of the flight F-TPS that is scheduled for a flight demonstration in late 2022. Additional Hi-NicalonTM silicone carbide fiber is needed to produce soft good products for components and test articles. Fiber remaining after the LOFTID project requirements are met will be used for a follow-on HIAD project that will begin in FY21 in support of the STMD Humans to Mars Plan. If another fiber were to be considered for LOFTID, a research effort with significant cost and duration would be required to conduct tests and fabrication demonstrations which would not provide F-TPS materials in time to meet the LOFTID schedule for hardware fabrication, integration, and launch in early 2022.

6. Efforts Made to Solicit Offers

As described above, LaRC has conducted several full and open competitive solicitations on FEDBIZOPPS. In each case, the only vendor that responded that could meet the requirement was COI Ceramics. NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) has posted several sole source synopses in the past to COI Ceramics. GRC did not receive any responses from other vendors challenging the sole source synopses. This procurement will be publicized on www.beta.sam.gov as required by FAR 5.201 as a sole source synopsis for vendors to review our requirement.

7. Determination of the Contracting Officer

With assistance from the NASA requiring organization, the Contracting Officer will conduct a thorough review of the proposal received to ensure that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable.

8. Description of the Market Research

A Market Research Analysis Report was completed with findings summarized as follows.

Based on procurements by NASA LaRC, NASA GRC and market research, the only supplier of this unique fiber in the United States is COI Ceramics, Inc. Four solicitations from NASA LaRC and four solicitations from NASA GRC resulted in award to COI Ceramics, Inc. An internet search for suppliers of Hi-NicalonTM silicon carbide fiber did not find a US supplier other than COI Ceramics, Inc. The fiber is produced by NGS Advanced Fibers Co., LTD using proprietary manufacturing processes.

9. Any Other facts supporting the use of other than full and open competition:

Over the last 8 years, NASA LaRC investigated commercially available very high temperature high strength fibers that can withstand temperatures of at least 1500 degree C and heat fluxes of at least 50 Watts/cm2 for a flexible thermal protection for space vehicle entering planets with atmospheres, primarily Earth and Mars. Research at LaRC under the HIAD project included analysis, testing, and evaluation of various fibers and concluded that Hi-NicalonTM fiber is the only commercially available fiber that meets the extreme thermal and manufacturing requirements for this application. Hi-NicalonTM fiber was used to make soft good products, conduct material specimen and component tests, and conduct aerothermal tests to demonstrate its performance to meet HIAD requirements for atmospheric entry flight. NASA LaRC has invested a significant amount of time and funds for design, analysis, material fabrication, small scale F-TPS fabrication demonstrations, arc jet thermal tests, and packing tests to develop and analysis this fiber for inflatable aeroshells.

10. Listing of Sources

Contact information for COI Ceramics, Inc. is provided below.

Contact:

http://www.beta.sam.gov/

Digitally signed by Lakhassia Mccoy Date: 2020.08.07 10:57:31 -04'00' 8/7/2020 Lakhassia Mccoy