JOFOC_Redacted_GN C III 80JSC021DA005_.pdf

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

JOHNSON SPACE CENTER (JSC)

JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

(JOFOC)

For Advanced Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GN&C), Avionics Technology

Development and Analysis Services III

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 “JOFOC.”

This document is a JOFOC prepared by the NASA/JSC, Houston, Texas.

The procuring agency is the NASA and the contracting activity is JSC.

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 a sole-source contract to Charles Stark Draper Laboratory (Draper) for the development, maintenance, and application of GN&C products and services for JSC’s Engineering Directorate’s Aeroscience and Flight Mechanics Division (AFMD). The required products and services include, but are not limited to, providing expertise across the full range of GN&C competency areas, development of simulation tools and flight software, performing flight mode specific GN&C analysis, participate in defining GN&C system architecture, and executing GN&C test and verification activities. This action is a follow-on to the current Advanced GN&C Technology Development and Analysis Services contract

(NNJ16HK08B).

The development, maintenance, and application of GN&C products and services are required to maintain essential research and development (R&D) efforts and practical application of GN&C theory, specifically for human rated space flight vehicles traveling beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO), where there is currently not a commercial application. Beyond LEO is a unique environment that creates significant GN&C complexities in planetary geometry, orbital dynamics, and the radiation environment that are not encountered within LEO. In addition, crewed missions beyond LEO require a higher level of reliability which requires the maximum reduction in risk that is achievable.

These services will support the research, design, analysis, development, simulation, integration, testing, operation, and certification for advanced space systems to include the International Space Station (ISS), Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV), and Gateway Programs. These services are critical to Artemis missions and Orion MPCV as this vehicle is the first crewed vehicle being developed to leave LEO and support lunar missions since Apollo.

JOFOC – Advanced GN&C III

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 development, maintenance, and application of GN&C products and services required are in the engineering disciplines as well as in avionics and navigation instrumentation. The services will support Orion MPCV throughout all mission phases and across all segments of the product life cycle and other conceptual vehicles during the contract period of performance.

There are several NASA mission critical tasks for which AFMD requires technical leadership and expertise across the full range of GN&C competency areas. This need includes the development, integration, and testing including definition of the GN&C system architecture, requirements definition, performance analysis, system integration, and test and verification.

In addition, onboard GN&C flight software support is required to use automatic code generation tools and simulations; integrate design capabilities; and perform flight mode analysis and testing for ascent, entry, on-orbit, and ascent abort. Tasks include support to develop the GN&C interfaces required for system automation and providing essential technical expertise, lessons learned, tools, technologies, and facilities to support advanced GN&C system and component development for future NASA science and exploration missions, including crewed and un-crewed vehicles. Additionally, the ISS Timeliner software, Kernel and Adapter, requires sustaining engineering for both the ISS onboard and ground Command and Data Handling elements.

The other supplemental areas that AFMD requires specialized expertise and experience in the GN&C are to support the Safe and Precise Landing – Integrated Capabilities Evolution (SPLICE) project and Gateway program. SPLICE is key for successful future robotic and human landings on the moon to autonomously avoid hazards at the landing site. Draper already has expertise in developing a Terrain Relative Navigation (TRN) system, which is one of the major components of a hazard avoidance GN&C system required by SPLICE.

Other services Draper is available to provide other than the SPLICE project include, but are not limited to, the development of guidance algorithms and navigation filter flight software.

The Gateway program also requires discipline specific expertise on how to perform GN&C in the new destination orbital arena of cis-lunar space. An effective suite of GN&C subsystem capabilities will enable Orion MPCV, Gateway, and other components of NASA’s Artemis campaign of human spaceflight missions to be successful. The historical experience provided by Draper for NASA vehicles will help enable that effective suite of GN&C subsystem capabilities.

The follow-on contract will be issued as a single-award Cost-Plus-Fixed Fee (CPFF) Indefinite-Delivery Indefinite-Quantity (IDIQ), with a period of performance of 5-years (a 5-year base), beginning April 1, 2021, through March 31, 2026, at a not-to-exceed value of

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 United States Code (U. S. C.) 2304(c)(1), as implemented by FAR 6.302-1(a)(2)(iii)(B), services may be deemed available only from the original source in the case of follow-on contracts for the continued provision of highly specialized services. Award to any other source would result in unacceptable delays in fulfilling the agency’s 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) is as described below.

The follow-on contract is required for Draper to provide continued highly specialized advanced GN&C support services to AFMD for the ISS and Orion MPCV programs which, if awarded to any other source, would result in unacceptable delays in fulfilling the agency’s requirements for this effort.

Draper, which has expertise across the full range of GN&C competency areas, and extensive knowledge and experience in implementation of human space flight software from the long history supporting human-rated vehicles through the Apollo, Shuttle, and Space Station missions, is a nationally recognized laboratory with subject matter experts that were the prime developers of the Apollo and Lander Guidance algorithms for the first landing on the moon and successful return from the moon. Draper pioneered many of the technologies that are used in the GN&C industry today, such as algorithms for rendezvous and docking that were developed during the Apollo program. This Apollo mission experience in GN&C of nine successful lunar flights created proven design and unique lessons learned about the many challenges of GN&C in crewed missions beyond LEO. The GN&C complexities are significantly increased with missions beyond LEO and make returning to Earth much more difficult. Moreover, crewed vehicles are more complex in nature due to stringent safety requirements and increased vehicle reliability requirements that NASA imposes to mitigate the potential for loss of crew. Draper’s expertise from the 15 Apollo missions provided proven algorithms as well as flight computer and software that was successful in a human-rated vehicle beyond LEO. The proven design reduces program and cost risk and ensures the safe return of crew. This historical knowledge base directly flows into NASA’s Artemis campaign of missions to not just return to landing on the moon, but to create a sustained presence in lunar vicinity.

The Orion MPCV program utilizes a majority of the beyond LEO guidance algorithms from the Apollo missions that Draper developed and leverages the lessons learned. Draper has extensive knowledge and experience in implementation of human space flight software from the long history supporting human-rated vehicles through the Apollo, Shuttle, and Space Station missions. This experience developing and implementing challenging and one of a kind hardware and software applications for human space flight makes Draper’s engineering services essential to NASA’s mission success.

Draper has provided essential support and leadership to the development, integration, analysis, and testing of the GN&C software and hardware for the Crew Module of the Orion MPCV vehicle for Exploration Flight Test One (EFT-1) flown December 2014. The contractor’s skills and experience, especially with the tools and algorithms it developed for EFT-1, are particularly important for the development and integration of the GN&C system for Artemis I and II, as these missions will leverage heavily from the EFT-1 mission.

Draper has already provided key products and services that have enabled the GN&C subsystem to close out all major milestones for Artemis I and II including Preliminary Design Review, Critical Design Review (CDR), Delta-CDR, and verification for Artemis I specifically. Any disruption or loss of these unique and essential Draper capabilities will adversely impact the Orion MPCV Program and increase cost, schedule, and risk of meeting remaining Orion Program Artemis mission milestones and place the success of those flights at risk.

Under the current contract, Draper provides services that include developing GN&C interfaces required for system automation and providing essential technical expertise, lessons learned, tools, technologies, and facilities to support advanced GN&C system and component development for future NASA science and exploration missions, including crewed and un-crewed vehicles; and advanced technology R&D for ongoing and future NASA science and exploration missions. These services are required to maintain essential R&D efforts and practical application of GN&C theory, specifically for human rated space flight vehicles traveling beyond LEO.

Maintaining this essential R&D capability can be achieved by leveraging Draper’s integrated GN&C expertise and will prevent the loss of an invaluable knowledge base. Draper possesses an unmatched combination of technical experience, high quality skills, and expert knowledge concerning human space flight and integrated GN&C services.

Draper possesses the demonstrated ability to combine the lessons learned from heritage aerospace designs and flight experience with cutting edge technology and “out-of-the-box” thinking to rapidly conceptualize, develop, validate, implement, and evolve innovative and practical solutions to complex GN&C related space flight challenges including real-time on-orbit anomaly resolution.

Although Draper maintains the capability for limited production and long-term maintenance support, several developments have been transitioned to industry for full-scale production.

Some examples include a transfer of the ISS Timeliner software to Boeing and the Linear Covariance analysis tool, which is now in use at both JSC and Goddard Space Flight Center.

In addition, the Cygnus Guidance and Targeting and Fault Detection Isolation and Recovery software were developed in conjunction with Orbital Sciences Corporation (OSC), and the algorithms have been transferred to OSC (OSC is now part of Northrup Grumman). In terms of hardware, Draper developed micro electro- mechanical system accelerometers, and the technology has been transferred to Honeywell with a licensing agreement.

Draper is a key team member of the SPLICE Project team performing a critical role in GN&C flight software development. Draper provides the SPLICE team with deep expertise in guidance and navigation. Draper is building the flight code applications for the guidance, navigation filter, and TRN. These algorithms are a critical part of a planned set of flight demonstrations on a suborbital rocket and lunar landing for a Precision Landing and Hazard Avoidance system. Draper provides extensive maturity and unique experience with their TRN hardware and software capabilities. Other contractors do not have the deep and specialized experience to replace these capabilities.

Another essential aspect of Draper is its strong and vital reach back between its local workforce supporting AFMD and its extensive corporate resources in Cambridge, Massachusetts. This ability allows it to draw on a broad and deep technical knowledge base including strategic systems, space systems, tactical systems, special operations, biomedical systems, and energy solutions and facilities to solve practical, integrated, multidisciplinary solutions to complex problems. The Draper Fellow Program provides a link between academia and industry, and specifically with a direct link to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Rice University (Rice). MIT and Rice both have professors focused on research related to advanced GN&C. In addition, some of the graduate students’ thesis work is directly applicable to JSC, such as the vision navigation algorithms thesis. This program is also a cost-effective way to advance technology, working with graduate students, and receiving access to exceptionally knowledgeable professors. Draper corporate resources also include cutting edge micro electro-mechanical systems hardware and Multi-Chip Module packaging technologies and a Matrix Laboratory (Matlab) computing grid. The Matlab provides rapid turnaround of Monte Carlo simulations and real-time mission support and enhances mission success and crew safety. The Matlab has been used extensively for Orion MPCV GN&C development.

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 (beta.sam.gov) was published on July 22, 2020, in accordance with FAR Subpart 5.2. This posting informed potential sources of NASA’s intent to award this contract action on a sole-source basis to Draper.

The results of this synopsis are summarized in Section 10 below.

7. FAR 6.303-2(b)(7) – A determination by the contracting officer (CO) that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable:

The CO’s signature on this document indicates that the CO 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 contractor’s proposed rates will be evaluated in accordance with FAR 15.404-1 using Defense Contract Management Agency Forward Pricing Rate Recommendations for the contractor, the current actual labor rates available to the Government, and the current Department of Labor Wage and Determination to establish the negotiated rates for Section B of the contract. The reasonableness of any proposed indirect cost and other direct costs (material, travel, subcontract, etc.) will also be evaluated. The NASA Form 634 Structured Approach Profit/Fee Objective will also be used to determine an appropriate fee. The CO will review the results of the technical and cost analysis to identify any major issues or concerns and to establish the cost positions to negotiate a fair and reasonable price for this effort. Any issues or concerns with Draper’s proposal will be addressed during fact finding and resolved prior to negotiations.

The contractor shall be required to submit a proposal for each task order (TO) requirement.

The Government team shall evaluate each proposal for price reasonableness prior to their execution. The analysis will include verifying the contractor’s use of the negotiated rates in Section B of the contract, comparing historic TO prices for similar work, incorporating Technical Evaluator (CO Representative) input in the analysis, along with any other pertinent information that is available to the Government at the time of evaluating the Contractor’s proposal.

The final cost to the Government will be determined by the negotiated TOs under the contract. A Certificate of Current Cost or Pricing Data will be requested as required.

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

On April 14, 2020, JSC reviewed the scope for General Services Administration’s Best-In- Class contract, One Acquisition Solution for Integrated Services (OASIS) – Small Business solution, Service Pool 1 (i.e. NAICS 541330, Engineering services; $16.5 million size standard), and determined that the OASIS solution could not provide the advanced GN&C and avionics expertise and continuity of engineering services that Draper provides to JSC under the ISS, Orion MPCV, and Gateway Programs.

JSC’s requirements for the follow-on effort were independently reviewed by the Agency Procurement Portfolio and Enterprise Requirements Managers, through NASA’s Procurement Information Circulars (PIC) 18-01 coordination process, to determine whether the effort could be executed under an existing or pending agency contract solution. The PIC 18-01 was approved May 26, 2020, and it was determined that no other agency contract solution can, at this time, perform the GN&C follow-on effort.

The follow-on effort was determined beyond the scope of the other engineering contracts in the agency’s portfolio. Draper’s extensive experience in advanced space flight GN&C software development includes GN&C systems it developed for the Apollo, Space Shuttle, ISS Programs, and developing GN&C work for the Orion MPCV.

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

The predecessor and current GN&C Avionics Technology Development and Analysis contracts, NNJ11HA31C and NNJ16HK08B, were awarded to Draper as sole source acquisitions. Draper is an independent non-profit R&D laboratory with expertise and experience with the GN&C, advanced algorithms and software solutions in the human spaceflight domain. NNJ11HA31C ended on March 31, 2016 at an estimated CPFF IDIQ value of . NNJ16HK08B will end on March 31, 2021 at an estimated CPFF IDIQ value of .

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 (beta.sam.gov) per FAR Subpart 5.2 (see section six above). A synopsis was posted on July 22, 2020 and closed on August 7, 2020. The intent of the notice was to determine any interest and ability of industry to perform the effort. No responses were received from industry on this acquisition. No sources expressed an interest in writing for this acquisition, nor submitted their capabilities for performance of the effort.

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:

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.