JOFOC - TS401 Thrust Measurement System.pdf

Rev.:4/2026

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

Johnson Space Center (JSC)/White Sands Test Facility (WSTF)

JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

(JOFOC)

For Test Stand 401 Thrust Measurement System

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 the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Johnson Space Center (JSC) White Sands Test Facility (WSTF), the procuring agency and contracting activity respectively.

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 contract to Force Measurement Systems, Inc. for a Thrust Measurement System (TMS) for WSTF’s Test Stand 401 in support of hypergolic thruster testing for the Griffin Lunar Lander in 2027. Griffin is a medium-class lander with flexible mounting options to accommodate a variety of rovers and other large payloads. Its autonomous sensor systems provide a safe and precise landing in even rugged and hazardous terrain, enabling it to support robotic missions such as resource prospecting, polar volatile characterization, and skylight exploration.

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):

Force Measurement System, Inc. will provide a TMS that replaces the current TMS in accordance with the requirements outlined in WSTF Facilities Requirements Document PTO-401-TMS-FRD-001. The current system is no longer supported by industry and does not provide the capability and capacity required to support WSTF Propulsion’s current and future needs.

The total estimated value for this procurement is $571K, with a delivery date of March 1, 2027.

4. FAR 6.104-1(a)(4) – An identification of the statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition:

Rev.: 4/2026

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) as described below.

Force Measurement System, Inc. is the only supplier that provides TMS that are compatible with hypergolic propellants, can operate at 0.1 psia, and can withstand the environmental conditions present with in a vacuum rated rocket propulsion test stand.

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 notice to the Government Point of Entry (GPE) website (Sam.gov) was published on July 28, 2026, in accordance with FAR Subpart 5.1. This posting informed potential sources of NASA’s intent to award this sole-source contract to Force Measurement Systems, Inc. The results of this synopsis are summarized in Section 10 below.

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 price for the contract action is fair and reasonable. Proposed pricing for this acquisition will be determined fair and reasonable through comparison of the proposed pricing to an Independent Government Estimate (IGE) completed by the technical team.

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):

In an effort to determine potential capable vendors, multiple market research methods were conducted. For the predecessor acquisition, the TEST2 contractor at WSTF conducted market research in 2016 to obtain the services of Force Measurement Systems, Inc. by conducting a Hazardous Materials Compatibility (HMC) Review and System Safety Analysis (SSA) to establish a blanket agreement in support of Commercial Crews Starliner Missions.

Award was then made to Force Measurement Systems, Inc. under this established blanket agreement. The studies were conducted again in 2023 under TEST3 to acquire additional

Rev.: 4/2026 systems/services from Force Measurements Systems in support of Mars Sample Return and Artimus programs.

To meet Griffin’s objectives for return to the moon by 2027, components will need to be utilized from existing systems procured from Force Measurement Systems along with the additional hardware supplied by Force Measurement Systems, Inc. to deliver the required TMS to support testing in the fall of 2026.

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

Selection process to find and vet a company that can provide a thrust measurement system in accordance with the strict OSHA and NASA standards for a highly hazardous work area is both cost and time prohibitive. The initial selection process for Force Measurement System, Inc. took one year. This would double the schedule and cost of this project. The TMS is required to test Hypergolic Thrusters for Griffins Lunar Lander Mission scheduled for 2027.

10. FAR 6.104-1(a)(10) – A listing of the sources, if any, that expressed an interest in writing in the acquisition:

None

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 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.