MIT Haystack Observator JOFOC.pdf

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER (GSFC) JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER

THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION (JOFOC)

For Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Haystack Observatory Follow-on Contract

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 the

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD.

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

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 the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Haystack Observatory for the continued development of NASA’s Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) systems. This is a follow-on effort to the existing Cost-No Fee contract, 80GSFC20C0078– MIT, which has a period of performance of June 22, 2020, through June 21, 2025.

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):

This contract will provide continued development to improve the International Terrestrial Reference Frame to have an accuracy of 1 mm and stability of 0.1 mm per year, an order of magnitude beyond the capabilities of the Global Geodetic Observing System (GGOS) by creating electronics that provide broadband capabilities for smaller Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) antennas.

The contractor shall continue to support the NASA Space Geodesy Project (SGP) in the development of NASA’s VLBI stations. This effort includes research and development of the VLBI Global Observing System (VGOS) in support of the NASA SGP. The contractor shall provide continued development and deployment of MIT’s VGOS signal chains (based on the MIT developed VGOS signal chains currently in use at three existing NASA stations); data processing support in the form of the correlation of geodetic VLBI data using the MIT correlator facility; SGP related operations of MIT’s Westford antenna; and engineering support for the MIT developed equipment in the operational VLBI stations within the NASA Space Geodesy Network (NSGN). The contract will be for a period of five years with an estimated value of $15,000,000.00.

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.

3204(a)(1), as implemented by Federal Acquisition Regulation (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. 3204(a)(1) is MIT’s expertise in working with NASA’s VLBI system as described below.

Through their numerous years of involvement with SGP, MIT has developed and deployed the VGOS signal chains currently being used at four NASA VLBI stations: GSFC, Kokee Park Geophysical Observatory, McDonald Observatory in Texas, and the MIT Haystack Westford, Massachusetts Observatory. Additionally, MIT is currently building the signal chain for the NASA VGOS station in Fortezza, Brazil. The signal chain provides the path that radio wave data takes though the antenna. It’s composed of two main systems: The frontend and the backend. The frontend components are comprised of noise and pulse calibration subsystems, which inject signals into the receiver to calibrate the complex system gain down to the digitizer and broadband low noise amplifiers (LNA) housed in a large cryostat (the cold temperature helps eliminate electromagnetic noise). The frontend subsystem consists of the elements of the signal chain that monitor and control infrastructure (MCI) components that are mounted on the antenna. The backend is a device that converts the analog data from the frontend to a digital signal. The backend subsystem consists of all components of the signal chain in the control room, where the RF signals are further amplified and separated into bands in the RF distributor, converted, digitized, formatted, and recorded.

All of the components have been developed by MIT from the machining of the cryostat to the development of the digital converter. Utilizing another source would require the extensive development of new capabilities and duplication of existing facilities that would result in excessive time schedules, technical risks and duplication of costs to the Government. For these reasons, no other source than MIT can be utilized to fulfill the requirements of the Statement of Work.

Based on market research conducted and the knowledge acquired by the NASA SGP, no other companies were found capable of meeting the minimum requirements for continued development of NASA’s VLBI stations, the processing of VLBI data, and support for the International VLBI Service for Geodesy and Astrometry IVS. MIT is the only known source for acceptable supplies or services.

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 November 20, 2024, in accordance with FAR Subpart 5.2. This posting informed potential sources of NASA’s intent to award this sole-source contract to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Haystack Observatory. 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 cost for the contract action is fair and reasonable. MIT’s proposal will be compared against, but not limited to, historical data associated with the predecessor MIT contract(s) in order to determine fair and reasonableness.

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 (e.g., urgent, and compelling requirement):

Market research was mainly based on the expertise of the COR, Stephen Merkowitz’s (Ph.D.

in Physics) in-depth knowledge of the market and industry. He is the Project Manager of SGP and received additional inputs from other Government team members within the SGP.

The COR manages the SGP that maintains, develops, and operates the NASA Space Geodesy Network of VLBI stations, the Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) facilities, and the Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) ground stations. His expertise in this area is further represented by the published works he has authored and co-authored such as Modernizing and expanding the NASA Space Geodesy Network to meet future geodetic requirements.

MIT was selected early in the project lifecycle to develop the VGOS signal chain due to their unique and long experience with VLBI systems. No other company provides a system that is comparable to the system that has been developed under contracts NNG15HZ35C and

80GSFC20C0078.

Market research was also performed via participation in VLBI technical meetings and conferences, through the International VLBI Service for Geodesy and Astrometry (IVS), and in-depth market knowledge. This included participation in the VLBI Training School, International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics General Assembly, American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, and the Meeting of the European VLBI Group for Geodesy and Astrometry. Dr. Merkowitz has also surveyed the participants in the IVS, whose membership represents the entire global VLBI community, was also performed. The market research performed did not identify any other organization or company with the relevant experience or expertise capable of fulfilling the statement of work. Therefore, it is determined that a sole-source acquisition is in the best interest of the Government.

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

MIT has more than 40 years of experience conducting the work under this requirement.

Utilizing another source, if identifiable, would be a duplication of effort, which would result in excessive schedules and costs to the Government.

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). The synopsis was posted on November 20, 2024 and closed on December 5, 2020. The synopsis notified all interested parties that this requirement will be issued on a sole source basis and provided an opportunity for sources to submit their interest and capabilities to the Contracting Officer. 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:

NASA will continue to examine the market in the future for alternative solutions or new sources before executing any subsequent acquisitions for the same requirement. NASA SGP will also continue to encourage and support the transfer of VLBI technology developed under this program to broaden the number of sources capable of supporting NASA’s VLBI stations.