Xenon Thruster JA_Redacted.pdf

DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY

NAVAL RESEARCH LABORATORY

4555 OVERLOOK AVE SW

WASHINGTON, DC 20375-5320

REPLY REFER TO:

J&A No.: J&A13.501-24-GI01 13 August 2024

JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL

FOR USE OF OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

1. Contracting Activity

The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), Washington, DC, Code 1330.

2. Description of the Action Being Approved

Award of a firm-fixed-price contract on a sole source basis to Leybold, USA for the Xenon Thruster Test System Phase V addition to the existing NRL Large Plasma Test Facility (LPTF).

3. Descriptions of Supplies or Services

The Contractor shall add additional capabilities to the LPTF vacuum chamber that NRL currently owns.

The Phase V Xenon Thruster Test System being purchased provides new capabilities to the LPTF including: increasing the pumping speed for the existing individual antechambers on the LPTF by adding cryogenic pumps to each of the antechambers, separating those new pumps from the antechambers by isolating valves, designing and installing an internal shroud on one end of the chamber, and providing a new revision of the control software for the entire integrated LPTF to maintain its end-to-end turnkey functionality.

The LPTF is currently slated to support a number of government customers including

. Beginning in FY25, the LPTF is fully booked for the foreseeable future with anticipated customer projects. The projects being supported have high-priority within the Department of Defense (DoD), any delays and/or risks to scheduled events related to those efforts would have extreme impacts to the objectives of the and above named DoD agencies. Given these priorities, the government cannot afford high technical or schedule risks to this procurement.

The Government’s minimum needs have been verified by the certifying technical and requirements personnel.

J&A No.: J&A13.501-24-GI01

The total estimated dollar value for this acquisition is $ with the contracts period of performance being December 1, 2024 thru June 30, 2025. This acquisition will be fully funded with FY24 NWCF.

4. Statutory Authority Permitting other Than Full and Open Competition

41 U.S.C. 1901(e)(2), a sole source acquisition under the authority of Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items, as implemented by Federal Acquisition Regulation FAR Subpart 13.501(a).

5. Rationale Justifying Use of Cited Authority

The procured parts are available only from Leybold, USA due to the highly specialized nature of the required test system, and the use of proprietary information in the previously purchased Phase I-IV efforts. An award to any other source would result in a substantial duplication of cost to the government that is not expected to be recovered through competition. Additionally, an award to another vendor would result in an unacceptable schedule and substantial technical risk to the larger ~$ LPTF investment.

The vacuum equipment being purchased will become an integral part to NRL’s existing LPTF system. The LPTF is an evolving vacuum test system that has been developed over several years based on multiple different emerging requirements and capital investments to add capability and functionality to the facility. The LPTF supports electric propulsion and space environmental simulation research, and verification and validation of advanced technology concepts from both government and industry. Phases one (I) through four (IV) of the LPTF have previously been completed, and this procurement is for Phase five (V), the Xenon Thruster Test System (XTTT).

The LPTF Phases I-IV were designed and built to NRL specifications by Leybold, USA as a subcontractor, under contract #N00173-22-C-6002, which awarded to Prime contractor KBR, Inc.

Leybold has the critical technical insight to design, manufacture, integrate and test the Phase V Xenon Thruster Test System being purchased, and deliver a software upgrade that seamlessly incorporates these new capabilities as a turnkey system within the existing LPTF that was designed and built by Leybold. For this to occur, Leybold will use critical knowledge of the hardware configuration, design and capabilities of both the existing systems and new component hardware. Leybold is the only contractor with the requisite system knowledge to perform these tasks. The most critical interface, is the software that integrates all the hardware systems together and allows turnkey operation of all of the LPTF systems. The existing software is proprietary to Leybold, USA. The basic functionality of the software in the modular device drivers that were developed exclusively at Leybold’s expense. The government paid for a custom version of the software under the Phase I-IV procurements made by . using these proprietary modules to create a turnkey graphical user interface software that controls the entire LPTF. These data rights were not asserted on the Prime’s ( contract, as the subcontractor (Leybold) was the owner of the rights.

The LPTF system is highly specialized and unique, and the capabilities required are not widely-available as a commercial skill-set. No other company has the requisite knowledge of the LPTF

J&A No.: J&A13.501-24-GI01 system as a whole to be able to successfully provide alterations or additions to it due to proprietary data restrictions. Re-writing the control software would be required to eliminate the proprietary data issues; this would require a substantial re-development and duplication of effort and cost to the Government. The Government estimates the duplication of cost would be an additional ~$500K to meet the LPTF requirements; this assumes that a full and open competition could identify another company that was able to provide a satisfactory proposal and be selected for award. If another company were awarded this contract, this would add additional cost, incur excessive delays, substantially increase risk, and likely result in a lower quality XTTT and LPTF system overall. There are nearly 100 actuators and sensors on the LPTF system, and the failure to properly control any single one of them could jeopardize the LPTF system, a ~$ investment, and potentially damage test hardware under development as critical new capabilities needed by the warfighter. Providing a solution for this requirement that would substantially increase the risk of damage to the LPTF system is unacceptable. Award of the Phase V XTTT to Leybold USA is in the best interest of the government.

6. Description of Efforts Made to Solicit Offers from as Many Offerors as Practicable

This Justification will be posted on the SAM.Gov website in accordance with FAR 13.501. Any responses received will be evaluated for consideration of any future procurements.

Market research was conducted of various companies in industry that provide similar equipment.

The thorough analysis conducted reviewed the available equipment and company capabilities to see if there were any possible alternatives. At this time no other company would be able to provide the required scope of work and equipment.

7. Determination of Fair and Reasonable Cost

The Contracting Officer has determined that the anticipated cost to the Government for the supplies/services covered by the J&A will be fair and reasonable. The contractor will submit a formal price proposal with cost or pricing data and sufficient information to support the accuracy and reliability of the estimate. The contractor’s proposal will be reviewed by experienced technical analysts and contract specialists with the aid of necessary field pricing support. The PCO will use cost and pricing analysis as the basis for negotiating a fair and reasonable price.

8. Actions to Remove Barriers to Future Competition

Any potential future acquisition of similar or equal equipment will be evaluated for competitive procurement.

9. Attachments

There are no additional attachments to this document. In accordance with DFARS 206.304 (a)(S- 70), the equipment being purchased is not the same supply or service as previously awarded. As such, this is not a non-competitive follow-on acquisition to a previous award.