CUBRC_JOFOC.pdf

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION (NASA)

LYNDON B. JOHNSON SPACE CENTER

JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

Pursuant to 10 United States Code (U.S.C.) 2304(c)(1) and Federal Acquisition Regulation

(FAR) 6.302-1

Ascent and Re-Entry Aeroheating Ground Testing and Data Analysis

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 with the Aerothermal/Aero-optic Evaluation Center (AAEC) at the Calspan University of Buffalo Research Center (CUBRC), for aerodynamic and aerothermodynamic ground testing and data analysis. This contract will support the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle Program (MPCV), Commercial Crew Program, and Space Launch System (SLS) Program through program conclusion or contract end, and other programs and projects of direct interest to NASA. This is a follow-on contract to the current aerodynamic and aerothermodynamic ground testing and data analysis contract, NNJ11HB71C, with a Period of Performance (POP) ending August 31, 2016.

FAR 6.303-2(b)(3) – A description of the supplies or services required, to meet the Agency’s needs (including the estimated value):

NASA requires aerodynamic and aerothermodynamic ground testing efforts consisting of planning and conducting experiments to simulate vehicles in-flight and to understand the environments imposed on flight vehicles. This effort will consist of a series of experimental tests paralleled by computational studies to verify the operation of the facility and ability to achieve desired freestream conditions. NASA requires a facility with the ability to instrument test models with very small and densely spaced instrumentation to measure heat transfer rates, the ability to test at enthalpy levels most representative for a ground test facility, the ability to test at freestream Mach numbers up to Mach 30, and the ability to test large model sizes, with adequate test duration to allow for flow establishment around the model.

The work can be classified as an environment simulation for SLS launch, SLS launch aborts, and MPCV re-entry. Atmospheric flight simulation could also be provided for other vehicles that are of interest to NASA. These specialized testing services are required to obtain the environments required to validate computer simulation data and when computer simulations are insufficient.

The proposed contract will be awarded as a fixed-price Indefinite-Delivery Indefinite- Quantity contract with a 5 year POP. The estimated not to exceed value for the entire ordering period, based on an Independent Government Estimate (IGE), is approximately 5 million.

FAR 6.303-2(b)(4) – An identification of the statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition:

The applicable statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition for this proposed action is 10 U.S.C 2304(c)(1) and FAR 6.302-1(b)(1)(ii), unique supplies or services may be deemed to be available from only one or a limited number of sources or

Ascent and Re-Entry Aeroheating Ground Testing and Data Analysis Page 2 suppliers with unique capabilities.

4. FAR 6.303-2(b)(5)&(9) – A demonstration that the proposed contractor’s unique qualifications or the nature of the acquisition requires use of the authority cited and any other facts supporting the use of other than full and open competition:

The AAEC at CUBRC continues to be the only facility able to provide the level of instrumentation required for NASA’s aerodynamic and aerothermodynamic comprehensive ground testing efforts including enthalpy, Mach, and model scale (Reynolds number). The CUBRC has the instrumentation and facilities required, including sophisticated machining and equally unique miniature delicate instrumentation, to construct these models.

One of the very difficult challenges when attempting to predict heat transfer rates on supersonic and hypersonic vehicles is gaining an understanding of the large heating magnitudes and gradients introduced in the region of geometry changes. These geometry changes can include but are not limited to flow around a vehicle shoulder and in the vicinity of geometry discontinuities (steps, gaps, cavities, etc.). Another phenomenon that can cause very large heat transfer magnitudes and gradients is the interaction between a shock and viscous boundary layer. These large magnitudes of heat transfer have the potential to drive the thermal protection system design on launch and re-entry vehicles. In order to accurately capture these magnitudes and gradients, very small and densely spaced instrumentation is required. The AAEC at CUBRC is able to perform testing in these extremely small ranges, such as with the MH-13 Orbiter heating test, CUBRC instrumented the model with thin-film “button” heat transfer gauges as small as 0.05”. Other thin-film “ladder” gauges had lengths of approximately 0.028” and widths of 0.003”. A total of 315 gauges were placed on the 1.8 percent model, including 222 gauges on the Orbiter wing leading edge, with 182 of these being located within a 4-inch long region. This dense instrumentation was required in order to capture shock-shock interactions on the leading edge. As a point of reference, the smallest thin-film gauges fabricated at NASA Langley Research Center in a recent test program are approximately 0.04” wide and 0.08” long, which is significantly larger size than the thin-film gauges AAEC at CUBRC can test.

Enthalpy is a property that serves as a measure of energy within the flow field surrounding a vehicle in flight. It is an important property to evaluate for re-entry vehicles because of the effects of flow chemistry on the surface heat transfer rates. As the enthalpy is increased, flow chemistry becomes more important. Conventional wind tunnels throughout the country are “cold flow” tunnels, meaning they have low enthalpy within the flow. However, the AAEC at CUBRC includes facilities that can match or closely match a larger portion of a re-entry vehicle trajectory than any other conventional facility. This allows NASA to test enthalpy levels most representative of actual ascent and re-entry of the various vehicles.

Free stream Mach number is a measure of the speed of the vehicle in relation to the speed of sound. The MPCV program requirements necessitate testing at Mach numbers up to 30 to obtain, for example, gas-radiation measurements needed for ensuring safe flight through the Earth’s atmosphere at very high speeds as well as characterization of other planetary atmospheres at similar or higher speeds. The facilities at CUBRC represent one of only two facilities in the nation able to test at freestream Mach numbers of 30 or higher. NASA requires the ability to test large model sizes with adequate test duration to allow for flow establishment around the model. The size of the CUBRC facility is appropriate to ensure adequate test durations. For example, when studying a back shell in a separated flow

Ascent and Re-Entry Aeroheating Ground Testing and Data Analysis Page 3 environment, approximately 50-70 flow paths are required to ensure flow establishment and CUBRC can meet this requirement. Other facilities researched provided at best approximately 20 flow paths.

The ability to test at or as close as possible to the right enthalpy, Mach, and model scale (Reynolds number), provides the comprehensive simulation of the expected flight environment and thus minimizes extrapolation errors and requisite conservative margin that must be incorporated to cover these errors, leading to increased mass for a vehicle’s thermal protection system, and thus reduced spacecraft performance. In an independent study performed by the Crew Exploration Vehicle Aerosciences Project, it was determined that the CUBRC facility is the only facility available to provide comprehensive enthalpy, Mach, and model scale (Reynolds number). While a handful of other testing facilities may have one or more of the unique capabilities listed above, the CUBRC facilities are the only provider capable of meeting the comprehensive requirements for small and densely spaced instrument testing, enthalpy, Mach, and model scale (Reynolds number). This integrated simulation of the environments of flight and of all of these phenomenon are used to reduce uncertainty and vehicle risk. It is essential that the above mentioned requirements are tested simultaneously to simulate the flight environments and provide integrated test data to validate or complete computer simulations for vehicle ascent and re-entry.

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 synopsis of this action was posted on the Government-wide Point of Entry (GPE), http://www.fedbizopps.gov, in accordance with subpart 5.2 on February 3, 2016, to notify industry of this non-competitive action. The synopsis closed on February 16, 2016, and no responses were received.

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 contractor’s proposed price will be evaluated in accordance with FAR 15.404-2. The Contracting Officer (CO) will work closely with the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) to determine if the AAEC at CUBRC’s proposed price is fair and reasonable. This includes development of an IGE prior to receipt of the proposal and performing a technical evaluation. The proposal will be compared against the IGE. A technical evaluation will also be performed to analyze the basis of estimate for each cost element proposed to assess if CUBRC’s proposal is adequate to meet the requirements of the Statement of Work.

The price to the Government will be determined by negotiated task/delivery orders under the contract. As requested in the proposal, individually identified fixed-price services will be analyzed using historical prices, internal governmental data, and data requested from the offeror. The CO will review the results of the technical and cost analysis to identify any major issues or concerns. Any proposal issues or concerns will be addressed during fact finding and resolved as necessary through negotiations. The CUBRC will also be required to submit a certificate of current cost or pricing data for any task order that meets or exceeds the $750,000 threshold upon completion of negotiations.

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

The market was surveyed through multiple means. A synopsis of the proposed contract action was posted on the GPE on February 3, 2016. The COR has experience with the aerothermal efforts for the Orion MPCV for the last 5 years and using engineering judgment and previous experiences. During this timeframe, the COR has been in contact with numerous experts within the technical community and has performed internet research to identify available capabilities at other testing facilities around the United States. An informational market research study was carried out to compare the capabilities of the CUBRC facilities with those of other tunnel facilities. In addition, data was gathered from test facilities websites, technical journals, and facility site visits. Five specific facilities were researched as potentially capable of meeting the Government’s requirements. While some can meet either the Mach number, Reynolds number, or gauge density, only one could meet all of the requirements, which is CUBRC.

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

a. FAR 6.303-2(b)(9) (i) – Explanation of why technical data packages, specifications, engineering description, statements of work, or purchase descriptions suitable for full and open competition have not been developed or are not applicable: The ability to test at or as close as possible to the right enthalpy, Mach, and model scale (Reynolds number), provides the comprehensive simulation of the expected flight environment and thus minimizes extrapolation errors and requisite conservative margin that must be incorporated to cover these errors, leading to increased mass for a vehicle’s thermal protection system, and thus reduced spacecraft performance. CUBRC facility is the only facility available to provide comprehensive enthalpy, Mach, and model scale (Reynolds number). Changing the requirements to facilitate full and open competition would dramatically increase uncertainty and vehicle risk due to loss of the currently observed benefits of testing simultaneously to simulate the flight environments only available at the CUBRIC facility.

9. FAR 6.303-2(b)(10) – A listing of the sources, if any, that expressed an interest in writing in the acquisition:

No sources expressed interest.

10. 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:

This Agency will continue to remove or overcome any barriers to competition before any subsequent acquisition for these services are required. To do so, the Procurement offices will coordinate with the COR to ensure any needs for publicizing formal Requests for Information and sources sought synopses are met. These postings will enable the COR and technical community to gather crucial information regarding the options and available sources for the future testing needs of the Agency. The technical offices and COR will continue to monitor industry capabilities by attending related seminars and industry forums. The COR will also continue to review relevant technical journals, Government and commercial databases, and internet resources for relevant information.