NNJ16HP41P__JOFOC_FBO.pdf

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

LYNDON B. JOHNSON SPACE CENTER

JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

PURSUANT TO 41 U.S.C. 1901 AND FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION 13.5,

SIMPLIFIED PROCEDURES FOR CERTAIN COMMERCIAL ITEMS

1. 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), pursuant to 41 U.S.C. 1901 and Federal Acquisition Regulation 13.5.

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 Sciperio, Inc. to create a prototype of a dual use Radio Frequency (RF) antenna/optical telescope parabolic reflector assembly using advanced 3D printing technology known as Direct

Digital Manufacturing (DDM). This effort is in support of the JSC Exploration Integration and

Science Directorate (EISD), Exploration Development and Integration (EDI) Office.

3. Description of the supplies or services required, include an estimated value:

The scope of work involves the design and manufacture, via Direct Digital Manufacturing

(DDM), of a 30 centimeter dual radio frequency (RF) antenna/optical telescope parabolic reflector assembly. Sciperio, Inc. will determine a set of candidate materials and advanced manufacturing processes that have a high likelihood of meeting NASA’s performance requirements. Sciperio, Inc. will then “print” the structure of the RF/optical telescope, including any integrated sensors and/or micro-machined actuators. The goal of this work is to demonstrate that the use of tightly-integrated additive/subtractive manufacturing, high-speed/high-resolution metrology, and micron-scale precision motion control, offers the potential to dramatically improve component performance and manufacturing tolerances while simultaneously decreasing the logistics involved in producing the components. Additionally, the identified technology holds the potential to enable integrated, micro-machined sensors, actuators, and in-situ control elements that may prove essential to providing fine control of surface tolerances of large (>10m) monolithic RF and optical reflectors in the presence of thermal, vibrational, and gravitational deformation.

While the majority of the work will be performed at the contractor’s facilities, it is anticipated that some work will be performed at NASA, JSC facilities.

The estimated value of this modification is $250,000.

The period of performance for this effort will be from August 31, 2016 to July 30, 2018.

4. Statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition.

The statutory authority is 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1), which permits other than full and open competition “when the property or services needed by the agency are available from only one responsible source or only from a limited number of responsible sources and no other type of property or services will satisfy the needs of the agency.”

5. Demonstration that the proposed contractor’s unique qualifications or the nature of the acquisition requires use of the authority cited.

Sciperio’s patented manufacturing process is unique in that it incorporates real-time precision, in-situ feedback, and motion control with the material deposition and removal processes. This allows for real-time fine-tuning of structures, during manufacture, providing for multi-material, integrated mechanical-electrical structures that are reproducible and usable without requiring post-processing or hands-on labor. This patented process is necessary in order to achieve

NASA’s required precision in terms of nanometer scale features applied to multi-meter scales structure produced with high unit-to-unit and run-to-run repeatability.

For this effort, NASA requires the application and extension of Sciperio’s patented technology and processes in new ways that only Sciperio, Inc., as the owner of the essential intellectual property, can provide.

6. Description of the efforts made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as practicable.

Pursuant to FAR 5.201(b)(1), this action will be synopsized on the Government Wide Point of

Entry, located at www.FedBizOpps.gov.

7. A determination by the contracting officer that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable.

The cost proposal was reviewed by both NASA JSC and NASA HQs personnel who determined that the level of effort and materials required were reasonable based on past experience with technology development projects within the Space Communication and Navigation (SCaN)

Program, Science Mission Directorate (SMD), and Human Exploration and Operations Mission

Directorate (HEO) Advanced Exploration Systems Program (AES). Additionally, the costs proposed by the vendor were compared to the market pricing for the use of similar equipment and services by other providers. It is notable that there are very few providers who have both the expertise to work at this level of precision as well as the business model to support research and development of processes (vs manufacture and sales of capital equipment to end users). The vendor identified is able to combine both the R&D and in-house equipment production at a reasonable cost, further increasing the overall value to the Government.

Based on these factors the cost is consider to be fair and reasonable.

8. Description of the market survey conducted, and the results, or a statement of the reason a market survey was not conducted.

In preparation for this solicitation, NASA conducted market research through the following techniques:

Trade show attendance – IPC APEX – to see equipment and meet / discuss needs with technical company reps

Website survey of providers of digital manufacturing and “3D printing” techniques

Site visit to other aerospace companies to observe how digital manufacturing is performed in their manufacturing and integration flow (results are proprietary to the companies, but were informative of the limits of current technology)

Literature review – Survey of published, peer-reviewed articles in technical journals detailing the “state of the art” with respect to research and development of additive manufacturing, digital manufacturing and “3D” printing of precision RF and optical components and systems.

Summarizing the results of the market survey, NASA personnel made the following determinations:

1. While several vendors have advanced additive manufacturing capabilities, these companies are primarily focused on the manufacture and sale of capital equipment

(industrial 3D printers) to end users. As it is not part of their core business model, these vendors are not in position to support an R&D activity exploring the potential to use additive manufacturing for NASA’s purposes.

2. Groups with interest and capability of performing the research and new capability investigation required by NASA typically do not have in-house experience with the manufacture or operation of high capacity industrial additive manufacturing systems, rather relying on “lab” quality and capability machines. This limits the degree of precision to which they can manufacture and test parts.

3. There were no vendors identified with a similar technology to the nScrypt “smart pump” which allows Sciperio / nScrypt to achieve the high degree of precision that they have demonstrated. This pump and the supporting processes are patented by nScrypt and would require another vendor to arrange a licensing agreement to gain access. NASA personnel did not identify another comparable capability.

9. Other facts supporting the use of other than full and open competition.

NASA has engaged several external Government partners in a collaborative relationship to advance certain key technologies in uplink array radar systems as a National capability. These partners’ applications have classified elements, and forward activities will likely build upon classified work, some of which has been performed by Sciperio personnel. As this information cannot be readily transferred or published, the expertise is only available from the specific personnel engaged in the prior activities. NASA intends to leverage this past work to advance

NASA’s unclassified objectives, as well as to support the co-development of capabilities with

NASA’s external partner agencies.

10. Sources, if any, that expressed interest in writing in the acquisition.

At this time no other sources have expressed interest in this acquisition.

11. The 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 monitor industry publications, communicate with a number of manufacturers employing 3D printing technology, and attend manufacturing trade shows in an effort to identify sources for future acquisitions.