SPORT_UTD_JOFOC_CO_Ver1.2-_Redacted.pdf

PR: _4200626371__

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

GEORGE C. MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER

JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION (JOFOC)

PURSUANT TO TITLE 10 U.S.C. 2304 (C) (1)

1. This document is a Justification for Other Than Full and Open Competition (JOFOC) prepared by the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 6.3, Other Than Full and Open Competition, and NASA FAR Supplement (NFS) Part 1806.3, Other Than Full and Open Competition.

2. Nature and/or description of the action being approved: MSFC proposed its Scintillation Prediction Observations Research Task (SPORT) project, a CubeSat mission, in response to Research Opportunities in Earth and Space Science (ROSES) announcement number NNH16ZDA001N-HTIDS for the Heliophysics Technology and Instrument Development for Science program, and was selected for award in December 2016. This JOFOC authorizes the issuance of a contract to the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) in support of the SPORT project.

3. Description of the supplies or services required to meet the agency’s need, including estimated value:

Under this contract, the UTD will support the SPORT mission by utilizing the CubeSat Ion Velocity Meter (cs-IVM) to measure the velocity of the ion component of the ionospheric plasma at the location of the sensor. SPORT is an international partnership between NASA, the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research (INPE), and the Technical Aeronautics Institute under the Brazilian Air Force Command Department (DCTA/ITA). The sensor will be delivered to MSFC, the Principal Investigator institution, who will then provide the sensor for integration into the Brazilian CubeSat bus. UTD shall provide the cs- IVM and related documents to MSFC. UTD shall also help determine the scientific results and publications of the project. The total estimated cost of this effort is $384,000 and the estimated period of performance is 24 months.

4. Statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition: The statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition is title 10, U.S.C. 2304(c)(1), as implemented by the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.302-1, “Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements.”

5. A demonstration that the proposed contractor’s unique qualifications or the nature of the acquisition requires the authority cited:

a. UTD has unique historical knowledge, expertise, and experience with plasma density, plasma temperature, and plasma motion. The UTD’s cs-IVM is an adaptation of sensors that have flown on previous satellite missions.

b. UTD has a long term collaboration with MSFC in the development and execution of SPORT procedures and test. Since the investment cannot be easily replicated in a timely or cost effect manner, continuing this collaboration in the calibration and certification activity is critical to achieving the project goals.

c. UTD developed the cs-IVM therefore, should another vendor be selected for this award, a contract with UTD is required to utilize the cs-IVM, this would increase the overall procurement costs to NASA MSFC and cause delay in delivery of the instrument for integration by Brazilians. In fact, the Government estimates the duplication of costs associated with award to another vendor would total $1.2 million (for another vendor to develop a suitable instrument), along with a minimum three-year development lead-time which constitutes an unacceptable delay.

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6. Description of the efforts made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as practicable: Pursuant to FAR 5.201, this proposed contract action was synopsized in FezBizOpps.gov on May 15, 2017 in order to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as practicable. No results were received in response to the pre-solicitation notice. The notice was posted for 15 days as required per FAR Subsection 5.203(a).

7. A determination by the contracting officer that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable: The negotiation and establishment of a fair and reasonable price will be done in accordance with FAR Part 15. Proposed cost will be reviewed by technical analysts and contract specialists to ensure negotiation and determination of a fair and reasonable price.

8. Description of the market survey conducted, and the results, or a statement of the reasons a market survey was not conducted: Market research was conducted by searching for individuals and organizations with flight experience and working knowledge, including development, calibration, and data reduction of the cs- IVM, and there are simply no other organizations with the relevant experience necessary to meet the project schedule.

9. Other facts supporting the use of other than full and open competition, such as: The UTD’s cs-IVM is the only instrument of its kind with flight heritage that can interface with the small SPORT satellite. This miniature version is currently being developed for the NASA Scintillation Observations and Response of the Ionosphere to Electrodynamics (SORTIE) CubeSat mission to be launched prior to SPORT.

Procurement Cost will increase if another contractor is selected for this effort and there will be a delay in the delivery of the instruments for integration by the Brazilians.

10. Sources, if any that expressed an interest in writing in the acquisition: Presently, there are no other known interested sources. A pre-solicitation notice was posted to the GPE on May 15, 2017 for a 15 day period as required by FAR Subsection 5.203(a). This notice did not drive any response from interested contractors.

11. The actions, if any, the Agency may take to remove or overcome barriers to competition before any subsequent acquisition for the supplies or services required: There are no known actions which the agency may take to remove or overcome barriers to competition before any subsequent acquisition for the services required.

12. I hereby certify the facts in this justification and any supporting data used for this justification are accurate

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I hereby certify that the above justification is complete and accurate to the best of my knowledge and belief. In addition, I hereby determine that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable.

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Approved:

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06/07/2017