SATPC0036179 Tab 04 4 SOW.pdf

Statement of Work for the Purchase of a MBRAUN glove box

1. Objective/Requirements The goal of the Cold Solar System Objects ISFM project is to investigate and understand the composition, origin, evolution, and chemical processes occurring on the surfaces and in the atmospheres of cold solar system objects (CSSOs), such as asteroids, icy moons, ocean worlds, dwarf planets, trans-Neptunian objects, comets, Trojans, and Centaurs. For this purpose, one of the main CSSO ISFM tasks is to experimentally simulate these CSSOs using established laboratory facilities at NASA’s Ames Research Center (ARC) and Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) and produce laboratory analogs of the various materials present on the surfaces, and in the atmospheres and comae of these different CSSOs. These laboratory-generated analog samples – in particular, refractory organic residues formed by the irradiation of ice or gas mixtures using a variety of energy sources including plasma, X-ray, electrons, protons, and ultraviolet photons – will then be characterized using a wide range of analytical techniques: ultraviolet to far-infrared spectroscopy, X-ray absorption and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. Extraterrestrial materials (meteorites, asteroid returned samples) will also be analyzed by infrared microscopy and compared with the laboratory-generated analog samples.

To keep the laboratory-generated and extraterrestrial samples in pristine conditions without exposing them to air and contamination, a MBRAUN Labstar Pro SP glove box is needed.

This glove box will be used by all the NASA ARC laboratories that are part of the CSSO ISFM to store and manipulate the solid laboratory-generated samples produced from gas and ice chemistry, and the extraterrestrial meteorites and returned samples to be characterized by the CSSO team.

2. Characteristics, Scope, and Specs The glove box needed for our laboratory work needs to have the following specifications:

- made of all stainless-steel enclosure, circulation piping, valves and fitting,

- with a chemicals- and scratch-resistant polycarbonate window.

- internal workspace dimensions are: 1800 mm (width) x 780 mm (depth) x 900 mm (height),

- glove box should allow two operators to use it at the same time (i.e., four gloves).

- equipped with a box purging system for purging the workspace with inert gas,

- equipped with a closed-loop recirculation gas purifier for continuously cleaning the inert gas and absorbing moisture (H2O) and oxygen (O2) to abundances less than 1 ppm (part-per-million).

- The system can be operated with either nitrogen (N2), argon (Ar) or helium (He) inert gases, it needs to be compatible with dry N2 using an existing nitrogen generator in the Optical Constants Facility laboratory in room 237 of N245.

- To further ensure that the samples will be protected from exposure to air and contamination, the glove box needs to use a dry scroll vacuum pump and be equipped with H2O, O2, and carbon dioxide (CO2) analyzers/sensors.

- to accommodate samples of different sizes, the glove box needs to include two antechambers:

a standard main antechamber (390 mm x 600 mm), and a small antechamber (150 mm x 400 mm) for transferring small samples while limiting the air entering the chamber at the time of transfer.

- the glove box needs to include shelves to facilitate the storage of our different samples.

- The glove box should be equipped with a light system and electrical feedthrough to be potentially used in the future to place an analytical instrument inside the glove box.

- the glovebox needs to be a UL61010 certified standard product, which is a standard for laboratory electrical codes and safety certification.

- The glove box shall also be equipped with an ECO-Mode function which allows to reduce the power consumption of the system by up to 90% and minimize the noise level in the laboratory.

We have conducted a market research and compared three different glovebox manufacturers:

MBRAUN, INERT, and JACOMEX. The MBRAUN Labstar Pro SP glove box with the features mentioned above meets our criteria and is $20,000 cheaper than the equivalent INERT glove box.

Most importantly the MBRAUN glove box has a much shorter lead time than the INERT glove box. As for JACOMEX, the glove box that corresponds to our needs is not sold in North America.

3. Place of Performance

NASA Ames Research Center Building N245, Room 237

4. Period of Performance

Glove box needed by 12/01/2024

Independent Government Cost Estimate: We estimate this purchase to cost approximately $60,303.25, based on a quote (attached) we have received from MBRAUN vendor.

NASA Technical POC: Ella Sciamma-O’Brien Telephone: 408-431-2481 Email: ella.m.sciammaobrien@nasa.gov