SATPC0042385 Tab 06 BNJ..pdf

Page 1 V2.0 3-15-2017

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

NASA SHARED SERVICES CENTER

RECOMMENDATION AND DETERMINATION TO SOLICIT FROM ONE SOURCE

OR BRAND NAME

PICK ONE

Sole Source:

☐I recommend that NASA, NASA Shared Services Center negotiate with Vendor Name only for . The total estimated cost of this effort is $ and the estimated period of performance or lead-time for delivery is Date.

OR

Brand Name Justification:

☒I recommend that NASA, NASA Shared Services Center negotiate only with vendors who can provide the subject band name from Evident Scientific, Inc. for Vanta Core Handheld XRF Analyzer. The total estimated cost of this effort is and the estimated period of performance or lead-time for delivery is 30 Days ARO.

This recommendation is for the acquisition of supplies or services determined to be reasonably available from only one source/only one manufacture. Competition is impractical for the following reasons (please answer the questions below):

1. What are the reasons for soliciting only the suggested source/suggested brand name? Please provide the unique characteristics of the items or services along with the supporting rationale and the market research performed to substantiate your reason for the suggested source/brand name.

The Evident Vanta Core V2CA handheld XRF analyzer is the only instrument that meets NASA's technical and programmatic requirements for this effort. NASA and its commercial partners are using this exact model to develop and validate a lunar dust loading measurement capability, making an identical instrument essential to ensure data consistency, measurement fidelity, and direct comparability across the coordinated test campaign. The Vanta Core V2CA uniquely supports the required analytical capabilities, including multi-beam Compton-normalized soil analysis, multi-layer coating thickness measurements, and broad elemental analysis. The existing lunar dust calibration and analytical workflow has been validated specifically for this configuration, and no alternative handheld XRF system provides equivalent calibration, analytical capability, or compatibility with the established NASA Johnson Space Center methodology. Market research confirmed that no other handheld XRF analyzer offers the required combination of calibration compatibility, analytical functionality, and hardware equivalency needed to maintain consistent, directly comparable results across NASA and partner organizations. Procuring an identical unit will also increase testing throughput by enabling parallel measurements without recalibration or instrument reconfiguration.

2. What is the impact to the government if another vendor/brand is used? Include any dollar, schedule, or compatibility impacts if possible.

Use of a handheld XRF analyzer other than the Evident Vanta Core V2CA would produce data that is not directly comparable with existing NASA datasets due to differences in X-ray source configuration, detector technology, calibration algorithms, and elemental analysis methods. As a result, the instrument would not be compatible with the validated dust loading measurement methodology developed at NASA Johnson Space Center, requiring redevelopment and revalidation of analytical workflows before meaningful comparisons could be made.The resulting impacts would include schedule delays, increased costs for recalibration and repeat testing, reduced testing efficiency, and disruption of data continuity across NASA and partner organizations. These impacts would increase technical and programmatic risk,