SATPC0042494 Tab 06 RDSS..pdf
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- Attached to
- Replacement Parts for Sciaky EB Welder Federal contract opportunity
- Solicitation number
- 80NSSC26942075Q
About this file
This is a Sole Source Justification and Determination document submitted by NASA's Shared Services Center for procurement of spare and replacement parts and consumables for a Sciaky electron beam welder located at Langley Research Center (LaRC). The document, dated August 10, 2026, recommends sole source negotiation with Sciaky, Inc., the original equipment manufacturer and designer of the welder, with an estimated delivery/lead-time of December 15, 2026.
The justification is based on the critical nature of the equipment to the Artemis III, IV, and V mission spacesuits fabrication program. LaRC is NASA's only center equipped with an electron beam welder, which performs a key step in astronaut spacesuit production. The 25-year-old equipment requires replacement parts with extended lead times, and competition is deemed impractical due to the age of the equipment, limited production numbers, and the original manufacturer's exclusive knowledge of the machine's specifications. Prior experience with replacement parts from alternative vendors demonstrated inferior performance compared to original equipment manufacturer parts. The government identified significant schedule, cost, and quality risks if alternative vendors are used, including potential delays that could jeopardize the demanding Artemis mission timeline and risk weld qualification compliance. The technical user approved the recommendation on August 10, 2026.
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Other files for this federal contract opportunity
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| SATPC0042494 Tab 07 Capability Statement.pdf | ||
| SATPC0042494 Tab 04 4 SOW..pdf |
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Text version
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 Sciaky, Inc. (Sciaky) only for spare/replacement parts and consumables for our Sciaky electron beam welder. The total estimated cost of this effort is and the estimated period of performance or lead-time for delivery is December
15,2026.
OR
Brand Name Justification:
☐I recommend that NASA, NASA Shared Services Center negotiate with only with vendors who can provide the subject band name from Manufacture Name for Enter Supply or Service to be procured. The total estimated cost of this effort is Enter Dollar amount and the estimated period of performance or lead-time for delivery is Date.
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.
Sciaky, Inc. originally designed, built, delivered and installed this hardware
LaRC is currently using this hardware to weld components for the astronaut spacesuits for Artemis III, IV and V. Due to the tight schedule for these missions, it is important to keep our electron beam welder operational and to have spare parts on hand
(since some have a longer lead time to fabricate). Our electron beam welder is 25 years old, so these replacement parts are critical for maintaining our welder in an operational status. Replacement parts are difficult to obtain for our Sciaky electron beam welder due to the age and limited production numbers of the welder. For these reasons, the Government’s interest would be best served by soliciting a bid only from the original manufacturer.
2. What is the impact to the government if another vendor/brand is used? Include any dollar, schedule, or compatibility impacts if possible.
These spare replacement parts are needed to support a complex, multi-center, manned spaceflight hardware project with a challenging schedule and demanding precision and quality requirements.
Langley is the only center with an electron beam welder, which is a key step in the fabrication process for the astronaut spacesuits planned for use on the Artemis III, IV and V missions. The potential impacts if other vendors are used include schedule delays due to unfamiliarity with our specific machine, increased project costs due to schedule delays, and deleterious performance impacts on the equipment
(putting the resulting welds at risk for not meeting weld qualifications).
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:
Page 2 V2.0 3-15-2017
Due to the complexity and age of NASA’s Sciaky electron beam welder and the short timeline, it is recommended that the Government only negotiate with Sciaky, Inc. for these spare replacement parts.
Subsequent to the initial purchase, replacement parts fabricated by other vendors have not performed as well as those fabricated by the original equipment manufacturer (Sciaky).
8/10/2026
Technical User Name Date
Title
Office
File details come from the government source that posted it. Updated .