VDS Dampers (JOFOC) FINAL.pdf

Rev.:4/2023

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER (KSC)

JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

(JOFOC)

For Vehicle Damper System Hardware, 80KSC024Q0002

1. Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.303-2(b)(1) – Identification of the agency and the contracting activity, and specific identification of the document as a “Justification for other than full and open competition.”

This document is a justification for other than full and open competition prepared by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Kennedy Space Center (KSC).

The procuring agency is NASA and the contracting activity is KSC.

2. FAR 6.303-2(b)(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 to award a new Purchase Order to Taylor Devices for Dampers and Energy Absorbers for the Vehicle Damper System.

3. FAR 6.303-2(b)(3) – A description of the supplies or services required, to meet the

Agency’s needs (including the estimated value):

The purchase of eight dampers and eight energy absorbers, also known as buffers, as the primary mechanisms in the support of Mobile Launcher 2’s (ML-2) Vehicle Damper System (VDS). The VDS is a brand new umbilical design and is required for ML-2 specifically due to the additional height of Block 1B and eventual Block 2 Space Launch System (SLS) vehicle configurations. The VDS will provide dampening against wind and other movements during roll-out and pad-stay. The dampening system was previously integrated into the Vehicle Stabilizer on the Mobile Launcher 1 but is required to be separated out into its own umbilical arm due to the SLS Center of Gravity and attachment locations. The NASA VDS design requires dampers and energy absorbers capable of meeting exacting performance requirements which includes a combination of customized damper design services, fabrication of dampers, and component level testing to ensure performance specifications are met. Taylor Devices has a long standing history of use for similar components used across multiple Programs at KSC and is uniquely qualified to provide all three of the aforementioned services within one company. Four of the dampers and four of the energy absorbers will be maintained as critical spares for the program. The estimated value is $1,000,000.

4. FAR 6.303-2(b)(4) – An identification of the statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition:

The statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition is 10 U.S.C.

3204(a)(1), as implemented by FAR 6.302- 1. Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements.

5. FAR 6.303-2(b)(5) – A demonstration that the proposed contractor’s unique qualifications or the nature of the acquisition requires use of the authority cited:

The rationale supporting the use of 10 U.S.C. 3204(a)(1) is as described below.

Utilizing existing commercial off the shelf damper and energy absorber equipment is vital to achieving a highly reliable system and being able to meet the ML2 schedule. The initial Government design concept used flexible synthetic ropes attached to the vehicle at one end to a one way damping at the other. During testing, it was observed that the rope system could not provide the stiffness required to transmit the vehicle motion into the damper system.

Additionally catenary effects added unwanted slack in the system, which further delayed the damping response and ultimately a design that was deficient and needed a major concept change with limited schedule to implement. The rigid system concept was created to provide the same one-way damping characteristics as the rope system, but eliminate the stiffness and catenary effects, providing instantaneous damping to the vehicle. Accomplishing this required a highly customized damper to ensure correct damping in tension but low damping forces in compression. A commercial damper that has been manufactured and tested over time with known performance characteristics is ideal for ensuring a reliable system at low cost as the development expense and long duration has already been performed. Per the market research that was able to be conducted [see section 8 below] Taylor Devices was the only contractor capable of providing in house analysis, design, manufacturing, and testing support to meet the damper and buffer requirements specified. Taylor Devices additionally has a long-standing relationship as an industry partner developing aerospace related damping devices with a very high level of technical competence. The development time for large structural dampers of this size usually occurs during a lengthy design and component level test phase of three to twelve months on its own. Identification and qualification of a new supplier capable of designing and fabricating a new custom damper would take months of additional research time as well. This would then be followed by production fabrication of approximately six months and then additionally, required final integration and testing at KSC of two to three months. Additionally, the prospect of a new custom designed damper would invariably carry a much higher schedule risk than the identified Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) equipment which can start fabrication upon purchase order completion. Lastly, the Vehicle Damper Arm design and fabrication, being done at KSC, must be designed within strict space and weight restrictions of the existing VDS and must be done in parallel with the sole source procurement because of long lead times. Designing to the exact size, performance, and attachment requirements is the only way that this parallel development is made possible by using the Taylor Devices design plan and available parts of COTS Taylor Devices’ hardware. Utilizing Taylor Devices has the distinct benefit of having a direct vendor source, with existing hardware, that can be directly designed into the VDS design. This includes being provided with existing as tested component level data for on-going dynamic analyses. Also, the ability to request design support services and requests for information by the government on parallel design efforts. Assumptions on sizing and application have already been conducted, and the VDS structure and numerous analyses have already been undertaken to match Taylor Devices equipment and any changes to component hardware will require re-design and analysis efforts directly on critical path scheduled activities. Additional design services and project delays to accommodate or revise for differing vendors alone have the probability to increase the governments cost beyond the current sole source cost.

6. FAR 6.303-2(b)(6) – A description of the efforts made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as practicable, including whether a notice was or will be publicized as required by Subpart 5.2 and, if not, which exception under 5.202 applies:

A notice to the Government Point of Entry (GPE) website (SAM.Gov) was published on March 19, 2024, in accordance with FAR Subpart 5.2. This posting informed potential sources of NASA’s intent to award this sole-source purchase order to Taylor Devices. No responses were received from this synopsis.

7. FAR 6.303-2(b)(7) – A determination by the contracting officer that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable:

The Contracting Officer’s signature on this document indicates that the Contracting Officer has determined that the anticipated cost to the government will be fair and reasonable. The Contractor will be required to submit a quote that will be evaluated by the Government. Prior to execution of the purchase order, an analysis of the submitted quote will be performed. The analysis will ensure that the final agreed-to price for the purchase order is fair and reasonable. Historical fabrication costs for energy absorbers and dampers of differing sizes and complexity are available from previous procurements that allow for parametric cost estimates to develop the Independent Government Cost Estimates to allow a basis to arrive at a fair and reasonable cost to the Government.

8. FAR 6.303-2(b)(8) – Description of the market research conducted, and the results, or a statement of the reasons market research was not conducted:

During ML-1 development, several known damper manufacturers were directly consulted by NASA Engineering to understand their ability to perform custom design engineering, analysis, fabrication, and component level testing in the capacity range required. Companies that were directly consulted by NASA Engineering were EFDYNE, QA1, Phenix Automation, Taylor Devices, and Industrial Gas Spring Inc. which manufacture relevant components, but is obviously not an exhaustive list. After giving the requirements to these companies, three out of the five could not meet the requirements or were unresponsive.

EFDYNE and Taylor Devices were the only two left. EFDYNE was not able to provide analysis, testing support, or compressive damping forces, and would have posed a high risk to meeting the vehicle requirements. From these meetings, the team heard varying responses of either incapability to provide the custom design or the unwillingness to design, fabricate, and execute 3rd party testing for a limited quantity. Expertise in providing an end to end solution does not appear to be readily available in industry without a serial process involving multiple entities (i.e. an engineering firm to design the damper and provide preliminary analysis, followed by damper fabrication by separate entity, followed by 3rd party testing to verify analysis all prior to final delivery); this serial nature of non-vertically oriented companies results in multiple contract actions and significant schedule extension to fabricate test and deliver the components compared to an integrated in-house design-build-test entity such as Taylor Devices. This market research had to be conducted expeditiously as a vehicle requirement change in stiffness dictated changing from a rope-based tension element device to a rigid structure and mounting of large dampers directly on a truss section.

In addition to the notices posted to the GPE as outlined in sections 5, on March 19, 2024, additional market research was performed as described below:

• Reviewed systems such as the Small Business Administration Dynamic – Small Business

Search for small businesses that could provide VDS hardware. No sources were found that had the capability to meet the requirement.

• Reviewed SAM.gov for recent awards of similar hardware and did not find any additional sources.

The market research did not reveal any additional potential sources capable of supporting NASA’s requirements.

9. FAR 6.303-2(b)(9) – Any other facts supporting the use of other than full and open competition:

None

10. FAR 6.303-2(b)(10) – A listing of the sources, if any, that expressed an interest in writing in the acquisition:

None

11. FAR 6.303-2(b)(11) – A statement of 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:

The Agency continually attempts to overcome barriers to competition by surveying the market to determine if new sources are available that are capable of meeting requirements, and by re-evaluating existing requirements to determine if modifications can be made that will increase competition.

Vehicle Damper System Hardware,80KSC024R00Q0002

JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

SIGNATURE PAGE

Technical Representative: I certify that the facts presented in this justification are accurate and complete.

Kevin Miller Technical Representative

Contracting Officer: I hereby certify that the above justification is complete and accurate to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Timothy Freeland Contracting Officer

CONCURRENCE:

Brooke Robison on behalf of Procurement Officer

APPROVED:

Edwin Martinez Competition Advocate Kennedy Space Center

Rev.:4/2023

Kevin Miller Digitally signed by Kevin Miller Date: 2024.05.02 07:55:56 -04'00'

Timothy Freeland Digitally signed by Timothy Freeland Date: 2024.05.02 08:59:29 -04'00'