Animal Care Facility for NASA Astronaut Basic Skills Training

NASA's Shared Services Center has published a Special Notice for an Animal Care Facility to support astronaut basic animal skills training in connection with the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Mouse Habitat Unit-10 Mission. The notice indicates NASA's intent to award a sole source contract to K2 Biolabs, Inc. in Houston, Texas, under the authority of FAR 13.106-1(b)(1)(i), having determined they are the sole provider of this specialized service. The procurement will be conducted under commercial items and services regulations (FAR Parts 12 and 13) and falls under NAICS code 541690. The contract will support training activities at NASA Johnson Space Center, with NASA/NSSC serving as the procuring center. The opportunity was posted on August 14, 2025, with responses due by August 19, 2025.

The purpose of this procurement is to secure a Public Health Service assured and AALAC accredited animal care facility within 40 miles of Johnson Space Center to provide comprehensive mouse handling and research training for astronauts. The training program encompasses one setup day and 14 half-day sessions scheduled through October 2025, covering critical procedures including intraperitoneal injection, anesthesia monitoring, blood collection, euthanasia, and cervical dislocation techniques. Interested organizations may submit their capabilities and qualifications in writing to the primary contact by 1 p.m. Central Standard Time on August 19, 2025, though oral communications are not acceptable. NASA will evaluate these submissions to determine whether the procurement should be conducted competitively, with the final decision resting solely with the government. The facility must be capable of procuring and managing laboratory mice, providing specific medications, and supplying necessary equipment under NASA veterinarian supervision for training up to eight crewmembers total.