Chamber Services for decompression sickness testing of exercise countermeasures.

NASA's Shared Services Center is soliciting chamber services for decompression sickness (DCS) testing of exercise countermeasures to support the development of the Aerospace Estimation Tool for Hypobaric Exposure Risk (AETHER). The procurement requires a contractor to conduct hypobaric chamber tests with six subjects across three test conditions involving a 6-hour prebreathe protocol followed by a 6-hour extravehicular activity (EVA) simulation at 100% oxygen with specialized hardware integration. Key qualifications include prior completion of NASA-funded pilot and proficiency protocols, capability to provide appropriate medical support and monitoring, ability to conduct 2-D ultrasound and Doppler measurements, and proven experience executing EVA simulations with eight workstations rotating every 5 minutes to simulate various tasks including ambulation and upper body work. The government will award to the lowest-priced technically acceptable (LPTA) offeror whose quote demonstrates satisfactory capability to meet all stated requirements, with technically unacceptable quotes being removed from consideration. Quotations are due by January 29, 2026, at 7:00 a.m. Central Time, and vendors must reference tracking number 80NSSC26920179Q-1 in their email submission to Shanna Patterson; all quotations remain valid for 30 days unless otherwise stated.

This solicitation is set aside for small business concerns with a NAICS code of 621511 (Medical Laboratories). The Statement of Work indicates that NASA may conduct tests with subjects across three test conditions within a one-year period, with test days separated by at least 72 hours, and requires delivery of comprehensive electronic records within 14 days of each test run. The contract is structured as a firm fixed-price award with a total price to be determined (TBD), though the documents reference potential for incremental milestone payments. Performance will take place at the contractor's hypobaric/altitude chamber facility rather than at a NASA location, with no radius requirements specified from the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas; NASA personnel will attend or observe as needed. Travel costs for NASA personnel and contractors will be covered by NASA, though any test subject travel costs should be included in the firm-fixed-price quote.