Delivery of prototype puncture valve

NASA's National Spacecraft Integration and Support Center (NSSC) has issued a Special Notice for the delivery of a prototype puncture valve, specifically targeting small businesses. The opportunity, identified by contract ID 80NSSC890442Q, is associated with the Venus Mass Spectrometer (VMS) Instrument Project on the DAVINCI mission. The contract involves manufacturing a specialized Puncture Disk Microvalve designed to operate in extreme Venus atmospheric conditions. The notice was posted on December 9, 2024, with a response deadline of December 12, 2024. The procurement will be conducted using commercial item procedures under FAR Parts 12 and 13, with work to be performed at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.

The primary objective is to acquire a highly specialized valve for atmospheric entry research, with stringent technical requirements including leak rates less than 1x10-10 atm-cc/sec, operational temperatures up to 140C, and ability to withstand Venus' atmospheric pressures around 90 atmospheres. Eligible contractors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) and classified under NAICS code 332919 for metal valve manufacturing. Interested small businesses are invited to submit written capabilities and qualifications by 4:00 p.m. Central Standard Time on the due date. The valve must meet specific performance criteria, such as sub-5 millisecond actuation time, temperature survival range from -55C to +210C, and a total mass under 25 grams. Contractors must be prepared to deliver the prototype within two weeks after receipt of order, and the notice indicates the government may consider competitive procurement based on received submissions.