high altitude, long duration UAS flight services over wildland fires

NASA's Shared Services Center is seeking a contractor to provide high altitude, long duration unmanned aerial system (UAS) flight services over wildland fires for the Earth Sciences Division FireSense Project. The contractor must provide an uncrewed system capable of detection and data collection at altitudes between 12,000-18,000 feet, with aircraft weight ranging from 5-25 pounds. The selected contractor will be responsible for providing the aircraft, qualified personnel, materials, equipment, and documentation necessary to support scientific data collection flights over wildland areas within the continental United States. The government will use a lowest price technically acceptable (LPTA) evaluation approach to select the winning proposal. Quotes must be submitted by August 18, 2025, at 12:00 p.m. CT to Sara Jusino-Terry, and all offerors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM).

This solicitation is set aside for small businesses under NAICS code 336411 (Aircraft Manufacturing). The contract requires approximately 96 hours of total flight time to be performed between February 2026 and April 2026. The contractor will be responsible for engineering and aircraft modifications, instrument integration, meeting FAA airworthiness standards, and providing detailed flight and scientific data including GPS information. Performance will occur over wildland areas within the continental United States where the contractor will collect various atmospheric and environmental data parameters. The solicitation does not identify any incumbent contractors or provide specific award value ranges, though the scope suggests a specialized scientific data collection mission requiring significant technical capabilities and regulatory compliance.