Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)/George C. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has a requirement for continued support for the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) Mission. As a result of the 2025 Astrophysics Senior Review of Operating Missions,  NASA Science Mission Directorate Astrophysics Division has provided budgetary guidance to MSFC to extend the IXPE mission and Phase E science operation contracts through FY28. The review of operating missions is NASA’s highest form of peer review, as the subject is not a single science investigation, or even a single space mission, but rather a portfolio of operating missions.

NASA/MSFC intends to procure continued uninterrupted support for an additional three years on a sole-source basis under the current BAE Systems Space & Mission Systems, Inc. contract.  The IXPE contract was initially awarded as a result of NASA Headquarters Announcement of Opportunity (AO) NNH14ZDA0130, Astrophysics Explorers Program 2014 Small Explorer and is managed by MSFC under the NASA Headquarters Science Mission Directorate.

The scope of work covered under the BAE System contract includes, but is not limited to providing the personnel, materials, hardware, software and services needed to operate and maintain the IXPE observatory for Phase E science operations through decommissioning.  This includes observatory commanding, health and safety monitoring, mission planning, sustained spacecraft engineering support, flight software maintenance, and anomaly resolution.  The IXPE mission operations center also provides the interface to the MSFC Science Operations Center and delivers stored science data and relevant spacecraft housekeeping data obtained from the S-band real-time and playback telemetry.

This synopsis is provided for informational purposes only. The Government does not intend to acquire a commercial product or commercial service using FAR Part 12. NASA/MSFC intends to procure theses services under the authority of 10 U.S.C. 2304 (c)(1) and FAR 6.302-1, “Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Service Will Satisfy Agency Requirements.” In accordance with FAR 6.302-1(a)(2)(iii)(A), services may be deemed to be available only from the original source for the continued provision of highly specialized services when it is likely that award to any other source would result in substantial duplication of cost to the Government that is not expected to be recovered through competition and unacceptable delays in fulfilling the agency’s requirements.

Interested organizations may submit their capabilities and qualifications to perform the effort electronically via email to Iris R. Walter at iris.r.walter@nasa.gov not later than five o’clock Central Time on Thursday, August 7, 2025. Such capabilities/qualifications will be evaluated solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct this acquisition on a competitive basis. A determination by the Government not to compete this acquisition on a full and open competition basis, based upon responses to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the Government.

NASA Clause 1852.215-84, Ombudsman, is applicable. The Center Ombudsman for this acquisition can be found at : https://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/procurement/regs/Procurement-Ombuds-Comp-Advocate-Listing.pdf