Justification for Other than Full and Open Competition: HelioSwarm Medium-Class Explorers Mission (Contract 80ARC027C0002)
Awarded Limited / Sole Source Justification Posted
- Solicitation number
- 80ARC027C0002
- Agency
-
Ames Research Center
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- Set-aside
- No set-aside
Opportunity facts
- Contract number
- 80ARC027C0002 Federal contract award
- Awardee
- Southwest Research Institute
- NAICS code
- 541715 Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology)
- PSC
- AR13 Space R&D Services; Space Flight, Research And Supporting Activities; Experimental Development
- Place of performance
- San Antonio, Texas 78238, United States
- Points of contact
Notice details come from SAM.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
NASA Ames Research Center has awarded Contract 80ARC027C0002 to Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) on a sole-source basis under a limited sources justification for the HelioSwarm (HS) Medium-Class Explorers (MIDEX) mission, with an award date of October 29, 2026. No set-aside was used.
The justification cites 10 U.S.C. 2304(a)(1), "Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements." The notice states that SwRI is the only responsible source that can continue to meet vital HS requirements and that the action directly supports mission objectives already selected and funded by NASA headquarters. The attached justification file describes the action as transitioning management of Phases C through F to SwRI as prime contractor while maintaining core technical responsibilities of existing partners, including the University of New Hampshire. That file references contract 80ARC026C0001 for these phases. A synopsis published on SAM.gov February 3, 2026, closing February 18, 2026, drew no expressions of interest. The contract will be Cost Plus Fixed Fee, with price determined fair and reasonable through proposal analysis, comparison to the Independent Government Cost Estimate, historical costs, and Forward Pricing Rate Agreements or Recommendations from DCMA.
The period of performance is November 1, 2026 through April 30, 2027. The notice is classified under NAICS 541715 and PSC AR13.
Notice text
This notice provides the Justification for Other Than Full and Open Competition (JOFOC) supporting the sole-source award for HelioSwarm (HS) Medium-Class Explorers (MIDEX) mission. This mission is a transformative mission designed to explore the three-dimensional, dynamic mechanisms controlling the physics of plasma turbulence, a ubiquitous process occurring throughout the heliosphere and the plasma universe at large. The required period of performance is November 1, 2026 through April 30, 2027.
NASA/ARC has awarded Contract 80ARC027C0002 to Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) under the authority of 10 U.S.C. 2304(a)(1), “Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements.” SwRI is the only responsible source capable of performing the requirements of this action because SwRI is the only responsible source that can continue to meet vital HS requirements and this procurement directly supports achieving mission objectives already selected and funded by NASA HQ.
Awarded contract 80ARC027C0002 to unknown vendor for unknown amount on 2026-10-29.
Files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| 80ARC026C0001 HS Mission Redacted JOFOC.pdf |
Notice history
| Notice | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| This notice | Limited / Sole Source Justification | |
| HelioSwarm Medium-Class Explorers Mission Contract | Award Notice |
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