Plasma Ion Source for Space Instrument Prototyping in a High Vacuum Chamber

NASA's National Aeronautics and Space Administration Shared Services Center has issued a Special Notice announcing its intent to award a sole source contract to Telemark for a Variable-Energy Ion Source to be integrated into the Space Instruments Development Lab space-simulation chamber at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. The procurement is set aside for total small business participation and falls under NAICS code 334516 for Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing. NASA has determined that Telemark is the sole provider capable of supplying this specialized plasma ion source equipment. The agency is required to conduct this market research under FAR 13.106-1(b)(1)(i) before proceeding with the sole source award. The contract will utilize commercial items and services provisions under FAR Parts 12 and 13.

The primary objective of this Special Notice is to provide other qualified organizations an opportunity to demonstrate their capabilities and potentially challenge NASA's sole source determination. Interested contractors must submit their capabilities and qualifications in writing by 4:00 p.m. Central Standard Time on June 27, 2025, with oral communications not being acceptable. The required ion source must meet stringent technical specifications including an ion energy range of 10 eV to 1 keV, beam current capabilities from 1 μA to 0.1 mA, and operation in high vacuum conditions down to 1×10⁻⁵ Torr. NASA will evaluate submissions solely to determine whether the procurement should be conducted competitively, retaining full discretion over the final acquisition approach. The equipment must be delivered by August 15, 2025, to support long-term measurements of science-grade ion sensors under various space environment simulation conditions including Low Earth Orbit, Solar Wind, and lunar surface environments.