Study contract for fluid quick disconnectors

NASA Shared Services Center is soliciting study contract services for the development of a Gateway Quick Disconnect (GQDC) fluid coupler design to support extravehicular activities and robotic servicing missions on the Gateway space station. The procurement seeks engineering services from vendors with recent experience in designing and manufacturing fluid transfer couplers or quick disconnects, with the primary objective of advancing GQDC design while reducing mass compared to existing International Space Station designs. Offerors must develop a conceptual design incorporating three flow passages and meeting stringent technical specifications for temperature ranges, leakage rates, pressure specifications, and fluid compatibility. The government will evaluate quotations using a lowest price technically acceptable (LPTA) methodology, awarding the contract to the responsible offeror whose offer meets all solicitation requirements at the lowest price. The quote submission deadline is December 11, 2025, with responses to be submitted to Cara Craft at cara.s.craft@nasa.gov.

This solicitation is designated as a Total Small Business set-aside, restricting competition to small business concerns. No incumbent contractor or current contract holder is identified in the available documentation. The contract includes a 6-month period of performance with anticipated hardware quantities spanning multiple delivery dates between 2025 and 2033, including 2 flight module pairs, 3 active spares, 3 ground support equipment sets, and 2 engineering model pairs for both initial and future Gateway modules. Key deliverables include a project kickoff meeting, a GQDC Design Approach Report, and an Assessment of GQDC Production Plan, with monthly project updates required throughout the performance period. The place of performance is Houston, Texas 77058, and while the study contract does not guarantee future flight hardware procurement selection, it is intended to provide critical insights to inform NASA's subsequent decision-making and design procurement processes.