Tugboat Services and Support, Vessel Technical Assessment, and Shipyard Maintenance, Operations, and Support
Open Pre-Solicitation Posted
- Solicitation number
- 80MSFC-Pegasus-2026
- Agency
-
Marshall Space Flight Center
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- Responses due
- Set-aside
- No set-aside
Opportunity facts
- NAICS code
- 488330 Navigational Services to Shipping
- Place of performance
- Alabama 35812, United States
- Points of contact
Notice details come from SAM.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
NASA Marshall Space Flight Center is issuing a Request for Information on tugboat services, vessel technical assessment, and shipyard maintenance for the NASA Barge Pegasus, with responses due October 30, 2026. This is market research only, issued under FAR Part 10 and Executive Order 14271; it does not constitute an RFP or commitment to procure, and responding confers no advantage in future competition.
NASA seeks information on four service categories: tugboat towing services with onboard support labor; day-to-day technical maintenance of the 310-foot, 1,457-ton barge; comprehensive vessel technical assessment; and shipyard maintenance and upgrades. The barge transits among Michoud Assembly Facility, Marshall Space Flight Center, Stennis Space Center, and Kennedy Space Flight Center at an estimated frequency of 4–5 tows annually, ranging from 12 hours to several weeks per transit, with crew of 4–5 personnel plus NASA representation. Technical maintenance must comply with American Bureau of Shipping, USCG, MARPOL, and SOLAS standards and includes propulsion, steering, electrical, hydraulic, ballast, and navigation system inspection and preventive maintenance. The technical assessment requires vessel condition evaluation, lifecycle status, regulatory compliance review, material condition inspection using non-destructive testing, software system evaluation, and modernization recommendations in a prioritized Technical Assessment Report. Shipyard work encompasses scheduled dry-docking, system overhauls, hull and structural inspections, reinforcement, deck modifications, and cargo-handling upgrades, coordinated to minimize downtime against mission timelines.
Respondents may address any or all service components and may highlight partnering arrangements. Responses must include company overview with relevant certifications, technical capabilities, operational plan, rough order of magnitude cost estimates with pricing structure and fuel/pilotage factors, and risk management and safety protocols. Submissions are limited to 15 pages in PDF format, directed to steven.s.shaw@nasa.gov and arlan.cochran@nasa.gov. All response costs are borne by the respondent.
Notice text
This notice is a Request for Information (RFI) only. This RFI is issued by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for information and planning purposes, pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 10, Market Research. It does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue an RFP in the future. Participants are advised that the Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs that result from responding to this RFI; all costs associated with responding to this RFI will be at the interested party’s expense. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future RFP, if any is issued.
Pursuant to Executive Order (EO) 14271, Ensuring Commercial Cost-Effective Solutions in Federal Contracts, the Chief Procurement Officer is committed to purchasing commercial items and performing robust market research to identify commercial products and services that meet the Government’s needs. To satisfy the requirements of EO 14271, this RFI seeks to determine whether a commercial solution is available as part of this requirement, or whether the required services must be provided non-commercially. Highly capable commercial and non-commercial domestic contractors with substantial facilities that possess the near-term capacity and capability are encouraged to respond. Information is sought regarding the following services: 1) Tug Services and Support Labor, 2) Technical support for day-to-day maintenance of the NASA Barge Pegasus, 3) Technical assessment and 4) Shipyard maintenance. Interested respondents may provide information on any or all parts of this RFI; the Government is not limiting this market research to entities who possess the capacity and capability to accomplish all parts of this work. Interested respondents may also highlight any partnering arrangements, for example a shipyard with technical capabilities that has an existing partnership with marine towing companies.
See attachment titled: "Requested Information NASA Barge Pegasus" for details.
Files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| Requested Information NASA Barge Pegasus.pdf |
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