UKIRT Debris Observation Support Services

The Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center, Norfolk is seeking United Kingdom Infra-Red Telescope (UKIRT) data analytic support services to assist the United States Naval Observatory (USNO) in space debris studies, with primary focus on debris in Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO). The contractor will be responsible for five key tasks: organizing UKIRT data collection campaigns, processing UKIRT data using existing and new routines, interpreting results through collaboration with USNO personnel, preparing publications and presentations for the space debris research community, and processing archived UKIRT debris data collected since 2016. The government intends to award this as a sole-source firm fixed-price contract to the University of Arizona under FAR 13.501(a)(1)(ii) authority. The solicitation operates under NAICS code 541990 with a small business size standard of $19.5 million. The current response deadline is September 11, 2025 at 2:00 PM EST, following multiple extensions from the original August 6, 2025 deadline.

This procurement has no set-aside designation and will be awarded solely to the University of Arizona as justified in the redacted sole source justification document. The contract period of performance runs from September 16, 2025 through September 15, 2026, providing one year of services. The work will be performed primarily at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona, with some on-site supervision and monitoring required in Hawaii where the UKIRT telescope is located on Mauna Kea. The contract structure includes two Contract Line Item Numbers: CLIN 0001 for 12 months of labor services and CLIN 0002 for other direct costs including travel and materials. USNO will provide funding and receive 50% of UKIRT's observing time allocation to support Celestial Reference Frame research as part of this arrangement.