SOLICITATION NOTICE
A -- SPACE LAUNCH SYSTEM STAGES ACQUISITION
- Notice Date
- 9/28/2011
- Notice Type
- Presolicitation
- NAICS
- 336415
— Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Propulsion Unit and Propulsion Unit Parts Manufacturing
- Contracting Office
- NASA/George C. Marshall Space Flight Center, Procurement Office, Marshall SpaceFlight Center, AL 35812
- ZIP Code
- 35812
- Solicitation Number
- NNM07AB03C-SLS
- Response Due
- 10/13/2011
- Archive Date
- 9/28/2012
- Point of Contact
- Daniel J Roets, Contracting Officer, Phone 256-544-3487, Fax 256-544-4400, Email Daniel.J.Roets@nasa.gov - Anita J. Ayers, Contracting Officer, Phone 256-544-9041, Fax 256-544-1402, Email anita.j.ayers@nasa.gov
- E-Mail Address
-
Daniel J Roets
(Daniel.J.Roets@nasa.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- NASA /Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has a requirement for large cryogenicStages (Core Stage and Upper Stage) that are part of the Space Launch System (SLS) thatwill be capable of lifting 70 to 130 metric tons payload to a Low Earth Orbit (LEO). Thiseffort is for the Design, Development, Test, and Evaluation (DDT&E), including the Stagehardware, the activities, and the operations required for early missions of the SLS. The NASA Authorization Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-267, October 11, 2010) directed the Agencyto develop, as rapidly as possible, replacement vehicles capable of providing both humanand cargo launch capability to destinations beyond low-Earth orbit. In developing theSLS, the Act directed the Administrator to utilize to the extent practicable existingcontracts, investments, workforce, industrial base, and capabilities from the SpaceShuttle Program (SSP), Orion, and Ares I projects. This includes SSP-derived componentsand Ares components that draw extensively on SSP heritage propulsion systems, includingliquid fuel engines, cryogenic stages, and solid rocket motors. As a result, the Agencywill initiate the development of the SLS with SSP and Ares derived assets. To meet this objective NASA has selected a launch vehicle architecture that includes alarge cryogenic (LOX/LH2) Core Stage, an Upper Stage when needed for higher performancemissions, high thrust Boosters (initially, using those developed for the Ares I vehicle)for liftoff thrust, using either 3, 4, or 5 RS-25 engines on Core Stage, and using 1, 2,or 3 J-2X engines on Upper Stage. While the launch vehicle configuration will changebased upon mission needs for lift performance, the basic design of the Stages will be thesame for all missions, with the only change being how many engines will be mounted in theMain Propulsion System of the Core Stage (or Upper Stage) for a given mission. The Stageswill share common attributes, such as outer diameter, material, subsystem components, andtooling between the stages to ensure an affordable design and capitalize upon synergiesin those designs. This approach meets budget and schedule constraints targeting a firstflight in December 2017. The payload will be the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV);therefore, the SLS launch vehicle will be designed as human-rated for the first and allsubsequent flights. Since the first launch uses existing assets (including assets alreadyfar along in development) for the remaining major SLS elements, the Core Stage definesthe critical path to first launch as the only element requiring a full development cycle.The Core Stage delivery date is required in late 2016 to support a December 2017 flightdate. The Ares I Upper Stage Production Contract is the only means to meet SLS milestoneschedules and avoid substantial duplication of cost. The Ares I Upper Stage has the samefunctionality as the SLS Core and Upper Stage elements, and much of the Ares I DDT&Eespecially at the component level is applicable to SLS requirements. If the Stages were competed, the critical path to first launch would be delayed 18 months(no earlier than June 2019) due to the competitive acquisition duration along with alonger development cycle from authority to proceed (ATP) to preliminary design review(PDR). The longer duration to PDR results from the need to define and decompose elementrequirements, determine subsystem architectures, decompose and define componentrequirements, bring component vendors on board and/or finalize vendor contracts, anddevelop a preliminary design sufficient to commit to long lead procurements. It is vitalto the overall critical path schedule to keep the duration to PDR as short as possible toallow long lead procurements and tooling fabrication to begin and end at the right times.This cumulative delay in an open competition scenario leads to a launch slip of 18months, resulting in significant increase in cost to first flight. Conversely, by utilizing The Boeing Company (Boeing), ATP can be accelerated, as well asthe time between ATP and PDR shortened, as a result of the similarities and progress sofar on the Ares I Upper Stage. By utilizing the Ares I Upper Stage contract, costduplication would be avoided by using Ares I Upper Stage existing component designs aswell as using the existing vendor suite and capitalizing on work in the subsystems thatwould be needed for the SLS Core Stage. A portion of the manufacturing development for a large cryogenic stage that Boeing hasundertaken on Ares I would be utilized for additional cost duplication avoidance. Much ofthe Ares I Upper Stage hardware and processes (production tooling, welding techniquedevelopment and validation, Thermal Protection System (TPS) application, manufacturing,and product breakdown structure development) are already in place and are applicable tothe larger diameter SLS vehicle. Many cryogenic stage components developed for the Ares IUpper Stage have been matured to the detailed design phase and can be used on SLS eitheras-is or with slight modification. In addition, significant effort has been undertaken toestablish an Ares I Upper Stage supply chain that can be utilized for the SLS MainPropulsion System (MPS), which is on the Core Stage critical path. Given manufacturingdevelopment work completed so far and the fact that Boeing has established a supply chainunder the Ares I Upper Stage contract, especially for the MPS development, there will becost avoidance on SLS by eliminating cost duplication that would be incurred should thiscontract be competed. As a result, the SLS Program Office intends to modify the existing Ares I Upper Stagecontract with Boeing. NASA will establish a new baseline to meet the explorationmissions, consisting of an SLS Core and Upper Stage that will include common designfeatures and be produced with common tooling, procedures, and techniques to obtain Coreand Upper Stage synergies. The anticipated period of performance is from the date of contract modification throughDecember 31, 2021. The statutory authority permitting other than full and opencompetition is 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1), as implemented by FAR 6.302-1, Only one responsiblesource and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. Competing theSLS Core and Upper Stages would result in unacceptable delays in fulfilling the Agencysrequirements and substantial duplication of cost to the Government that is not expectedto be recovered through competition. The Government does not intend to acquire a commercial item using FAR Part 12. All responsible sources may submit a capability statement, proposal, or quotation, whichshall be considered by the Agency. Organizations may submit their capabilities andqualifications to perform the effort in writing to the identified point of contact notlater than 4:00 p.m. local time on October 13, 2011. Such capabilities/qualificationswill be evaluated solely for the purpose of determining whether or not to conduct thisprocurement on a competitive basis. A determination by the Government not to compete thisproposed effort on a full and open competition basis, based upon responses to thisnotice, is solely within the discretion of the Government. Oral communications are not acceptable in response to this notice. NASA Clause 1852.215-84, Ombudsman, is applicable. The installation Ombudsman is Robin N.Henderson, e-mail:robin.n.henderson@nasa.gov; telephone: (256)544-1919; address: NASA -George C. Marshall Space Flight Center, Mail Code DE01, Building 4200, Room 918A,Marshall Space Flight Center, AL 35812.
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