NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 215, Greenbelt, MD 20771

H -- MECHANICAL TESTING OF THIN FILM MATERIALS SOL 545-31336-0001-929 DUE 092399 POC Maria D. Hutcheson, Contract Specialist for Simplified Acquisitions, Phone (301) 286-3723, Fax (301) 286-1720, Email maria.d.furr.1@gsfc.nasa.gov WEB: Click here for the latest information about this notice, http://nais.nasa.gov/EPS/GSFC/date.html#545-31336-0001-929. E-MAIL: Maria D. Hutcheson, maria.d.furr.1@gsfc.nasa.gov. NASA/GSFC plans to issue a Request for Quotation (RFQ) for mechanical testing of thin film materials. This procurement is being conducted under the Simplified Acquisition Procedures (SAP). NASA/GSFC intends to purchase the services from ILC Dover, Inc., of Frederica, DE. In support of the NGST Project, a test plan has been developed to identify candidate thin film materials for manufacturing a large, thin film, membrane sunshield to passively cook an 8-meter optical telescope assembly. This test plan includes simulating the environment that the films will experience during integration and testing, deployment, and during the NGST mission. The first phase of this testing requires determining the mechanical properties of candidate films, and simulation of ground handling, stowage and deployment of a large sunshield. ILC Dover has has developed the capabilities to perform this type of testing in support of a pathfinder mission for NGST called ISIS (Inflatable Systems in Space). ISIS is a scale model flightdemonstration of the NGST sunshield concept. It is necessary to simulate the ground handling, stowage, and deployment of a thin film sunshield accurately in selecting viable candidate materials for the NGST sunshield. Through the ISIS program, ILC Dover is the only company that has the necessary, existing equipment and expertise to simulate the environment that the thin films will experience up through deployment. ILC Dover is the only company capable of performing this task within the short time period required to meet NGST schedules. (Samples handled per simulated handling procedures are required by the end of CY99.) The space environment for thin film testing is already in place at ILC Dover, because initial thin film membrane testing has been performed for ISIS. To have another company perform this task would incur additional cost and time to the government, inhibiting the thin film test program from meeting NGST schedule requirements. The Government does not intend to acquire a commercial item using FARPart 12. See Note 26. Interested firms have 15 days from the publication of this synopsis to submit in writing to the identified point of contact, their qualifications/capabilities with respect to providing the services listed above. Such qualifications/capabilities will be used solely for the purpose of determining whether or not to conduct this procurement on a competitive basis. Responses received after the 15 days or without the required information will be considered nonresponsive to the synopsis and will not be considered. A determination by the Government to not compete this proposed effort on a full and open competitive basis, based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Oral communications ARE NOT acceptable in response to this notice. All responsible sources may submit an offer which shall be considered by the agency. An Ombudsman has been appointed. See Internet Note "B". Any referenced notes can be viewed at the following URL: http://genesis.gsfc.nasa.gov/nasanote.html Posted 09/02/99 (D-SN376085). (0245)

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