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National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has a requirement to design, develop, test, and evaluate the first and second solid rocket motor stages with th... National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has a requirement to design, develop, test, and evaluate the first and second solid rocket motor stages with their respective Thrust Vector Control (TVC) systems. This requirement will also include the procurement of 10 each first and second stage solid rocket motors with their respective TVC systems to be delivered for the Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV). NASA/MSFC intends to procure the Mars Ascent Propulsion System (MAPS) requirement from Northrup Grumman Innovation Systems (NGIS) on a sole source basis. MSFC provides propulsion support and products for space flight missions. NASA has tasked MSFC with producing the MAV, which includes solid rocket propulsion. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is developing a payload for MAV as a part of the potential Mars Sample Return program. The MAV will be a two-stage vehicle requiring a stage 1 and potentially a stage 2 solid rocket motor of different designs. Both motors might require a TVC system. Mars environments will be a significant factor. This new procurement includes responsibility for design, development, manufacture, testing and qualification of up to two different solid rocket motors with multiple deliveries of each. For each stage solid rocket motor there will be 3 demonstration tests, 3 qualification tests, 1 flight test, 1 flight, 1 spare and 1 inert engineering unit (10 each). Logistic support such as ground support equipment and shipping will be included. The period of performance begins October 2020 until October 2025 for a total of 5 years. Key delivery dates are May 2023 for the engineering units, November 2023 for the flight test units, and January 2024 for the flight and spare units. These dates support scheduled assembly, integration, and test operations for the MAV system to meet the required MAV delivery of January 2026. Delivery of the MAV system supports a launch date of July 2026 for the Mars sample return lander, which will have the MAV aboard. This recommendation is made pursuant to the statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition of 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1), as implemented by FAR 6.302-1, “Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements.” The rationale supporting the use of 10 U.S.C. 2304(c) (1) is the use of a proprietary solid rocket propellant and unique capability for a specialized solid rocket nozzle joint design. Development of any alternative will not meet MAV schedule or budget constraints resulting in serious financial impacts to the overall potential MSR Campaign due to schedule slip beyond the current 2026 launch window. As part of potential MSR, the MAV is considered a high-risk subsystem. Success must be assured in every aspect possible. Two of MAV’s highest risk items are the propellant and the nozzle/TVC system. The vacuum of space transport, temperature extremes, Entry Descent and Landing (EDL) loads and operation temperatures are a challenge for most propellants. In 2018, MSFC performed an internal study that evaluated six NGIS and two of another vendor’s candidate propellants for the MAV system. The study concluded that two of the NGIS propellants were the best candidates for MAV due to their flight heritage binder Carboxyl-Terminated Polybutadiene (CTPB) and cold mechanical properties down to -54C (TP-H-3062 propellant). Other propellants were not considered acceptable candidates for the MAV system primarily due to their lack of flight heritage or the propellant would require development of 2 years or more. NGIS is the only solid propulsion supplier who participated in and has data from the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) and the effects of exposing several solid propellants to the harsh space environment for long periods of time (~5.7 years). Moreover, NGIS designed and built the solid rocket motor that endured space environments for more than fifteen months before successfully firing to place the Magellan Spacecraft in orbit about Venus. Central to this is a specific propellant formulation called TP-H-3062, a proprietary formulation belonging to NGIS. This propellant has endured space travel, high vacuum, low temperatures, and has flight heritage at Mars being used on three Mars landing missions. NGIS also has test data specific to MAV and the use of TP-H-3062 propellant. Testing was completed that studied the relationship of propellant web fractions at multiple temperatures. Testing occurred at temperatures as low as -78.9 C (-110 F) for both end burning and center perforated configurations. Development of a new propellant for this application is prohibitive. A candidate propellant at Technical Readiness Level (TRL) 6 (best alternative available based on Request for Information (RFI) and market research) would require a minimum of 2 years for qualification and still not have the flight heritage deemed necessary for this critical high-risk mission. A potential launch scenario for MAV would be to eject vertically from the lander in a horizontal position with the first stage motor ignited within a short interval at a predetermined time following the vertical ejection. In order to navigate the MAV safely away from the lander, this could require sudden, high nozzle vector rates on a motor that has been stored at -40C for up to a year. Ignition will occur at -20C creating an enhanced environment for the condensation of combustion products to make a typical TVC nozzle joint ineffective. The current nozzle concept accounts for cold temperatures and is novel in design employing a Super Sonic Split Line (SSSL). NGIS has an advanced state of the art flight-proven design (TRL 8) SSSL. NGIS’s experience for this nozzle technology includes the following. • Flight-proven tactical pulse motor nozzles for Multi-Mission Propulsion Technology (MMPT) • Test nozzles for Mk 103 dual pulse rocket motors • LM Multi-Object Kill Vehicle (MOKV) • Produced but untested nozzle for the Sierra Nevada Dream Chaser hybrid propulsion system (designed for multiple use in flight after months on-orbit) • Only domestic contractor to develop and successfully fly a SSSL nozzle design Development of a SSSL nozzle concept to TRL 8 by another contractor would not support mission cost and schedule limits. NGIS has experience that is directly applicable to MAV. They are a direct manufacturer of solid rocket motors, which alleviates the need for an integrator and reduces contract cost. NGIS has shown extensive understanding and capability to meet all aspects of the MAPS contract. They also possess a proprietary propellant formulation with sufficient relevant mission heritage. NGIS was the only source found that is the capable of providing a TVC system of appropriate TRL to meet program needs. Pursuant to FAR Subpart 5.2, this serves as this proposed contract action’s notice to the Government Point of Entry (GPE) website (beta.sam.gov). Any responses received as a result of the public publishing on beta.sam.gov will be appropriately dispositioned and documented in an addendum to this document. The anticipated cost to the Government for this requirement is considered fair and reasonable. The Contractor shall be required to submit a proposal to be evaluated and negotiated by the Government. Prior to execution of the contractual instrument, a proposal analysis will be performed. The proposal analysis will ensure that the final agreed-to price for the contract action is fair and reasonable. The Contractor’s proposal will be assessed utilizing cost and price analysis techniques in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 15.404-1 to determine a fair and reasonable price. Assistance from the MSFC Pricing Team, the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA), the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA), and other independent auditors will be utilized as appropriate to analyze, evaluate, and negotiate based on detailed cost or pricing data. The Contractor will be required to certify proposed cost and pricing data at the conclusion of negotiations. An internet search was performed to gather publicly available information on U.S. solid rocket motor manufacturers. NGIS and another vendor were the only two viable solid rocket motor manufacturers with the potential capabilities for this mission. Further research indicates that the other vendor’s solid rocket motor production has been in decline with one of their most prominent solid rocket motors no longer in production. In accordance with FAR Part 10 a Sources Sought Synopsis was published on FedBizOpps on September 16, 2019. A total of five (5) companies responded to the synopsis by the due date of September 26, 2019. Responses were reviewed and evaluated. The comparison criteria was based on the requirements in the RFI. Also considered was criteria such as an efficient use of Government expenditures, company size, duration in business, and applicable experience. Each respondent was assessed on each of the following metrics based on their submittal. • Years in Business and Past Customers • Relevant Experience • Direct manufacturer of solid motors or integrator? • Engineering depth and ability to support development and qualification • Ability to meet 3-sigma Isp variation <= 0.4% • Ability to deliver a stage 1 and stage 2 SRM that meet requirements in Part III and IV of RFI • Comparison of recommended propellant mission heritage to MAV mission • Ability to provide TVC system that meets requirements in Part V of RFI • Comment on SSSL trapped ball nozzle design, risks and development points • Ability to provide low variability and high reliability solid rocket motors suitable for MAV • Estimated time to delivery of first unit • Confidence in estimated development time to first unit and how well it meets part II of RFI • Comment on implemented quality standards and ability to meet them • Understanding and capability to provide and implement planetary protection protocols The companies’ capability statements described some level of proficiency with solid rocket motors. Other than NGIS, none had a TRL 8 propellant capable of use for MAV, none had SSSL nozzle concepts at TRL 8, and none provided schedules to attain these that met mission timelines. One Contractor specified NGIS as their supplier in their capability statement. NGIS has experience that is directly applicable to MAV. They are a direct manufacturer of solid rocket motors which alleviates the need for an integrator reducing contract cost. NGIS has shown extensive understanding and capability to meet all aspects of the MAPS contract. NGIS has thousands of space uses of their flight-proven STAR motors with several being nearly identical in size to the anticipated MAV motors (STAR 15G, STAR 17, STAR 15, STAR 13, STAR 20, STAR 24). Of the Mars missions that have utilized solid propulsion, NGIS is the only contractor who has provided those motors. NGIS is the only solid propulsion contract with data on solid propellant samples from long-term exposure to the space environment, and NGIS’ breaking motor on the Magellan Spacecraft successfully fired after being in space for more than fifteen months. NGIS has a proprietary propellant for the MAV mission that has been used on three other Mars Missions (Mars Exploration Rover: Spirit, Mars Exploration Rover: Opportunity and Mars Pathfinder). NGIS is also the only domestic Contractor who has flight experience with SSSL nozzle concepts. NGIS has been identified as the only respondent capable of providing and meeting MAV objectives within cost and schedule constraints. The Government does not intend to acquire a commercial item using FAR Part 12. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 336415 “Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Propulsion Unit and Propulsion Unit Parts Manufacturing” and has a size standard of 1,250 employees. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals. All responsible sources may submit a written capability statement which shall be considered by the Agency. Interested organizations may submit their capabilities and qualifications to perform the effort via email to Cynthia.a.hubbard@nasa.gov no later than 5:00 p.m. CST on April 22, 2020. Such capabilities and qualifications will be evaluated solely for the purpose of determining whether or not to conduct this procurement on a competitive basis. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed effort on a full and open competition basis, based upon responses to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the Government. All information received from this notice shall be used for planning purposes only. This notice is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government nor will the Government pay for information submitted. As stipulated in FAR 15.201(e), responses to this notice are not considered offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. This notice is subject to FAR 52.215-3, Request for Information or Solicitation for Planning Purposes. Any responses to this notice that are subject to export controlled items should be properly marked as such. No evaluation letters and/or results will be issued to the respondents. Oral communications are not acceptable in response to this notice.