Joint Polar Satellite System Instruments and Ground System

NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) has a requirement to implement therestructuring of the National Polar-Orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite(NPOESS). The existing program was managed through a tri-agency organization and thisgovernance is being eliminated and the primary responsibility of the afternoon orbitsatellites now belongs to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) andthe National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). These satellites provide civilweather forecasting and climate data in a program now called the Joint Polar SatelliteSystem (JPSS). This transition includes in-process builds for four instruments and aground system. NASA/GSFC intends to issue a sole source procurement to each of the following companiesfor the following efforts: Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems Visible Infrared ImagerRadiometer Suite (VIIRS); ITT Space Systems - Cross-Track Infrared Sounder (CrIS); BallAerospace and Technologies Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS); Northrop GrummanElectronic Systems Advanced Technology Microware Sounder; and Raytheon Intelligence andInformation Systems JPSS/NPP Ground System. The intent of the restructure directed by the Executive Office of the President was totransfer, to a NASA management structure, the existing complement of afternoon orbitinstruments and ground system. To insure the successful completion and launch of theJPSS spacecraft with no loss of continuity in critical climate and weather forecastingdata, a requirement exists that NASA contract directly with the instrument and groundsystem developers, in order to have direct oversight and design/engineering input intothe development and testing process and to insure that the necessary mission assurancestandards are met. The above mentioned contractors are uniquely qualified for thesecontracts as they are currently developing and building their respective instruments andground system. To successfully transition the current VIIRS, CrIS, OMPS, ATMS instrumentsand ground system, requires the contractors, that are currently building these effortstoday, continue on with the original build as they are the only source that can ensuredata continuity for weather and storm forecasting. No sources other than the existinginstrument and ground system developers have the knowledge or capabilities to build andprovide instruments or a ground system that can support the JPSS mission requirements atthis stage of the program and most definitely without a break in data continuity. Awardto any other source would cause unacceptable delays in fulfilling the agencysrequirements.Statutory authority for this sole source procurement is 10 U.S.C. 2304 (c)(1) Only OneResponsible Source. However, any organization who believes they can provide these itemswithout any detrimental impact to the program mission should fully identify theirinterest and capabilities within 15 days after publication of the synopsis.Interested organizations may submit their capabilities and qualifications to perform anyof these efforts in writing to the identified point of contact no later than 5:00 pm ESTon April 26, 2010. Such capabilities/qualifications will be evaluated solely for thepurpose 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 opencompetition basis, based upon responses to this notice, is solely within the discretionof the Government.All responsible sources may submit an offer which shall be considered by the agency.Oral communications are not acceptable in response to this notice.The Government does not intend to acquire a commercial item using FAR Part 12. See Note26. An Ombudsman has been appointed. See NASA Specific Note B. Any referenced notesmay be viewed at the following URLs linked below.