AI Tech Support Services

Background
NASA/NSSC has a requirement for AI Tech Support Services to assist in deploying artificial intelligence in safety-critical applications such as mission control and flight software. The goal is to address the non-deterministic behavior of AI systems, particularly for autonomous spacecraft in congested and contested space environments. This effort aims to provide actionable recommendations tailored to NASA's software assurance practices, validated through collaborative testing with pilot flight projects. The contract will be issued to FRAUNHOFER USA, INC, identified as the sole provider of these services.

Work Details
The contractor shall perform the following tasks:

1) Conduct a comprehensive review of cutting-edge AI verification and validation (V&V) approaches across various AI-enabled systems operating at different autonomy levels.

2) Examine relevant government agency standards and frameworks, including DoD and NIST guidelines.

3) Analyze private sector practices for safety-critical AI implementations where information is publicly available.

4) Engage with NASA projects that plan to employ autonomous systems to understand their specific requirements and workflows.

5) Identify two open-source AI testing tools, apply them on the ASTRA framework (or similar AI models), and assess their strengths, weaknesses, and gaps.

6) Synthesize findings into a report providing actionable recommendations tailored to NASA’s Software Assurance practices.

7) Build a basic software prototype that illustrates selected findings compatible with the ASTRA framework.

Period of Performance
June 15, 2026 through October 15, 2026

Place of Performance
Contractor’s Facility

Bidder Requirements
The contractor must demonstrate capabilities in AI verification and validation methods, familiarity with government agency standards (DoD and NIST), experience with safety-critical AI implementations, and proficiency in developing software prototypes compatible with existing frameworks.