Engineering Services and Science Capability Augmentation (ESSCA) Contract Extension

NASA/MSFC has a requirement for an extension to the period of performance for the Engineering Services and Science Capability Augmentation (ESSCA) Contract Number 80MSFC18C0011 with prime contractor Jacobs Technology Incorporated (Jacobs), doing business as Amentum. The services and skills are currently provided across a broad spectrum of engineering and science disciplines for the purposes of design, analysis, development and testing. In particular, this action will also allow for continued pre- and post-flight analysis support for crewed flight missions.

For this immediate action, MSFC intends to extend the current contract with Amentum for an initial six months from December 1, 2025, through May 31, 2026, to provide continuation of these services and support to NASA programs, including the Space Launch System (SLS) and Human Lander System (HLS), through the award of the follow-on ESSCA II contract and into the transition phase. If necessary, an additional option beyond May 31, 2026, if exercised, would extend the Period of Performance of this contract through October 31, 2026. This extension will provide uninterrupted engineering, scientific, and technical support services required for the critical phases of the on-going NASA activities, especially in support of launch activities.

In order to support the continuation of these services to the transition phase of the follow-on ESSCA II procurement, NASA/MSFC intends to issue a sole source contract extension to acquire the services from Amentum to satisfy this requirement. The statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition is 10 U.S.C. 3204(a)(1), as implemented by FAR 6.302-1, Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements.

This decision is made pursuant to FAR 6.302-1(a)(2)(iii), which is the authority supporting the period of performance extension based on the continuation of highly specialized services, when it is likely that award to another source would result in unacceptable delays in fulfilling the agency requirements. Amentum is currently providing these engineering and scientific skills and support to the on-going efforts needed to support NASA mission objectives. The follow-on procurement has been announced and is in progress but an award is not possible prior to the expiration of the current ESSCA contract. A break in service or introducing another contractor during the critical phases both pre and post flight would result in unacceptable risk to the NASA mission. Amentum has developed unique knowledge and understanding of requirements, operations, testing and processes across the diverse technical disciplines supporting these activities at MSFC.

In particular, given the time and expense of flight missions, it is critical to ensure the continuity of this support for safety, mission assurance and quality requirements during this critical time. Mission success and crew safety for the current Artemis II mission which also sets forth the groundwork for future missions in the Artemis campaign are best supported by a stable and continuous workforce through the launch preparations, launch support, and post-flight analysis of data for Artemis II. Only Amentum’s existing workforce and subcontractors, currently possess the depth of knowledge and history of SLS through support provided to the previous Artemis I launch and are the only source able to provide the continuation of these services within the needed timeframe.

The Government does not intend to acquire a commercial item using FAR Part 12.

Information received from this notice shall be used by NASA/MSFC for market research. This notice is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government, nor will the Government pay for information submitted. Responses to this notice are not considered offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Any responses to this notice that are subject to export-controlled items or Controlled Unclassified Information should be properly marked as such.

Interested organizations may submit their capabilities and qualifications to perform the effort electronically via email to Jennifer.l.Chrissis@nasa.gov not later than 4 pm Central Time on January 6, 2025. Such capabilities/qualifications will be evaluated solely for the purpose of determining whether or not to conduct this acquisition on a competitive basis. A determination by the Government not to compete this acquisition on a full and open competition basis, based upon responses to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the Government.

NASA Clause 1852.215-84, Ombudsman, is applicable. The Center Ombudsman for this acquisition can be found at: https://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/procurement/regs/Procurement-Ombuds-Comp-Advocate-Listing.pdf.