NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) has a requirement for a separation systemfor the mechanical subsystems of the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) Project. The MMSmission is the fourth mission of the Solar Terrestrial Probe (STP) program of NASA. TheMMS mission will use four identically instrumented observatories to perform the firstdefinitive study of magnetic reconnection in space and will test critical hypothesesabout reconnection. Magnetic reconnection is the primary process by which energy istransferred from the solar wind to the Earths magnetosphere and is also fundamental tothe explosive release of energy during substorms and solar flares. The MMS mission willstudy magnetic reconnection in the Earths magnetosphere. The four MMS observatorieswill be required to fly in a tetrahedral formation in order to unambiguously determinethe orientation of the magnetic reconnection layer.NASA/GSFC intends to issue a sole-source Request for Proposal (RFP) to RUAG AerospaceSweden AB for four (4) flight launch vehicle separation systems for the MagnetosphericMultiscale (MMS) Project. RUAG Aerospace shall deliver (3) three flight unit launchvehicle separation systems and one (1) flight unit passive half of a launch vehicleseparation system in support of the mechanical subsystems of the MMS Project. Theproposed acquisition is for four (4) flight launch vehicle separation system units. RUAGAerospace will provide the materials and labor to deliver the (4) flight launch vehicleseparation system units to be used to secure the four (4) MMS observatories to each otherand the bottom MMS observatory to the active half of the launch vehicle separationsystem. These units will be incorporated into the mechanical subsystem of the MMSmission. The period of performance is approximately 21 months for delivery.RUAG Aerospace is uniquely qualified for this contract because of their extensiveexperience and expertise. Further, they are the only organization currently qualified toperform the subject requirement for the following reasons: (1) Science requirementsdictate identical observatory shapes, which would also require identical separationsystems between stacked MMS observatories and the separation system used by the launchvehicle. MMS Science requirements necessitate identical observatory designs in order toproduce identical observatory electrostatic signatures. Identical electrostaticsignatures require identical observatory shapes because both the distribution ofelectrostatic charge on observatory surfaces and the photo-emissive cloud that surroundsthe observatory on-orbit are driven by shape and surface materials. If the signatures ofthe observatories are not identical then electric field measurements betweenobservatories cannot be compared without unacceptable errors that would lead to aviolation of mission science requirements. Since the bottom observatory in the stackwill mate to the Atlas V upper stage, all separation systems between the observatoriesmust be the same design as that used by the Atlas V, which exclusively uses RUAG units. (2) There would be significant costs in redesigning and revalidating the launch vehicleseparation system and modifying the launch vehicle for a new design. A change in theseparation system that the launch vehicle utilizes could support the science drivenrequirements, but this would necessitate a major design change on the part of the launchvehicle, which was just recently awarded in March 2009. The costs to re-design a newseparation system, change the launch vehicle, and requalification are expected to costseveral times more than the value of the separation system contract with RUAG Aerospace. (3) RUAG Aerospace is the only known provider of separation systems of the size neededfor the MMS mission. Based on responses to a Request for Information (RFI) datedDecember 3, 2007, and an informal market survey, other viable vendors do not exist toprovide a practical option. The MMS projects market survey indicates that RUAGAerospace provides most of the separation systems for Western payloads and provides allseparation systems in the size and payload mass range that the MMS project requires(approximately 1666 mm and 5100 kg). Statutory authority for this sole source procurement is 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1)--Only OneResponsible Source. However, organizations who believe they can provide these serviceswithout any detrimental impact to the program schedules supported by this work, shouldfully identify their interest and capabilities within 15 days after publication of thissynopsis.Interested organizations may submit their capabilities and qualifications to perform theeffort in writing to the identified point of contact not later than 4:30 p.m. local timeon April 20, 2009. 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 consideredby the agency.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.

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