REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) – NASA ASTRONAUT CREW RESCUE SERVICES

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)/Kennedy Space Center (KSC) is hereby soliciting information from potential sources for Astronaut Crew Rescue Services.NASA/KSC is seeking capability statements from all interested parties, including all socioeconomic categories of Small Businesses and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU)/Minority Institutions (MI), and members of the underserved communities as defined by Executive Order 13985, Advancing Racial Equity And Support For Underserved Communities Through The Federal Government, for the purposes of determining the appropriate level of competition and/or small business subcontracting goals for Astronaut Crew Rescue Services.  The Government reserves the right to consider a Small, 8(a), Women-owned (WOSB), Service Disabled Veteran (SD-VOSB), Economically Disadvantaged Women-owned Small Business (EDWOSB) or HUBZone business set-aside based on responses received.Background/DescriptionNASA has a need for

astronaut crew rescue services for Commercial Crew Program (CCP) and Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) missions.  NASA is seeking information from interested parties on current capabilities and innovative ideas to provide these rescue services.  The Commercial Crew contractors are required to provide nominal recovery of crew and cargo for the NASA CCP missions. NASA CCP is responsible for crew rescue in situations beyond the requirements of Commercial Crew contractors. NASA EGS provides nominal and off nominal recovery of crew and cargo for the Artemis missions.  NASA EGS is responsible for crew rescue during Artemis missions.  NASA CCP & EGS require rescue forces during launch, free flight, and landing phases. Currently, the Department of Defense (DoD) provides NASA with rescue support.  However, NASA is exploring the possibility of a commercial solution for crew rescue services.  Astronaut crew rescue services include real-time communication with NASA, crew retrieval, and basic medical care during transportation to medical facilities to ensure the safety of the crew.  Crew retrieval entails rescuers approaching the capsule and potentially opening the hatch and assisting the crew in egress if they are unable to themselves.  Immediate response is needed during the launch, free flight, and landing phases of NASA CCP and EGS missions.  During these phases, NASA requires crew rescue services in designated areas.  The timing requirement for crew rescue services is dependent on the location of the rescue area.  For example, as the rocket proceeds further up the ascent corridor, response time for crew rescue services may increase.  For NASA CCP, rescue coverage for launch is expected along the ascent corridor which runs from the launch pad at KSC, up the coast of the US and Canada, and across to the coast of Ireland.  For NASA EGS, rescue coverage for launch is expected along the ascent corridor, which runs due east from KSC across the Atlantic.  The most likely locations of rescue for an Artemis launch are in the Atlantic and then in the Pacific east of Hawaii to the US Pacific coast.  For free flight and landing, EGS and CCP designate landing zones requiring rescue coverage.  Currently, the designated landing zones are covered utilizing staged rescue forces.  However, NASA is open to industry ideas for providing this coverage.NASA is also interested in industry capabilities and ideas for on-call rescue services for all other rescue scenarios outside of these defined phases of flights and locations.  If an anomaly occurs, NASA will notify the contractor to arrange any rescue possible depending on the landing location.Astronaut crew rescue services are anticipated to be needed for all upcoming CCP missions starting in 2023 (approximately 2 missions per year through 2030; the current life of the International Space Station) and all upcoming Artemis missions starting with Artemis II.Requested InformationResponses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by NASA to form a binding agreement or contract. NASA is under no obligation to issue a solicitation or to enter into any agreement or award any contract on the basis of this RFI. No solicitation exists; therefore, do not request a copy of the solicitation. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on SAM.gov. Interested firms are responsible for monitoring this website for the release of any solicitation or synopsis.NASA reserves the right to share all information received in response to this RFI throughout the Government, and its support services contractors, to use all information submitted in the development of any potential future requirements related to initiatives described herein.  Responses to this RFI may include competition sensitive data requiring protection, which should be clearly segregated and marked as sensitive. NASA is not requesting export-controlled data that requires protection. However, if it is necessary to submit export-controlled data to answer any of the questions in this RFI, that data should be clearly segregated and marked as sensitive. Additionally, any International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) or Export Administration Regulations (EAR) restricted information should be appropriately labeled in response to the RFI.  NASA will protect such data from public disclosure to the extent permitted under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and other laws and regulations. Although information contained herein represents current program content, it is subject to change.Interested firms having the capabilities to provide these services should submit a capability statement indicating the ability to perform all aspects of the effort.  All interested parties are requested to address the following in their capabilities statement in order for NASA to determine industries current capabilities and assist in the development of any potential future requirement.Company name including physical address, DUNS number, CAGE code, number of employees, number of years in business, business size and category, point of contact name, phone number, e-mail address, and nature of interest in Astronaut Crew Rescue Services including affiliate information (parent company, joint venture partners, potential teaming partners, prime contractor (if potential subcontractor), or subcontractors (if potential prime)).Information describing your company’s capabilities, including all inherent capabilities available as part of the Astronaut Crew Rescue Services.During launch, any aborts requiring rescue may occur anywhere in the ascent corridor.  Provide information on how your company would plan to cover the various areas as the abort landing location gets further away from the launch site.   Prior to each mission, NASA will designate landing zones for free flight and landing that need to have crew rescue services.  Currently, these areas are covered with staged rescue forces.  Provide information on how your company would plan to cover the various areas designated for the free flight and landing phases.For all proposed rescue scenarios, please provide an estimated response time on the ability to retrieve the crew.Provide the planned type of assets that your company would use to accomplish the crew rescue services based on the retrieval location.  Assets potentially include, but are not limited to, the type of planes, helicopters, ships and rescue personnel forces. Provide information regarding rescue personnel training. Identify the type and frequency of training required by the rescue personnel.Provide information regarding the medical care that will be provided in the field.In the event a rescue is needed, a designated NASA official will initiate the rescue with the company, as well as provide real time information to the company on location of the capsule, status of the crew, etc.  Describe how your company will communicate with NASA.  Describe how your company will communicate with deployed rescue forces.  Describe how rescue forces will communicate with the spacecraft crew when on the scene.Describe the lead time your company would need prior to a mission to be ready to support the mission.Describe your company’s capabilities or ideas for on-call rescue services to include your recommended approach to provide world-wide coverage.NASA requests information from interested parties on the recommended contract type, customary terms and conditions, published price lists, or estimated costs for the same or similar services.  For similar services, please describe the scope of the similar effort.  Identify any cost drivers related to these types of services.  Pricing information will be used for market research purposes only.Provide other pertinent information that may assist NASA with establishing cost-savings measures as part of its approach for the potential acquisition of Astronaut Crew Rescue Services.Please advise if the service is considered to be a commercial or commercial-type service. A commercial service is defined in FAR 2.101. InstructionsAll responses shall be submitted electronically via email to Mr. Ricardo Santos-Concepcion, ricardo.santos-concepcion@nasa.gov and Mr. Brian Hinerth, brian.s.hinerth@nasa.gov no later than August 29, 2022, at 5:00 pm Eastern Time.  Please reference NNK22ZLS001L/Crew Rescue Services in any response.Additionally, NASA CCP & EGS are offering to conduct one-on-one meetings via teleconference to discuss interest and capabilities for NASA Astronaut Crew Rescue Services. To schedule a one-on-one meeting, attendees will need to submit a request and provide the company name and requested meeting date via email to Mr. Ricardo Santos-Concepcion (ricardo.santos-concepcion@nasa.gov) and Mr. Brian Hinerth (brian.s.hinerth@nasa.gov). The Government requires this request for one-on-one discussions no later than September 13, 2022. Please start the subject of the email with "NNK22ZLS001L/Astronaut Crew Rescue Services One-On-One Discussions". Any requests for one-on-one meetings received after September 13, 2022, will be reviewed and considered.This synopsis is for information and planning purposes only and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government nor will the Government pay for information solicited. Respondents will not be notified of the results of this effort.Update (August 15, 2022): Q&AThis notice is updated to attach Questions and Answers document to provide a response to questions that were submitted in writing.