Stennis Space Center Facilities Notice of Availability/Announcement for Proposal # 80SSC02000001 Purpose of this Notice The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Stennis Space Center (SSC) is seeking to identify potential industry interest in, and proposed uses for some agency propulsion test facilities located at SSC in Mississippi. This notice describes NASA assets that are currently underutilized as a result of program cancellations, changing needs or transitioning activities. This notice also describes available Greenfield space that can be made available for use. SSC seeks through this announcement to ensure broad awareness and visibility of the anticipated opportunities for potential partnerships between NASA and industry or non-federal public entities to leverage underutilized Agency facilities to maximize utilization and efficiency. NASA has a variety of partnership models available, as authorized by the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 and other legal authorities, to engage non-federal partners in Agreements that provide partner access to underutilized NASA facilities. These partnership models may grant a partner an interest in specified real property for a specified term, or may provide for the reimbursable provision of services from NASA controlled facilities for which SSC has a current or future need to support NASA’s mission. NASA will consider Proposals submitted in response to this posting and reserves the right to enter into negotiations with Proposers for use of the facilities/greenfield space identified herein, without further public notice. Notice of Availability (NOA) / Announcement for Proposal (AFP) Objective It is NASA's intent to ensure fairness to all Parties and to ensure best value to the Government in granting use of a NASA facility or Greenfield space in a manner that optimizes its support for the agency's missions and objectives, and the U.S. national space policy. To meet these purposes, NASA requests written responses to this announcement to assist SSC in achieving the following objectives: • Identify and document specific interest from industry and non-federal public entities in pursuing a partnership agreement with NASA for utilization of the SSC facilities or Greenfield space identified in this announcement. • Assess the extent of overall interest by industry and non-federal public entities in using underutilized NASA assets and Greenfield space at SSC to engage in activities supportive of NASA’s missions and purpose. • Provide data to support SSC’s planning for future infrastructure and facility utilization. • Support future determination of how underutilized capacity at SSC may be made available in a fair and responsive fashion to industry and/or non-federal public entities to advance agency and national objectives. • Evaluate Proposals as received in the order received using the selection criteria discussed hereinbelow. A Proposal viewed favorably via application of the selection criteria may be considered for future negotiations between NASA and the Proposer, that could result in an agreement reached between NASA and the Proposer for use of the identified facilities/greenfield space herein. However, there is no NASA obligation to enter into negotiations with Proposers and as discussed throughout this document, NASA reserves the inherent discretion over the best use of the identified facilities/greenfield space, to include their present status. 1 As NASA’s programs and missions are further defined, the agency continues to assess and identify which agency assets are required to meet existing and future agency requirements. Therefore, the facilities and Greenfield space identified in this announcement that are anticipated to be partially or fully available for other users may subsequently be deemed by NASA as unavailable due to the agency's own facility needs. The Government may consider making the facilities, Greenfield space, and their related assets available only if deemed in the Government's best interests. As proposals are received, NASA reserves the right to proceed with selection and negotiation of one or more proposed partnership agreements with respondents to this announcement, without further notice, if it determines that it has met the purposes, intent and objectives identified in this announcement. NASA is not precluded from entering into agreements with other Federal entities for use of the SSC facilities and Greenfield space identified in this announcement regardless of expressions of interest and proposed use that may be received from industry or non-federal public entities. NASA is under no obligation to proceed with any partnering arrangements with regard to the anticipated availability of the underutilized facilities or Greenfield space at SSC. If NASA determines that a facility is idle with no known current or future NASA mission support requirement, but still of value in support of national space policy, NASA may decide to divest the agency of the asset by transfer to another Federal agency, or to others through established NASA real property disposition processes. Background One of NASA’s Strategic Goals is to “Serve the American public and accomplish our Mission by effectively managing our people, technical capabilities, and infrastructure.” As Congress and the President direct NASA to continue development of new manned spaceflight programs such as the Space Launch System (SLS), each of the affected NASA field centers are challenged to continually re-scope its infrastructure and facilities footprint to most efficiently support these programs within expected funding levels. SSC capabilities and assets that will become idle or underutilized for near-term NASA requirements may be re-purposed and used by the commercial space industry and others in direct support of NASA's mission and purpose. SSC seeks to strategically identify, develop and align the Center's distinctive space launch testing assets, Greenfield space and related capabilities with the emerging commercial space markets. SSC seeks to expand partnerships, customer base and regional economic opportunities consistent with the NASA mission. SSC wishes to promote and enable the widest and fullest utilization of SSC assets, land, and facilities to advance the nation's goals for space exploration and development. These efforts are targeted to accelerate innovation and collaboration in support of new technologies which are applicable to space exploration, as well as to benefit humankind here on Earth where the capabilities will be available to both the commercial and government space services industry. Government’s Right to Apply Selection Criteria and Priority Use Consideration NASA reserves the right to apply selection and priority of use criteria for assessing the "best fit" for alternative uses and users which may be considered for the facilities and Greenfield space identified in this announcement. Selection criteria and priority consideration may include, but are not limited to: 2 • Alignment with NASA's mission, purpose and the long-term development objectives and plans for SSC, and operations that directly support the advancement of space exploration for the U.S. Government at SSC; • Benefit to SSC, NASA and other U.S. Government interests; • For Greenfield space, entities which directly support the mission of tenants located at SSC. • Alignment of the proposed use and/or occupancy need dates with a facility's intended purpose, configuration and availability dates; • Assessment of the financial capability of the proposed user; • Assessment of the environmental, safety and security impacts of the proposed use; • Potential for, and degree of, expected positive contribution to the sustainment of SSC's technical workforce • Risk to SSC, NASA and other U.S. Government interests. • Entities which operate or directly support commercial space launch or commercial space user missions, whether or not the U.S. Government is a customer. NASA will consider other technical, operationally compatible uses and users which are determined to directly or indirectly support its missions and purposes if underutilized capacity remains available; or • Entities which directly provide services (e.g., education, insight, access to capital, business development, and related efforts) to entrepreneurs and small businesses that enable and accelerate the growth of emerging technology companies related to the advancement of space exploration. Uses that NASA will not Consider For the facilities and Greenfield space identified in this announcement, NASA will not at this time consider responses that: • Fail to show any relevance to NASA's mission or purpose and U.S. Government interests, or fail to demonstrate a need for use of the requested SSC asset that cannot be met more appropriately by the private sector at offsite (non-SSC) locations; • Are deemed incompatible with the current SSC Master Plan, land use policies, environmental conditions, or pose a potential negative impact on NASA's mission; or • Requires any proposed transfer of title to Government land or facilities. Government’s Right to Dispose of Facilities This announcement does not preclude the Government's option to dispose of the identified facility should it determine that there is no current or future need related to a NASA mission or purpose, and that it is in the Government's best interest to dispose of the facility rather than to retain it. Such disposal may include, but not limited to: • Declaring facility improvements excess to the Government's