NASA develops next simulation, training contract

NASA has kicked off development of the follow-on contract for a $132 million simulation and software pact now held by L-3 Communications.

The agency is looking at procurement approaches, small business requirements and organizational conflicts of interest as it developments the next iteration of its Simulation and Software Technology Contract.

The contract supports a variety of NASA programs, including the Johnson Space Center Engineering Directorates Software, Robotics and Simulation Division, the International Space Station, the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle and other space exploration programs, according to a request for information notice.

Among the services are engineering in the areas of automation and intelligent systems and telerobotics and autonomous robotic systems for ground and space flight applications.

The contract also supports the Orion program’s prime contractor with insight/oversight and inline support for software design, prototyping, systems engineering, software integration, and software related services.

The SSTC contract, as it is known, is the exclusive contract for the Trick Simulation Environment, the simulation architecture used for training for the International Space Station.

NASA is looking for information on procurement approach for the contract, which expires September 2014. Some of these areas include whether the contract or portions of it can be firm-fixed price. The current contract is a cost-plus-fixed-fee contract.

The agency is also trying to determine what role small business can play, and how the contract can be designed so that small business goals can be met.

The RFI includes an attachment specific to gathering information on small business.

In a third attachment to the RFI, NASA also wants contractors to comment on organizational conflicts of interest that may arise from the contract, and company mitigation plans.

Responses to the notice are due May 30.

So far, the contract has been worth $92.2 million to L-3, according to the Deltek database, but the NASA notice said that the ceiling goes up to $132 million.