Atlas COASTER Services and Engineering Support

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) / Information Technology Procurement Office (ITPO) has a requirement for Counterweight-Offload Astronaut Sensor, Telemetry & Electronics Rig (COASTER) services and engineering support.

NASA/ITPO intends to issue a sole source contract to acquire the COASTER services and engineering support from Atlas Devices, LLC due to the COASTER being an Atlas Devices product and Atlas Devices being the only authorized vendor to provide support.

Atlas Devices produces COASTER, the only known human-rated articulated jib arm style sensor and suspension systems in the world. Current support facilities in the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility (SVMF) at JSC have been verified to both house and support COASTER for the use of suited and unsuited HITL testing, exclusive of test operators and TRR support on behalf of COASTER.

COASTER will interface with all current NASA space suits (xEMU, Mark III, EMU, etc.) and Atlas EXCON analog suit for gravity offload testing. The Atlas EXCON suit was designed through intensive studies of xEMU requirements and functions. These studies and “reverse engineering” of the suit have provided Atlas Devices with a unique and comprehensive body of knowledge surrounding telemetry based suited HITL testing and suspended/offloaded suited operations.

Atlas is the only company which offers services to operate both COASTER and EXCON for HITL testing. Intricate knowledge of the entire system, including its hazards, and failure modes, is necessary to represent COASTER within TRR functions and proper operational decision making and safety practices during use.

The Government intends to acquire a commercial service using FAR Part 12.

Interested organizations may submit their capabilities and qualifications to perform the effort electronically via email to Kaelin Kelley, Contract Specialist, at kaelin.w.kelley@nasa.gov and Nicolas Zogaib, Contracting Officer, at nicolas.a.zogaib@nasa.gov not later than 4:00 PM CST on July 25, 2025. Such capabilities/qualifications will be evaluated solely for the purpose of determining whether 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.

If parties choose to respond, any cost associated with preparation and submission of data, or any other cost incurred in response to this announcement are the sole responsibility of the respondent and will not be reimbursed by 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