Aerospace Systems Research and Operations Support

RELATED NOTICE: This RFI #2 is a continuation of market research initiated under RFI #1 (Notice ID: [FA930027R6000]), which is currently closed/inactive. For the purposes of this Request for Information (RFI), this requirement is temporarily designated as 'ASTROS II.' The Government advises interested parties to track this requirement via the SAM.gov Notice ID, as the official program name is subject to change prior to the issuance of a formal solicitation. AFRL Det 7/SST is conducting market research to provide follow-on capability to evaluate, engineer, reconfigure, modify experimental research test equipment, stands [(Property, Plant, & Equipment) PP&E] and systems, perform research and development test operations and test operation support, maintain special test equipment and support infrastructure as required. The tasks associated with this requirement, also captured in paragraph 4 of the attached Draft PWS, demand specialized knowledge of all aspects of rocket propulsion testing. The scale of testing ranges from small bench-scale liquid engine components and tactical motors to launch booster-class engines and strategic rocket motors. Practical knowledge regarding all intermediate devices including combined cycle designs, spacecraft propulsion, and space and missile propulsion system component testing will also be required. These tasks require a holistic working knowledge of the systems to ensure successful design, integration, test and data collection of integrated advanced propulsion systems and their associated equipment (PP&E) to include, but not limited to steam and mechanical-driven altitude test systems, thrust measurement systems, instrumentation and control systems, equipment deluge and fire retardation systems, special test equipment, additional support infrastructure.  Incidental alterations to  Real Property (e.g., utility tie-ins, pad penetrations, structural mounting) are authorized only when inextricably linked to, and necessary for, the primary engineering modification of the PP&E test stands. All such ancillary Real Property alterations must be approved by the Contracting Officer and EAFB Civil Engineering.  The contractor shall engineer, integrate, modify, activate, operate, and deactivate fuel and oxidizer propellant systems for toxic, storable, hypergolic, cryogenic, high pressure, explosives, and hydrocarbon propellant system assets. In addition, the contractor shall handle, transport and store these propellants and explosives.