The above document is a Source Selection Statement for NASA’s Lunar Terrain Vehicle Services (LTVS) contract solicitation number 80JSC023R0004. It outlines the procurement process, evaluation criteria, and the Source Selection Authority’s (SSA) decision to award contracts to three companies – Intuitive Machines, Lunar Outpost, and Astrolab.
The LTVS contract aims to provide NASA with lunar surface unpressurized mobility for suited astronauts and telerobotic science, exploration, and logistics capabilities on the lunar surface. The contract is an Indefinite-Delivery Indefinite-Quantity (IDIQ) contract with firm-fixed-price task orders, a 13-year ordering period, and a total ceiling value of $4.6 billion.
The procurement process included several steps, such as Requests for Information, Industry Days, Draft RFPs, and a final RFP release on May 26, 2023. Proposals were received from nine companies by July 26, 2023. After an initial review, three proposals (3Sixty Degrees, GITAI, and ORBIT) were found unacceptable. The remaining six proposals were evaluated in a specific order.
A competitive range was established on November 29, 2023, consisting of the three highest-rated offerors: Intuitive Machines, Lunar Outpost, and Astrolab. Discussions were held with these offerors, and Final Proposal Revisions (FPRs) were submitted by January 24, 2024.
The evaluation criteria included Price, Mission Suitability, and Past Performance factors. Price was approximately equal to the combined importance of Mission Suitability and Past Performance, with Mission Suitability being more important than Past Performance.
For Intuitive Machines, the SSA determined the proposed Total Evaluated Price (TEP) of $1,691,995,357 was fair and reasonable. The company received an overall Mission Suitability score of 724/1000 points (Very Good) and a Moderate confidence rating for Past Performance.
Lunar Outpost’s TEP of $1,727,073,564 was deemed fair and reasonable. The company received an overall Mission Suitability score of 863/1000 points (higher than Intuitive Machines) and a Moderate confidence rating for Past Performance.
Astrolab’s TEP of $1,927,685,068 was the highest but still considered fair and reasonable. The company received the highest Mission Suitability score of 905/1000 points (Excellent) but the lowest Past Performance confidence rating (Low).
The SSA determined that awarding contracts to all three offerors in the competitive range offered the best value to NASA. The higher prices of Astrolab and Lunar Outpost were justified by their strong Mission Suitability evaluations and the overall benefits of having multiple contractors, such as increased competition, innovation, and redundancy. The SSA concluded that this approach would benefit the emerging market for lunar vehicle services and provide NASA with robust, reliable, and cost-effective options for lunar surface mobility.
