SAM #80KSC026C0005

NASA KSC sole-source award to Met-Con for craft labor and corrosion control services

NASA Kennedy Space Center is justifying an urgent, short-term sole-source award to Met-Con, Inc. for craft labor and corrosion control services supporting ground support equipment and Spaceport projects. - Award and rationale - The action is a sole-source award to Met-Con, Inc.; NASA cites Met-Con’s more than 20 years of KSC-specific experience, continuity needs, and urgency in support of Artemis schedules. - The estimated total value is approximately $15 million. - Work requested - Install, field-fabricate, and modify ground support equipment systems and subsystems; perform repairs and configuration changes for Spaceport customer projects. - Anticipated specialties include ironworking, pipefitting, electrical work, painting, and other craft labor, as well as corrosion control. - Timing and follow-on - The initial release describes a one-year period, but the attachment provides no specific start or end dates and describes the action as short-term. - A competitive follow-on is planned. The need is associated with an expected decrease in the COMET contract scope at the end of FY26. - Items - No products, quantities, or part numbers are specified.

Description

The general purpose of the contracts is to obtain craft labor and corrosion control services here at Kennedy Space Center. Craft labor and corrosion control includes, but is not limited to, all tasks and resources necessary to install, field fabricate and modify ground support equipment systems/subsystems to execute repairs and configuration change activities in support of Spaceport customer project. Met-Con has historically provided this service, as a subcontractor, most recently to Amentum under the Consolidated Operations, Management, Engineering and Test (COMET) contract, providing personnel who have specialized experience at KSC for over 20 years. They possess a knowledge that is critical to the execution of the Artemis mission that no other company can provide to a schedule that supports mission success.

KSC's craft labor and corrosion control operations are reactive, requiring rapid adaptation as maintenance needs emerge during performance. Onboarding a new contractor would introduce schedule delays due to the learning curve and unfamiliarity with KSC-specific requirements. Met-Con is already established and integrated with the Kennedy Space Center team, making them the optimal choice for continuity. A one year, sole-source, award to Met-Con will maintain operational momentum while freeing Government resources to develop a competitive, long-term solution in support of the Administrator's direction. This requirement is critical to NASA’s Artemis campaign and its overall mission to safely land humans on the lunar surface.

The Artemis campaign’s timeline, and its included mission dates, are a vital component of the government’s need. For reasons discussed below, delays to mission execution as a result of developmental challenges are likely to result in mission failure. These contracts are necessary to ensure that development of a lunar landing capability is complete in time to support NASA’s Artemis missions.

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