SAM #80MSFC-Pegasus-2026

NASA RFI for Barge Pegasus Towing, Technical Support, Assessment, and Shipyard Maintenance

NASA Marshall Space Flight Center is gathering market information about services needed to keep the NASA Barge Pegasus ready for cargo transportation and operations. - Government buyer and opportunity - Buyer: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). - This is a Request for Information (RFI) for market research, not an award or a request for binding offers. Providers may respond to any or all service areas. - Requested services - Tug services and support labor: Prepare, load, tow, and offload the barge and cargo on inland and ocean routes connecting Michoud Assembly Facility, MSFC, Stennis Space Center, Kennedy Space Center, and other destinations as needed. Support 4–5 crew members and a NASA representative. NASA estimates 4–5 tows per year; trips may last from 12 hours to several weeks. - Day-to-day maintenance technical support: Inspect and maintain the vessel, keep maintenance records, troubleshoot and repair issues, and support cargo preparation, loading, stowage, and transit-related system checks. Work must follow applicable maritime, environmental, and safety requirements. - Technical assessment: Evaluate vessel condition and systems, identify potential hardware and software upgrades, and provide a report with prioritized recommendations, cost ranges, schedule considerations, risks, and sustainment impacts. Coordinate with NASA engineering personnel. - Shipyard maintenance: Perform dry-docking, inspections, hull cleaning and coating, structural repairs, system overhauls or replacement, hull-thickness gauging, non-destructive testing, tank and void inspections, cargo-area modifications, and safety and habitability improvements. Work must align with American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) standards and include compliance documentation, test results, repair summaries, and updated drawings. - Crew support: Provide support labor and information about relevant past experience. - Vessel and notable requirements - The Barge Pegasus is described as 310 feet long with a 50-foot beam and listed tonnage/displacement of 1,457. - Shipyard work should minimize vessel downtime. Technical recommendations should address mission needs, compliance, cost, schedule, risk, and long-term sustainment. - OEMs and vendors - No OEMs, commercial vendors, product models, or part numbers are identified in the provided materials. NASA and the American Bureau of Shipping are named; ABS is referenced as a standards body. - Products and value - No products are requested; the requirement is for services. Contract value is not stated.

Description

This notice is a Request for Information (RFI) only. This RFI is issued by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for information and planning purposes, pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 10, Market Research. It does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue an RFP in the future. Participants are advised that the Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs that result from responding to this RFI; all costs associated with responding to this RFI will be at the interested party’s expense. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future RFP, if any is issued.

Pursuant to Executive Order (EO) 14271, Ensuring Commercial Cost-Effective Solutions in Federal Contracts, the Chief Procurement Officer is committed to purchasing commercial items and performing robust market research to identify commercial products and services that meet the Government’s needs. To satisfy the requirements of EO 14271, this RFI seeks to determine whether a commercial solution is available as part of this requirement, or whether the required services must be provided non-commercially. Highly capable commercial and non-commercial domestic contractors with substantial facilities that possess the near-term capacity and capability are encouraged to respond. Information is sought regarding the following services: 1) Tug Services and Support Labor, 2) Technical support for day-to-day maintenance of the NASA Barge Pegasus, 3) Technical assessment and 4) Shipyard maintenance. Interested respondents may provide information on any or all parts of this RFI; the Government is not limiting this market research to entities who possess the capacity and capability to accomplish all parts of this work. Interested respondents may also highlight any partnering arrangements, for example a shipyard with technical capabilities that has an existing partnership with marine towing companies. 

See attachment titled: "Requested Information NASA Barge Pegasus" for details. 

View original listing