Reactivate Hypersonic Test Facility for Applied Research

This is a SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE for market research purposes only. The Air Force Test Center (AFTC), Specialized Contracting Branch (PZZC) at Eglin AFB is currently conducting market research pursuant to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 10 and seeking capabilities statements from potential sources, including small businesses (SB), 8(a), HUBZone, Economically Disadvantaged Woman-Owned (EDWOSB), Woman-Owned (WOSB), Service Disabled Veteran Owned (SDVOSB) small business that are capable of supporting the requirement listed below. The NAICS Code assigned to this acquisition is 541715, Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology), with a size standard of 1,000 employees.

BACKGROUND: The Department of Defense (DoD) is committed to the development of scramjet technologies in support of hypersonic flight vehicles and technology maturation efforts. Today, the main operational hypersonic propulsion and aerothermal ground test facilities are the 8-ft High Temperature Tunnel (HTT) at the NASA Langley Research Center and the Aerodynamic and Propulsion Test Unit (APTU) at AEDC. Both of these facilities use in-stream combustion to heat air to the temperatures required to duplicate hypersonic flight conditions.Test media containing the products of combustion, commonly referred to as “vitiated air”, have different gas properties than atmospheric air and can affect the ability to set facility ground test conditions. Ultimately these undesired consequences of using vitiated test media prevent accurate determination of the performance and operability of the system under test. To overcome these limitations and ensure the success of critical DoD programs, a high-enthalpy, clean-air (non-vitiated) ground test capability is paramount. The Hypersonic Test Facility (HTF), located at the NASA Neil

A. Armstrong Test Facility (a component of the NASA Glenn Research Center) in Sandusky, Ohio, is a mothballed blow-down, clean-air (non-vitiated) wind tunnel. It is designed to simulate true-enthalpy hypersonic flight conditions from Mach 5 to Mach 7. To achieve this, the HTF utilizes a non-combustion heating process, which is critical for producing a test medium free of combustion byproducts. In this process, pure nitrogen gas is heated to extreme temperatures by passing it through a 3 MW graphite core storage heater. This ultra-heated nitrogen is then precisely mixed with controlled flows of ambient-temperature oxygen and nitrogen. This method creates a synthetic air test medium that chemically and thermodynamically mimics the composition of atmospheric air (78% N₂, 21% O₂, 1% Ar) at the target stagnation temperature. The facility has been in a mothballed status since 2007, and its reactivation presents a unique opportunity to fill a critical national testing capability gap. Inventory and inspection conducted of the HTF components held at ATF and provided an assessment that the facility is viable for reactivation. This is a coordinated effort and will be integrated into ongoing efforts and therefore serve to complete a portion of the total work required.

OBJECTIVE: The Test Resource Management Center (TRMC) seeks to reactivate the Hypersonic Test Facility (HTF). The reactivation process is expected to require 18-24-months and will be executed in two phases. Phase 1 Reactivation. This phase encompasses the reconditioning and procurement of obsolete and non serviceable components and the reassembly of sub systems of the HTF. Facility improvements to throughput and/or capability enhancements are not part of the reactivation phase. The Reactivation phase level of effort is focused along four lines of effort: Heater/Hot Train Controls Process controls Power Distribution Phase 2 Demonstration. This phase will address the system activation demonstrations and verification of test capability and Concept of Operations and will be executed under a separate effort. The primary

objective of the execution of Phase 1: Reactivation of the Hypersonic Test Facility (HTF). The definitive goal of this phase is to restore the HTF to a safe, documented, and fully functional state, verified through subsystem checkout and ready to proceed to Phase 2 system-level demonstrations. This encompasses program management, engineering, labor, materials, procurement, and documentation required to achieve this end state. The reactivation effort shall be managed and executed along four primary lines of effort (LOE): LOE 1 - Heater/Hot Train: The refurbishment and re-certification of the 3 MW graphite heater, high-temperature piping, structural supports, refractory systems, and heat exchangers that constitute the hot gas path. LOE 2 - Controls: The modernization and recommissioning of the facility's operational control systems, including replacement of obsolete control hardware, software updates, and human-machine interface (HMI) verification. LOE 3 - Process Controls: The restoration, calibration, and functional checkout of instrumentation, sensors (pressure, temperature, flow), valves, and actuators that manage the flow of gases and fluids throughout the facility. LOE 4 - Power Distribution: The inspection, testing, repair, and certification of high-voltage (e.g., heater supply) and low-voltage electrical systems, including switchgear, transformers, and distribution panels that support facility operations.”

SCOPE OF WORK AND SPECIFIC TASKS: Program Management: The contractor shall develop, deliver, and maintain a Program Management Plan (PMP). Systems Engineering and Integration: The contractor shall conduct reassembly and integration activities in accordance with the Government-Furnished Information (GFI), including existing engineering drawings and technical manuals. Subsystem Refurbishment and Reassembly: The contractor shall execute tasks required to refurbish, repair, or replace components across the four Lines of Effort. Thisincludes procurement of obsolete parts, management of subcontractors, and execution of hands-on labor to restore the subsystems to their original, operational condition. NASA Interface, Safety, and Environmental Compliance: The contractor shall act as the primary interface with NASA Armstrong Test Facility operational and safety personnel. The contractor shall prepare and submit documentation required by NASA for system safety reviews, operational readiness reviews, and environmental permits. The contractor shall ensure on-site work is performed in strict compliance with all applicable NASA and site-specific safety and environmental regulations.