NASA/KSC is hereby soliciting information about potential sources for theRefurbishment of a Mini Portable Purge Unit.The Project consists of the turnkey supply of refurbishment one existing Mini PortablePurge Unit (MPPU).The MPPUs have been used in support of the current space shuttle program to supplyenvironmentally controlled air to various compartments within the shuttle. The MPPUs arebeing refurbished in order to increase their performance and extend their service life.The purpose of the refurbished MPPUs is to provide a supply of conditioned air formaintaining required temperature, pressure, and humidity levels within various Orion andAres I compartments. The MPPU provides purge air to the Orion Service Module/SpacecraftAdapter (SM/SA), the Orion Crew Module/Crew Cabin (CM/CC), and the CM/Soft Cover (SC)while in the Main Payload Processing Facility while under transport between KSCfacilities, and during rollout to the launch pad. The MPPUs are complete, self-containedair processing units that are housed in tow-around trailers. They are electricallypowered and computer controlled. The units take in atmospheric air and filter it,compress it, and dehumidify it. The air is then ducted to the Orion or Ares I Upper Stagethrough three separate duct systems. The air to each duct is independently controlled tosupply the required flow rate at the correct temperature and pressure. The operatorcontrols the MPPU locally via a front panel or remotely via a network interface.The existing MPPUs have been in service for over 15 years. Therefore, many components areno longer commercially available. The structural steel and panels have peeling paint andsurface corrosion. The control system is obsolete and replacement parts are becomingdifficult to obtain. Also, the refrigeration system uses R-22 which is considered to bean ozone-depleting substance.Additionally, there is performance limitations associated with the existing MPPUs. First,the capacity of the refrigeration system is insufficient to provide the required level ofcooling on hot/humid days. Therefore, the temperature of the purge air that is deliveredto the flight vehicle is warmer than desired. Also, the supply temperature fluctuatesexcessively as compressors are turned off and on. On extremely cold days, the electricheaters are insufficient to deliver air at the required temperature.This refurbishment project will address the issues listed above by rehabilitating thestructural framework, refurbishing or replacing system components, installing a newcontrol system, and installing a new refrigeration system that has increased capacity anduses R410A refrigerant. The size of the electric heaters will also be increased.The existing MPPU is currently located at the Kennedy Space Center. No solicitation exists; therefore, do not request a copy of the solicitation. If asolicitation is released it will be synopsized in FedBizOpps and on the NASA AcquisitionInternet Service. It is the potential offerors responsibility to monitor these sitesfor the release of any solicitation or synopsis.Responses must include the following: name and address of firm, size of business;average annual revenue for past 3 years and number of employees; ownership; whether theyare large, or any category of small business*, number of years in business; affiliateinformation: parent company, joint venture partners, potential teaming partners, primecontractor (if potential sub) or subcontractors (if potential prime); list of customerscovering the past five years (highlight relevant work performed, contract numbers,contract type, dollar value of each procurement; and point of contact - address and phonenumber). *NASA is seeking capabilities from all categories of SB for the purpose of determiningthe appropriate level of competition and/or SB subcontracting goals for thisrequirement."Please advise if the requirement is considered to be a commercial or commercial-typeproduct. A commercial item is defined in FAR 2.101.This synopsis is for information and planning purposes and is not to be construed as acommitment by the Government nor will the Government pay for information solicited. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation. Respondents deemedfully qualified will be considered in any resultant solicitation for the requirement. The Government reserves the right to consider a small business or 8(a) set-aside based onresponses hereto. All responses April 26, 2011. Please reference NNK11RFI01TF in anyresponse. Any referenced notes may be viewed at the following URLs linked below.

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