Reduced Gravity Modification of 737-73W Aircraft

Summary (Newest Update)

Background The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Armstrong Flight Research Center (AFRC) is issuing a justification for other than full and open competition to award a sole-source contract to Denmar Technical Services, Inc. This contract is essential for the Reduced Gravity Test Bed Project, which supports NASA's need for validation testing on Space Suits as part of the Artemis program. Work Details Denmar Technical Services, Inc. will conduct a feasibility assessment to determine the Boeing 737-73W's suitability for NASA's reduced gravity mission. The tasks include: 1. Modifying the aircraft cabin as necessary to support reduced gravity operations. 2. Performing overdue maintenance and inspections on the aircraft. 3. Conducting airworthiness restoration tasks. 4. Painting the aircraft exterior with NASA identifiers. Period of Performance The contract is expected to be performed from June 1, 2026, to October 1, 2026. Place of Performance The work will be performed on the Boeing 737-73W aircraft, which is currently owned by the United States Air Force (USAF). Bidder Requirements Denmar Technical Services, Inc. is uniquely qualified due to their ongoing work with another Government Agency on the same aircraft, possessing specific knowledge of its airworthiness status and classified modifications. No other vendors demonstrated the capability to meet the required timeline or perform the necessary tasks. Incumbent Analysis (see Incumbents section for more detail) This opportunity appears to have a confirmed incumbent based on prior contract 80AFRC26C0003 awarded to Denmar Technical Services for a feasibility assessment and modification of the Boeing 737-700/737-73W aircraft to support reduced gravity operations. The prior work included modifying the aircraft cabin for reduced gravity mission support, performing maintenance/inspections and airworthiness restoration, and painting the aircraft per the SOW—activities that closely align with the current requirement for feasibility assessment, cabin modifications, maintenance/airworthiness restoration, and NASA exterior identifiers.