NASA/GSFC has a requirement for one Custom 40” Diameter Zenith PTFE Lined Luminance / Radiance Integrating Sphere. Specifications for the sphere include the following:
1. The sphere must be a 40" diameter aluminum shell lined with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). The 40" sphere diameter is needed to accommodate higher operating temperatures, foregoing the need to cool the source and to provide a stable output with shorter warm-up period. The aluminum shell is required to enable the sphere to reach equilibrium color temperature stability in less than 1 hour at 412 nm. PTFE is required due to its high reflectance across the ultraviolet, visible, near infrared and shortwave infrared wavelength regions, its durability, and its non-hygroscopic properties. Provided it is kept clean, PTFE does not require replacement or recoating. In the event of a contamination event, PTFE can be easily cleaned.
2. The non-uniformity of the output of the sphere must be 1% or less over the output aperture. Moreover, given the uniformity specifications and in order to accommodate facility customers with instruments with wide FOVs, a spherical PTFE interior, which conforms to the shape of the interior spherical aluminum shell, is essential. Based on laboratory measurements, approaches which attempt to approximate a spherical interior using a series of flat PTFE panels are not acceptable.
3. The lamp ports must be of modular design to allow conversion to lamps of other wattage and types (e.g. from tungsten halogen to xenon).
4. Long term (i.e. hours after warm-up) radiance stability of the sphere must be equal to or better than 0.2% at 412 nm.
5. The sphere must provide radiance output equal or greater than 2500 W/m2 sr ìm at its peak wavelength output (i.e. at an approx. wavelength of 1 ìm). / (See Attached)
6. The sphere must include an external lamp housing with an attenuator, to allow near-continuous radiant output between sphere lamp radiance levels.
NASA/GSFC intends to purchase the items from SphereOptics, LLC pursuant to FAR 13.106, for the acquisition of supplies or services determined to be reasonably available from only one source. SphereOptics, LLC meets our measurement applications and facility customer radiometric calibration requirements for dynamic range, stability, and uniformity.
The Government intends to acquire a commercial item using FAR Part 12, and the Simplified Acquisition Procedures set forth in FAR Part 13, via The Test Program for Certain Commercial Items (FAR 13.5)
Interested organizations may submit their capabilities and qualifications to perform the effort in writing to the identified point of contact not later than 4:30 p.m. local time on September 22, 2008. Such capabilities/qualifications will be evaluated solely for the purpose of determining whether or not to conduct this procurement on a competitive basis. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed effort on a full and open competition basis, based upon responses to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the government.
Oral communications are not acceptable in response to this notice.
All responsible sources may submit an offer, which shall be considered by the agency.
An Ombudsman has been appointed. See NASA Specific Note "B".
Any referenced notes may be viewed at the following URLs linked below.
