KBR Wyle Services, LLC

B-423901.2 Mar 24, 2026 Jump To FULL REPORT VIEW DECISION RELATED PAGES GAO CONTACTS Highlights KBR Wyle Services, LLC (KBR), of Fulton, Maryland, protests the award of a contract, referred to as the Contract for Organizing Spaceflight Mission Operations and Systems (COSMOS), to ASCEND Aerospace & Technology, LLC (ASCEND), a small business joint venture of Cape Canaveral, Florida, under request for proposals (RFP) No. 80JSC024R0003, issued by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for spaceflight mission operations and system services. The protester challenges the agency's evaluation of proposals and resulting award decision. We deny the protest. View Decision DOCUMENT FOR PUBLIC RELEASE The decision issued on the date below was subject to a GAO Protective Order. This redacted version has been approved for public release. Decision Matter of: KBR Wyle Services, LLC File: B-423901.2 Date: March 24, 2026 Richard J.R. Raleigh, Jr., Esq., Christopher L. Lockwood, Esq., Jon D. Levin, Esq., and Ginny L. Gibson, Esq., Womble Bond Dickinson (US), LLP, for the protester. Brian P. Waagner, Esq., Steven A. Neeley, Esq., Samuel W. Jack, Esq., and Bhargavi Kalaga, Esq., Husch Blackwell LLP, for the intervenor. Jennifer L. Rawls, Esq., Cody Corley, Esq., and Delenn Cooper, Esq., National Aeronautics and Space Administration, for the agency. Sarah T. Zaffina, Esq., and Heather Weiner, Esq., Office of the General Counsel, GAO, participated in the preparation of the decision. DIGEST 1. Protest that awardee's proposal should have been rejected for failing to include small disadvantaged business participation information is denied where the awardee, as a small business, was not required to submit the information and the solicitation expressly stated that offerors would not be rejected for failing to meet small business goals. 2. Protest challenging the agency's evaluation of proposals under several of the solicitation's evaluation factors is denied where the record shows that the agency's evaluation was reasonable and consistent with the terms of the solicitation. DECISION KBR Wyle Services, LLC (KBR), of Fulton, Maryland, protests the award of a contract, referred to as the Contract for Organizing Spaceflight Mission Operations and Systems (COSMOS), to ASCEND Aerospace & Technology, LLC (ASCEND), a small business joint venture[1] of Cape Canaveral, Florida, under request for proposals (RFP) No. 80JSC024R0003, issued by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for spaceflight mission operations and system services. The protester challenges the agency's evaluation of proposals and resulting award decision. We deny the protest. BACKGROUND COSMOS is the “follow-on” procurement of the current NASA Mission Systems Operations Contract (MSOC) contract. Contracting Officer's Statement (COS) at 2. The COSMOS contract “supports systems integration, critical operations, and human spaceflight operations providing imperative protection of human life and property for NASA missions.” Id.; AR, Tab 3, Pre-Proposal Conference Briefing Slides at 13. The solicitation details the work needed for the successful operation of NASA's Flight Operations Directorate's mission systems. AR, Tab 2.1 Conformed RFP at 16. As relevant to the protest, the solicitation defines mission systems as “the systems and subsystems of integrated hardware, software, networks, telecommunications, data, displays, and mockups used in the preparation for and performance of mission operations.” Id. Mission systems support planning, training, flight operations, and vehicle development. Id. NASA issued the RFP on an unrestricted basis on October 25, 2024, pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) part 15 procedures and NASA FAR supplement part 1815 procedures for negotiated contracts.[2] Id. at 1. The solicitation contemplated the award of a single indefinite‑delivery, indefinite-quantity contract and the issuance of cost-plus-award-fee task orders during a 5-year base period and two 2‑year options. Id. at 8-10, 73. The contract value is not to exceed $1.8 billion. Id. at 10. The RFP provided that the contract would be awarded using a best-value tradeoff considering: (1) mission suitability, (2) past performance, and (3) cost/price. Id. at 503. Mission suitability and past performance when combined were significantly more important than cost/price. Id. The solicitation provided that the mission suitability factor was approximately equal to the cost/price factor and was more important than the past performance factor. Id. The solicitation also provided that the cost/price factor was more important than the past performance factor. Id.