Flight Deck CDM IT Hardware Professional Services Phase 5

NASA/NSSC has issued a sole source notice of intent to award a contract to CONNECTSIX LLC for Flight Deck CDM IT Hardware Professional Services Phase 5. The procurement will be conducted under FAR Part 12 for commercial items and services, with performance situated at the NASA Ames Research Center (ARC). Registered under NAICS code 334513, the agency will evaluate written capability statements from interested organizations submitted by July 15, 2026, at 7:00 a.m. CST to determine if the acquisition should be competed. Shanna L. Patterson is the primary procurement contact.

This Statement of Work outlines Phase V of the Flight Deck Collaborative Decision Making (CDM) Research Project for the NASA Ames Research Center. The project's overall goal is to modernize aircraft surface movement by digitizing analog VHF taxi commands, translating them via a Google Speech-to-Text Large Language Model, and transmitting digital taxi instructions to pilots' Electronic Flight Bags and Air Traffic Control. Building on previous phases that tested speech-to-text feasibility and model accuracy, Phase V focuses on improving transcription speed, reducing latency, and deploying an edge audio device. Specifically, the contractor must upgrade an existing ground-based unit (GBU)—consisting of a Raspberry Pi, audio processing electronics, and a VHF transceiver—to optimize audio fidelity and minimize ambient noise. Key deliverables and requirements under this phase include: * Installing and configuring the GBU at Ames Research Center/Moffett Field. * Coding data capture capabilities to segment audio for cloud storage. * Providing ongoing GBU maintenance and data collection support. * Delivering in-person technical support for a shadow mode test assessment in November 2026 and a live-assessment test with a remote pilot and mock tower in March 2027. The place of performance is the Ames Research Center, with the period of performance aligned to the scheduled testing and maintenance milestones.

This document is a Sole Source Justification from the NASA Shared Services Center recommending a non-competitive contract award to Connectsix, LLC. The procurement is for "ConnectSix SayWeather GBU Labor" to support Phase Five of the Flight Deck Collaborative Decision Making (CDM) initiative, specifically focusing on the hardware component. NASA justifies the sole-source selection based on Connectsix's unique, specialized expertise. The vendor has a proven track record in integrating Google Speech-to-Text AI for aviation communications, along with proprietary capabilities in rapid edge hardware development and deployment. Market research indicates no other vendors possess the necessary combination of field-proven architecture and integrated research to meet the program's operational requirements. Introducing an alternative vendor would cause significant schedule delays, introduce technical risks, and increase costs due to the need for extensive knowledge transfer, redevelopment of existing work, and system compatibility validation.