Charis Murray

Charis Murray serves as a key procurement professional at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, supporting the acquisition of advanced space systems and scientific instrumentation critical to Earth observation and deep-space missions. Responsible for managing complex contract actions under the 80GSFC organization, Murray facilitates the procurement of mission-critical hardware and software systems aligned with NASA’s strategic goals in space science and planetary exploration. Their work primarily involves full and open competitions for high-technology space vehicle manufacturing, integrating cutting-edge sensors, propulsion systems, and telecommunications payloads into operational spacecraft architectures. Murray plays a central role in ensuring compliance with federal acquisition regulations while advancing technical innovation across Goddard’s flagship programs. Murray maintains longstanding relationships with specialized contractors including Aerospace & Commercial Technologies, LLC, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Lincoln Laboratory, reflecting a preference for technically mature, research-driven partners capable of delivering high-reliability space systems. These collaborations often involve cost-reimbursement and time-and-materials contracts requiring rigorous systems engineering oversight and risk mitigation. The working relationships are characterized by deep technical engagement, iterative prototyping, and close coordination between contracting staff and mission scientists to align procurement outcomes with scientific objectives. Murray’s procurement portfolio reflects a strict commitment to full and open competition, with 100% of awards issued without set-asides for 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, or other socioeconomic categories. This reflects the highly specialized nature of the acquisitions, where technical capability and mission readiness take precedence over socioeconomic preferences. While small business participation is not formally prioritized, vendor selection remains grounded in competitive evaluation criteria emphasizing performance history, technical feasibility, and systems integration expertise. The primary NAICS classification for Murray’s acquisitions is 336414—Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing—encompassing the procurement of spacecraft buses, payload integration systems, radiation-hardened avionics, and deep-space communication terminals. Their technical domain expertise spans spacecraft systems engineering, orbital instrumentation, and mission-critical avionics, with a focus on next-generation Earth science platforms and interplanetary missions requiring extreme environmental resilience and autonomous operation.