Hazel P. Rosenthal

Hazel P. Rosenthal serves as a key procurement professional within the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Rocket Propulsion Division (FA9453), supporting the development and acquisition of advanced space and aerospace technologies. She manages complex research and development contracts focused on next-generation propulsion systems, resilient computing architectures, and high-performance instrumentation critical to space domain awareness and autonomous satellite operations. Her work directly enables the Air Force’s strategic imperative to accelerate innovation in space-based capabilities through rapid prototyping and foundational science, ensuring U.S. technological superiority in contested orbital environments. Rosenthal collaborates with a broad spectrum of defense contractors, academic research institutions, and specialized engineering firms engaged in propulsion system design, space-qualified electronics, and advanced materials development. While no single contractor dominates her portfolio, her procurement patterns reflect a preference for partners with proven expertise in hypersonics, electric propulsion, and space-hardened computing. She fosters long-term technical partnerships with vendors capable of meeting stringent military performance standards and rapid iteration cycles, often engaging firms through Other Transaction Authority (OTA) mechanisms to streamline innovation delivery. Rosenthal’s contracting activity is exclusively classified as “No Set-Aside,” indicating a focus on technical merit and capability over socioeconomic preferences. This reflects the highly specialized nature of the R&D requirements, where mission-critical performance and proprietary aerospace expertise take precedence over small business set-asides. While socioeconomic programs are not utilized in her portfolio, her approach ensures that only the most technically qualified entities are selected to meet urgent national security needs. Her procurement activity is concentrated entirely under NAICS 541712—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology). She consistently acquires advanced engineering services related to rocket propulsion, space systems integration, sensor development, and autonomous control algorithms, working closely with firms specializing in computational fluid dynamics, plasma physics, and space-qualified avionics. Her domain expertise centers on enabling next-generation space architectures through cutting-edge scientific research and high-fidelity prototyping.