Laura Bullington

Laura Bullington serves as a key procurement professional at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, supporting the development of advanced propulsion systems, space vehicle technologies, and mission-critical science infrastructure. She manages complex acquisitions aligned with the Center’s mission to enable human exploration beyond low Earth orbit, with a focus on research and development in physical and engineering sciences, as well as specialized aerospace instrumentation. Her portfolio includes high-stakes contracts for propulsion testing systems, guidance and navigation technologies, and computational infrastructure supporting deep space mission simulations. Bullington ensures compliance with federal acquisition regulations while prioritizing technical innovation and mission readiness. She maintains consistent working relationships with leading aerospace and defense contractors, including Bastion Technologies Inc. and Aerospace & Commercial Technologies, LLC, both of which provide specialized engineering services and advanced system integration for NASA’s propulsion and flight control initiatives. Her contracting approach emphasizes long-term vendor partnerships grounded in technical excellence, performance-based outcomes, and adherence to stringent aerospace quality standards. These relationships are cultivated through transparent solicitation processes and rigorous source selection criteria that prioritize proven capability in high-reliability systems. Bullington’s procurement patterns reflect a strong preference for open competition, with 85.7% of awards issued without set-aside restrictions, indicating a focus on securing the most technically capable solutions regardless of business size. However, she consistently supports small business participation, with 14.3% of awards designated as total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5, demonstrating a balanced commitment to both mission-critical performance and socioeconomic objectives. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 541715 for research and development in engineering sciences and NAICS 334511 for aeronautical system manufacturing. She procures advanced propulsion test hardware, real-time data acquisition systems, flight control avionics, and simulation platforms critical to Moon-to-Mars architecture development, reflecting deep expertise in space systems engineering and mission-critical technology acquisition.