Lisa Grady

Lisa Grady serves as a key procurement specialist at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, supporting the agency’s mission to advance deep space propulsion and space vehicle technologies. While holding a secondary role, she plays a critical part in executing complex research and development acquisitions aligned with the Center’s focus on next-generation rocket engines, flight systems, and mission-critical computational infrastructure. Her procurement activities center on high-stakes technical contracts requiring rigorous engineering validation, often involving systems integration, propulsion testing, and real-time data analysis platforms essential to Moon-to-Mars architecture development. Grady maintains consistent working relationships with specialized contractors including Bastion Technologies Inc. and Aerospace & Commercial Technologies, LLC, both of which provide advanced engineering services in propulsion systems, flight dynamics modeling, and mission support software. Her contracting patterns reflect a preference for partners with proven expertise in aerospace R&D, often engaging firms capable of delivering rapid prototyping, systems analysis, and test facility integration under strict NASA technical standards. These partnerships are typically structured as cost-reimbursement or time-and-materials contracts to accommodate the iterative nature of space technology development. Her procurement portfolio reflects a balanced commitment to socioeconomic goals, with approximately half of her acquisitions set aside for total small business participation under FAR 19.5, and the other half open to all competitors. This pattern underscores a deliberate strategy to foster innovation from small, agile firms while maintaining access to established aerospace contractors with deep technical capabilities. There is no evidence of reliance on 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB set-asides, indicating a primary focus on capability-driven small business engagement rather than socioeconomic categorization. Grady’s acquisitions are exclusively classified under NAICS 541715—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences—reflecting a singular focus on engineering R&D services. She procures advanced analytical tools, propulsion test instrumentation, computational simulation platforms, and systems engineering support critical to the design and validation of spaceflight hardware, demonstrating deep expertise in the technical domains of aerospace propulsion and mission systems development.