Lyra Bui

Lyra Bui serves as a key procurement professional at NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center, supporting the agency’s mission to advance aeronautical innovation through flight testing and experimental aircraft modification. Responsible for managing complex acquisitions in aerospace research and propulsion systems, Bui oversees contracts that enable the integration of advanced flight control architectures, sensor suites, and next-generation engine technologies into modified aircraft platforms. Their work directly supports NASA’s strategic priorities in hypersonics, autonomous systems, and aviation safety, ensuring that technical requirements are translated into compliant, mission-critical contracts aligned with federal acquisition regulations. Bui maintains strategic relationships with leading aerospace industry partners, including PRIORITY 1 AVIATION INC and ROLLS-ROYCE CORPORATION, reflecting a focus on high-precision engineering and systems integration. These partnerships are characterized by long-term collaboration on specialized development and modification projects, often involving proprietary flight test instrumentation and turbine propulsion components. The contracting approach emphasizes technical rigor, performance-based outcomes, and rigorous compliance with NASA’s aerospace standards, fostering vendor engagement grounded in mission alignment rather than transactional procurement. Bui’s procurement portfolio reflects a strong preference for full and open competition, with 100% of awards issued under no set-aside categories. This indicates a focus on technical capability over socioeconomic classifications, prioritizing the most qualified vendors capable of delivering complex aerospace systems. While small business participation is not formally incentivized through set-asides, the agency’s technical demands inherently attract specialized small firms through subcontracting opportunities under prime contracts. The primary NAICS focus areas are 336412 (Aircraft Engine and Engine Parts Manufacturing) and 541715 (Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences), underscoring expertise in propulsion system development and applied aerospace R&D. Bui routinely procures custom-engineered components, flight test instrumentation, propulsion validation hardware, and advanced simulation services critical to experimental aircraft programs. Their technical domain spans gas turbine systems, flight control algorithms, and high-speed aerodynamic testing infrastructure.