Ms. Paola Navarro-Gallegos, Contracting Buyer

Ms. Paola Navarro-Gallegos serves as a Contracting Buyer within the FA8814 Space Development Testing Planning Packet, supporting the Department of the Air Force’s mission to accelerate the development and operational testing of next-generation space systems. She manages the acquisition lifecycle for high-priority space platforms, including multi-mission orbital architectures, advanced propulsion systems, and resilient sensor payloads designed for tactical space superiority and multi-domain deterrence. Her procurement activities are central to transitioning cutting-edge space technologies from development to fielded capability, ensuring compliance with national security requirements and rapid prototyping timelines. She routinely handles complex, technically demanding contracts requiring stringent systems engineering oversight and integration with joint warfighting architectures. Ms. Navarro-Gallegos collaborates with a broad spectrum of defense aerospace contractors specializing in space vehicle manufacturing and mission-critical space systems integration. While no single contractor dominates her portfolio, she engages with prime contractors possessing deep expertise in guided missile and space vehicle development, as well as niche suppliers of advanced propulsion, onboard autonomy, and space-based sensing technologies. Her working relationships emphasize technical rigor, rapid iteration, and compliance with Defense Acquisition Regulation System (DARS) protocols, fostering partnerships built on innovation and mission alignment rather than volume-based contracting. Her contracting patterns reflect a strong preference for full and open competition, with 100% of her acquisitions classified as non-set-aside. This indicates a strategic focus on accessing the broadest possible industrial base capable of meeting the technical and schedule demands of next-generation space programs, rather than prioritizing socioeconomic set-asides. While small business participation is not formally mandated in her portfolio, she remains attentive to capabilities offered by qualified small entities through unrestricted competitions. Her primary procurement focus is exclusively within NAICS 336414 — Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing — encompassing the acquisition of space platforms, payload integration systems, and associated ground support infrastructure. She specializes in procuring high-reliability, radiation-hardened components and systems designed for low Earth orbit and beyond, with deep familiarity in spacecraft bus architectures, on-orbit servicing technologies, and space domain awareness sensors.