New Opportunities Center

New Opportunities Center serves as a key procurement lead at NASA Ames Research Center, driving the acquisition of advanced aerospace and space technology solutions aligned with the agency’s mission of scientific discovery and next-generation flight systems. Responsible for managing complex research and development contracts, they oversee the sourcing of cutting-edge capabilities in autonomous navigation, high-speed flight technologies, and advanced computing systems. Their procurement portfolio is narrowly focused on mission-critical R&D initiatives that support NASA’s strategic objectives in aeronautics, planetary exploration, and space science, ensuring alignment with federal acquisition regulations and technical performance requirements. The center maintains a primary working relationship with Aerospace & Commercial Technologies, LLC, a trusted contractor delivering specialized engineering services and prototype development for NASA’s high-risk, high-reward programs. This partnership reflects a pattern of sustained collaboration with firms capable of rapid innovation, systems integration, and technical adaptability in dynamic aerospace environments. Contracting practices emphasize performance-based outcomes, technical rigor, and iterative development cycles typical of early-stage aerospace R&D. Set-aside preferences are uniformly non-targeted, with 100% of awards issued under full and open competition. This reflects a procurement strategy prioritizing technical excellence and mission readiness over socioeconomic categorizations, consistent with the highly specialized and niche nature of the research being conducted. While small business participation is not formally incentivized through set-asides, the center evaluates all offerors based on technical merit and capability. The center’s procurement activity is exclusively classified under NAICS 927110 (Space Research and Technology), focusing on advanced systems engineering, flight dynamics modeling, thermal protection technologies, and autonomous control software. They procure custom-built hardware, simulation platforms, and integrated science payloads—often requiring clearance for export-controlled technologies and compliance with NASA’s unique spaceflight safety standards.