Nicole Balestreri

Nicole Balestreri serves as a secondary contracting professional within the Space Systems Command, supporting the Department of Defense’s mission to develop, acquire, and sustain resilient space capabilities. Though not the primary contracting officer, she plays a critical role in facilitating the procurement of specialized aerospace logistics and on-orbit support services, ensuring alignment with strategic modernization goals for next-generation launch systems and space-based surveillance platforms. Her responsibilities include coordinating contract execution, managing vendor compliance, and enabling timely delivery of mission-critical space domain assets through efficient acquisition workflows. Balestreri maintains a consistent working relationship with Aerospace & Commercial Technologies, LLC, a key contractor providing niche air and space transportation support services. Her procurement patterns reflect a reliance on established industry partners with proven expertise in nonscheduled chartered air operations, particularly those capable of supporting rapid deployment, payload transport, and contingency logistics for space missions. These vendor partnerships are characterized by long-term operational trust, technical alignment, and repeat engagement across multiple acquisition cycles. Her contracting activity shows no use of socioeconomic set-asides, with 100% of procurements conducted under full and open competition. This reflects a mission-driven emphasis on technical capability and operational readiness over socioeconomic preferences, prioritizing performance and mission-critical delivery timelines above small business participation targets. Balestreri’s primary procurement focus is under NAICS 481212, Nonscheduled Chartered Freight Air Transportation, indicating deep specialization in air logistics for space systems. She procures specialized air transport services essential for moving sensitive space hardware, test equipment, and personnel across strategic locations, often under tight security and schedule constraints. Her domain expertise lies in the intersection of aerospace logistics, defense transportation, and rapid-response supply chain operations supporting the U.S. space enterprise.