Rachel Bellanova

Rachel Bellanova serves as a key procurement professional within the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Propulsion Directorate (FA8650), supporting the development and acquisition of advanced aerospace propulsion systems, hypersonic technologies, and high-performance functional materials. She manages complex research and development contracts aligned with the Department of the Air Force’s mission to sustain air and space dominance through next-generation propulsion innovation. Her portfolio primarily consists of fundamental and applied R&D initiatives, including adaptive flight control systems, thermally resistant composites, and propulsion component prototyping, often involving multi-year, high-technical-risk projects requiring specialized engineering expertise. Bellanova maintains consistent partnerships with industry leaders such as UES INC, General Electric Company, DCS Corporation, Spirit Aerosystems Inc, and Advanced Thermoplastic Composites LLC, who provide cutting-edge engineering services, materials development, and systems integration capabilities. These relationships reflect a preference for established defense aerospace contractors with proven track records in propulsion and hypersonics research, indicating a focus on mission-critical, high-fidelity R&D delivery rather than commercial off-the-shelf solutions. Her contracting approach emphasizes technical rigor, performance-based outcomes, and long-term collaboration with vendors possessing deep domain-specific capabilities. Bellanova’s procurement activity shows no use of socioeconomic set-asides, with 100% of awards issued under full and open competition. This reflects a mission-driven prioritization of technical capability and schedule certainty over socioeconomic preferences, consistent with the high-stakes nature of propulsion and hypersonics R&D where specialized expertise is scarce and time-sensitive. Her primary focus is on NAICS 541715—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences—where she procures advanced materials, propulsion system prototypes, computational fluid dynamics modeling, and experimental validation services. Her expertise lies in acquiring technically complex, non-recurring engineering efforts critical to transitioning laboratory innovations into operational air and space systems.