Robert A. Schnabel, ICPS Contracting Officer

Robert A. Schnabel serves as a Contracting Officer at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, where he leads the acquisition of mission-critical propulsion systems and space vehicle technologies essential to deep space exploration. Responsible for managing complex procurements under the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Schnabel specializes in the development and procurement of guided missile and space vehicle propulsion units, ensuring technical compliance, risk mitigation, and mission readiness for NASA’s Moon to Mars architecture. His portfolio encompasses high-stakes, engineering-intense contracts for rocket engine components, propulsion test infrastructure, and associated advanced manufacturing services, aligning directly with Marshall’s mandate to pioneer next-generation propulsion systems. Schnabel maintains consistent contracting relationships with specialized defense and aerospace contractors, notably Bastion Technologies Inc. and Aerospace & Commercial Technologies, LLC, both of which provide advanced propulsion engineering, systems integration, and high-performance component manufacturing. His procurement approach emphasizes long-term vendor partnerships grounded in technical expertise, quality assurance, and adherence to stringent NASA safety and performance standards. These relationships are built on sustained performance, technical responsiveness, and the ability to deliver complex hardware under rigorous developmental timelines. Schnabel’s contracting activity reflects a singular focus on full and open competition, with 100% of awards issued without set-aside designations, including no use of 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB programs. This reflects the highly specialized nature of the propulsion technologies procured, where only a limited number of vendors possess the requisite engineering capabilities, security clearances, and test infrastructure required for NASA’s mission-critical systems. His primary procurement focus is exclusively within NAICS 336415—Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Propulsion Unit and Propulsion Unit Parts Manufacturing—encompassing solid and liquid rocket motors, turbopumps, combustion chambers, and associated avionics controls. Schnabel’s expertise lies in acquiring technically sophisticated propulsion hardware and subsystems that support NASA’s human spaceflight and propulsion test programs, requiring deep domain knowledge in aerospace propulsion engineering and federal acquisition regulation compliance.