Stephanie Archuleta

Stephanie Archuleta serves as a key procurement lead within the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Rocket Propulsion Division (FA9453), where she manages acquisitions critical to advancing next-generation space and aerospace technologies. Her responsibilities center on securing research and development services that support resilient computing architectures, high-performance instrumentation, and autonomous space systems. She plays a pivotal role in translating the division’s technical vision into actionable contracts, ensuring rapid prototyping and foundational innovation align with national space dominance objectives. Her portfolio primarily consists of non-commercial, performance-based R&D contracts requiring deep technical expertise and agile acquisition methodologies. Archuleta collaborates with a diverse ecosystem of defense contractors, academic research institutions, and specialized engineering firms capable of delivering advanced propulsion systems, space-grade sensors, and real-time data processing solutions. While no single contractor dominates her portfolio, she consistently engages vendors with proven capabilities in hypersonics, solid and liquid rocket propulsion, and space-qualified electronics. Her contracting approach emphasizes technical merit, innovation readiness, and past performance over price alone, fostering long-term partnerships with organizations that can rapidly iterate and adapt to evolving mission needs. Archuleta’s procurement patterns reflect a strong preference for open competition, with 100% of her acquisitions conducted without set-aside designations. This reflects the highly specialized, mission-critical nature of the technologies being procured, where only a limited pool of qualified entities possess the requisite expertise. While small business participation is not formally prioritized through socioeconomic set-asides, she remains open to qualified small businesses demonstrating technical excellence and rapid development capabilities. Her primary focus is on NAICS 541712—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences—where she procures advanced propulsion testing, computational fluid dynamics modeling, autonomous guidance systems, and space-based sensor integration. Her technical domain expertise spans rocket engine design, space environment simulation, and high-fidelity instrumentation, making her a critical conduit between cutting-edge science and operational space capability.