Victoria E. Baca

Victoria E. Baca serves as a Contracting Officer within the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Rocket Propulsion Division (FA9453), where she leads the acquisition of advanced aerospace and space systems technologies critical to national security. She manages complex research and development contracts focused on next-generation rocket propulsion, resilient space computing architectures, and high-performance instrumentation for space domain awareness and autonomous satellite operations. Her work directly supports the Department of the Air Force’s mission to maintain technological superiority in space by accelerating innovation through rapid prototyping and foundational science initiatives. Baca specializes in sole-source and competitive R&D acquisitions under FAR Part 35 and Other Transaction Authority (OTA) mechanisms, ensuring timely delivery of mission-critical capabilities. Baca collaborates with a diverse ecosystem of defense contractors, academic research institutions, and advanced technology firms specializing in aerospace engineering, propulsion systems, and space-based sensor development. While no single contractor dominates her portfolio, she consistently engages with entities possessing deep expertise in hypersonics, electric propulsion, and adaptive space architectures. Her contracting approach emphasizes technical rigor, performance-based outcomes, and collaboration with non-traditional defense innovators to foster agility and reduce acquisition timelines. Baca’s procurement strategy reflects a strong preference for open competition, with 100% of her acquisitions issued as non-set-aside actions. She does not prioritize 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB set-asides, instead focusing on technical capability and mission alignment as primary selection criteria. This approach ensures that the most capable and innovative solutions—regardless of vendor size or socioeconomic status—are selected to meet the high-stakes demands of space systems development. Her primary focus is on NAICS 541712, encompassing research and development in physical, engineering, and life sciences. She procures advanced propulsion test hardware, autonomous guidance systems, radiation-hardened computing modules, and space-qualified instrumentation, working closely with engineers and scientists to translate technical requirements into enforceable contract deliverables. Her domain expertise lies at the intersection of propulsion physics, space systems engineering, and defense acquisition policy.