As NASA and U.S. Industry partners provide scientific and technological payloads to the moon, the dedicated team behind the scenes ensures that every mission is based on strategy, compliance and innovation. Leading this work is Aubrie Henspeter, who provides all aspects of procurement for the NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, one of the cornerstone projects supporting the Artemis movement.
For 20 years at NASA, Henspeter served as the leader of the CLPS procurement team at the Lunar & Planetary Exprountary Parthoration Parkitory Procurement office in the Johnson Space Center in Houston. Her work is the same part of problem solving, mentoring and strategic – all of which are committed to enabling business partners to deliver NASA payloads to the moon’s surface faster, more affordable and more efficiently than ever before.
“It’s great to see a full life cycle of a project from solicitation requirements to launch to the moon,” Henspeter said. “As the agricultural industry grows, we continue to adjust by combining lessons learned and improve procurement terms and conditions.”
Henspeter leads a team of six contractors and contract experts to manage workload priorities and support the continuity of seven business tasks in the current contract. She also helps shape the upcoming contract opportunities for future lunar delivery and constantly seeks creative procurement strategies within the framework of fixed price for commercial companies.
NASA launched the CLPS program in 2018 to create a faster and more flexible way to work with commercial companies for Lunar delivery. Thirteen suppliers are participating as part of a Durong contract, each of which is eligible to compete for a single mission order to deliver NASA scientific and technical payloads to the moon. These delivery support the Artemis goal by achieving new discoveries, testing key technologies, and preparing for long-term exploration of the moon's surface.
In May 2023, Henspeter received the NASA Outstanding Service Medal for his leadership at CLP in 2018-2023. For her, recognition reflects the spirit and collaboration of the team.
“I really like this project because it has a lean, adaptable approach and an amazing team involved in it,” she said. “When we work together throughout NASA, we are the most successful and can achieve our mission.”
This sense of collaboration and adaptability has affected many of the insights Henspeter has gained throughout her career – she now applies every day to help the team stay consistent and prepared.
One of these key courses: Always keep the contract up to date.
"It's all good until it's not, and then everyone asks - what does the contract say?" she said. “Open communication and latest documentation, no matter how small the change is, is essential.”
During her career, Henspeter has learned to prioritize preparation, adaptability and strong working relationships.
“Procurement preparation is conducting thorough market research, understanding regulations, finding gray areas, and developing strategies that best meet customer needs,” she said. “Adaptive means sticking to goals while remaining open and flexible to reach them.”
From one year of international contract negotiations with foreign partners to moving customers from a one-year request to competitive procurement that ultimately saves costs and expands opportunities, this philosophy helped her browse everything.
"NASA is full of outstanding people and it can be challenging to come up with alternatives. But with clear communication and data-driven advice, we found effective solutions."
Henspeter hopes to look forward to Artemis Generation and expresses deep respect for teamwork and shared goals.
“Every contribution is important. It’s different in fulfilling our mission, both big and small,” she said. “I’m proud of my role and being a part of the NASA team.”