# White House Nominates Leaders for Space Acquisition

The White House has nominated Roger Mason to serve as director of the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) and Erich Hernandez-Baquero, a Raytheon executive, as Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration. Both nominations are pending Senate confirmation and position experienced industry leaders to oversee a significant increase in space-related acquisitions, including a **$19.1 billion** procurement request for fiscal year 2027. These appointments signal a strategic emphasis on accelerating Space Force programs and satellite reconnaissance capabilities, which will influence upcoming contract opportunities and procurement priorities in space technology and defense sectors.

- **Why this matters:** Procurement professionals should anticipate expanded contracting opportunities in space systems, satellite technologies, and integration services driven by increased funding and leadership with industry experience.
- The involvement of executives from major defense contractors like Raytheon and Peraton suggests continued collaboration between government and industry in space acquisition programs.
- Organizations should prepare for potential shifts in acquisition strategies and requirements under new leadership at the NRO and Air Force space acquisition office.
- This development underscores the importance of aligning business strategies with evolving Space Force priorities and the growing budget for space-related defense procurement.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Defense & Military, Information Technology
**Topics:** Contracting Vehicles, Cloud Services
**Published:** April 24, 2026

### Government Entities
- United States Air Force (USAF)
- United States Space Force (USSF)
- National Reconnaissance Office (NRO)

### Vendors
- Raytheon (Prime contractor (executive's employer))
- V2X (Defense contractor (executive's employer))
- Peraton (Industry employer of Roger Mason)

### Sources
- [White House Nominates Roger Mason to Head NRO](https://cdn.meritalk.com/articles/white-house-nominates-roger-mason-to-head-nro) - meritalk
- [Trump taps defense firm execs to lead space acquisition, NRO - Breaking Defense](https://breakingdefense.com/2026/04/trump-taps-defense-firm-execs-to-lead-space-acquisition-nro) - Breaking Defense