NASA engineers want openness. They publish research, share findings at conferences, and collaborate with universities. The agency was created explicitly as a civilian organization to "contribute materially" to peaceful purposes and international cooperation. Transparency remains part of its institutional DNA.
Defense Department programs operate differently. Classification levels restrict information flow. Need-to-know protocols limit collaboration. Security requirements shape every conversation. The Pentagon exists to defend national interests, and that mission demands secrecy in ways space exploration typically does not.
Margarita Howard runs a company serving both agencies. The government contractor HX5 employs more than 1,000 people supporting NASA and Department of Defense missions across over 20 states. The work demands fluency in two distinct organizational languages—understanding when to collaborate openly and when to compartmentalize strictly, when to share research and when to lock down findings, when transparency serves the mission and when security does.
"Experience in their respective fields, while supporting these agencies' respective programs and missions, is very different from experience gained working in the commercial world," Howard said.
NASA operates under the 1958 National Aeronautics and Space Act, which declares that U.S. space activities "should be devoted to peaceful purposes for the benefit of all mankind.” The law specifies that aeronautical and space activities shall be directed by "a civilian agency" except for those "primarily associated with weapon systems, military operations, or defense of the United States."
That founding distinction created institutional cultures that persist decades later. NASA embraces international partnerships, publishes technical findings, operates with Congressional oversight that demands public accountability. The Space Shuttle program, for instance, carried payloads for universities, foreign space agencies, and commercial ventures alongside government experiments.
DoD space activities follow different rules. Military satellites perform reconnaissance and communications supporting combat operations. Launch schedules remain classified. Technical specifications stay secret.
Contractors working with both agencies navigate these cultural differences daily. An engineer supporting a NASA propulsion project might present findings at an aerospace conference. That same engineer supporting a DoD propulsion project for a classified vehicle cannot discuss the work publicly. Same technical discipline, completely different operational culture.
"We always have to be ready for changing mission priorities based on real-time world events," Howard said.
That readiness extends beyond technical flexibility to cultural adaptability—knowing which agency norms apply to which programs.
NASA operates on mission timelines measured in years or decades. The James Webb Space Telescope took roughly 25 years from initial studies to launch. Mars rovers require years of planning before construction begins. Launch windows depend on orbital mechanics, not operational urgency.
Defense missions can shift overnight. Geopolitical events drive immediate requirements. Conflicts create demands for capabilities that didn't exist in procurement plans six months earlier. Contractors supporting military operations must pivot when national security priorities change, even if that means abandoning development work.
HX5's dual-agency portfolio requires systems accommodating both tempos. Some programs demand methodical development with extensive documentation and peer review. Others need rapid prototyping and field deployment within compressed timelines.
"If it's in the news, we're probably dealing with it," Howard said, describing how current events shape HX5's work.
The ability to operate at different speeds depending on client needs creates competitive advantages. Companies locked into single-agency cultures struggle when asked to adopt different approaches. HX5's experience spanning both environments makes transitions smoother.
NASA's budget depends on Congressional appropriations that fluctuate based on political priorities and economic conditions. In fiscal year 2024, the agency directed $4.4 billion to small business prime contractors, a 20% increase over the previous year. But that funding comes with expectations about transparency, public engagement, and scientific return on investment.
Defense spending still dwarfs NASA’s budget: in fiscal year 2024, the U.S. Department of Defense’s budget was about $814 billion, far more than all other government agencies combined and vastly larger than NASA’s roughly $25.4 billion annual budget.
These budget differences affect how agencies evaluate risk. NASA can tolerate some mission failures if lessons advance human knowledge. Scientific missions that fail still generate useful data.
Military operations offer less room for experimentation. Systems must work when deployed. Failures in combat zones carry consequences beyond lost research opportunities. Defense contractors face different performance expectations as a result.
Both agencies need STEM professionals with advanced degrees. Both require some employees to hold security clearances.
"Our focus is professional support services in research and development and in specialty areas, primarily the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering, and math," Howard said. "So, across the DoD and NASA, those are the specialties that make up our primary workforce. They have to have advanced education."
NASA employs many researchers whose work remains unclassified. Scientists studying planetary atmospheres or cosmic radiation don't necessarily need secret clearances. Engineers developing launch vehicles for commercial satellites work in relatively open environments.
Defense contractors operate under different constraints. More programs require clearances. Higher classification levels restrict who can access information. Compartmented programs create silos even within classified environments.
Part of HX5’s approach to addressing these requirements involves veteran hiring—roughly 30% of the workforce consists of former military personnel who often possess active clearances and understand government operational cultures. The company participates in the Hiring Our Heroes Corporate Fellowship Program, hosting transitioning service members before they complete military separation.
The veteran preference serves practical purposes beyond supporting military families. Veterans grasp organizational differences between agencies instinctively. They've worked within both civilian and military federal structures. That familiarity reduces onboarding time and cultural translation requirements.
Howard built HX5 initially around defense contracts before expanding into NASA work. The transition proved organic. Demonstrated capability on DoD programs attracted interest from large contractors seeking small business partners for NASA bids.
"The motivation for focusing more on NASA was generated through our past performance work," Howard said. "We were attractive to a large business, and they approached us about teaming with them on a NASA contract."
"Building strong relationships with government agencies is an invaluable asset for successful government contractors as it can serve to provide the contractor with positive performance appraisals and sometimes even lead to new or additional business.”
