Andrew Maynard
Acting Deputy Associate Administrator for Programs (DAAP)
Mr. Andrew Maynard joined NASA in 2000 and currently serves as Acting Deputy Associate Administrator for Programs (DAAP) in the Science Mission Directorate (SMD), overseeing a portfolio of more than 150 programs and projects across formulation, development, and operations, ensuring their technical effectiveness, cost integrity, quality, and performance.
He previously served as Program Executive for Radioisotope Power Systems and Crosscutting Projects in the Planetary Science Division (PSD), acting as Lead Federal Agency Contingency Coordinator for the OSIRIS‑REx sample return and representing SMD on the Deep Space Network Futures Study Independent Review Board.
Mr. Maynard began his career at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) in Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) hardware, leading mechanical and thermal design, integration, and testing of avionics and GNC systems. As Product Development Lead for the “Navigator” GPS, he delivered two flight systems for the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Mission, operating successfully since 2014.
He later served as Head of the Propulsion Branch at Goddard, leading a 30‑member team and serving as Technical Authority for liquid storable propulsion systems supporting missions such as GOES, JWST, JPSS, Europa Clipper, PACE, and the Roman Space Telescope. From2015 to 2020, he was NASA’s Point of Contact for the Implementing Arrangement with the Swedish National Space Agency for the mutual advancement of Green Propulsion technology.
In 2020, he moved to Headquarters on detail as SMD Deputy Chief Engineer, providing technical oversight across SMD’s portfolio of more than 45 developing missions and over 117 active missions.
Mr. Maynard’s recognitions include GSFC Engineering Directorate Rookie Supervisor of the Year, MESA Division
Product Development Lead of the Year, and MESA Division Supervisor of the Year. He has co‑authored and presented a paper on Green Propulsion for the International Space Propulsion Conference and been a primary contributor to NASA’s 2018 Green Propellant Technology Development Roadmap.
He holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Davis and an M.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park.