Darryl Gaines 

Darryl Gaines currently serves as acting deputy director of the Exploration Architecture Integration and Science Directorate at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, where he leads efforts in mission planning, architecture development, systems engineering, and science activities for the Artemis program. Gaines has more than 35 years of experience managing and leading aeronautics and human spaceflight programs and projects.  

Gaines’ career began at McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Company in St. Louis, before joining NASA in 1991. While at the agency, he has worked at multiple other NASA centers, including Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama; Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California; Stennis Space Center in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi; and NASA Headquarters in Washington. His agency experience has given him broad background in human spaceflight, space exploration, large- and small-scale testing, and technology integration.  

He has experience collaborating in the United States and globally with international partners in Japan, Germany, Russia, Canada, and Italy, as well as with U.S. commercial partners including SpaceX, Blue Origin, Boeing, and Lockheed Martin. 

Gaines has managed budgets ranging from $80 million to $3.8 billion while serving as the deputy for International Space Station program planning and control. He also has served as assistant to the center director at NASA Stennis and Johnson, where he was responsible for ensuring center readiness and support for more 3,000 civil servants and 8,000 contractors. 

He received a bachelor’s degree in computer science, with a minor in mathematics, from Mississippi Valley State University. Upon graduating, Gaines began dual professional careers working for McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Company while also being selected by the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs.   

Gaines’ commitment to leadership excellence is backed by an Executive Master of Business Administration from the Naval Post Graduate School in Monterey, California. He is a certified project management professional through the Project Management Institute and completed a NASA Fellowship to the University of Michigan, studying business acumen for high potential leaders. He has previously served as a member of NASA’s Astronaut Selection Board and is a passionate advocate for workforce development.