Kelvin Manning

Kelvin Manning is the deputy director of NASA’s John F. Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a position he has held since July 2021. In this capacity, Manning shares responsibility with NASA Kennedy director Janet Petro who manages the center’s team of civil service and contractor employees, determining and implementing center policy, and managing and executing NASA Kennedy missions and agency program responsibilities.

Experience

Manning most recently served as acting director of NASA Kennedy from January to July 2025.

Prior to becoming NASA Kennedy’s deputy director, he served as the center’s associate director for more than a decade. In that capacity, he was responsible for ensuring safe and effective execution of the center’s institutional, technical, and business functions, including establishing strategies and policies to ensure alignment of the center’s workforce, facilities, and operations to facilitate agency program and project goals. 

In 1992, Manning began his career at NASA Kennedy and served in a number of positions within the former Shuttle Processing Directorate, including flow director for space shuttle Atlantis, chief engineer (acting) for shuttle upgrades, vehicle manager for space shuttle Columbia, and NASA test director. Later in the NASA Kennedy Constellation Project Office, Manning was selected as the first division chief for NASA’s Orion spacecraft. More recently, he also served on three NASA Astronaut Candidate Selection Boards. 

Awards

Manning has received numerous awards, including the Presidential Meritorious Rank Award, NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal, NASA Exceptional Service Medal, the astronauts’ Silver Snoopy Award, National Black Engineer of the Year Award for Outstanding Technical Achievement in Government, NASA Public Service Award, Department of Defense Joint Service Commendation Medal, and National Eagle Scout Association Outstanding Eagle Scout Award. 

Education

After graduating from Aberdeen High School in Aberdeen, Maryland, Manning went on to obtain his B.S. from the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. In addition, Manning has an M.S. in industrial engineering from the University of Central Florida in Orlando and has completed the Senior Executive Fellows Program at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Personal

Born in Fort Meade, Maryland, as an “Army brat,” Manning traveled throughout the U.S. and has resided in Texas, New Jersey, Indiana, Hawaii, Illinois, and Maryland.

As an Air Force officer, Manning served six years as a space operations analyst, stationed at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida and NORAD Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado Springs. Following his military service and prior to joining NASA, Manning was an engineer with General Electric Aerospace, Military and Data Systems Operations, in Springfield, Virginia, and McDonnell Douglas Space Systems Company in Washington, D.C.

Biography last updated July 2025