Ryan Nascimento

Ryan Nascimento is an accomplished aerospace engineer with extensive experience in engineering management and recovery operations. Currently serving as the Deputy Director of Engineering at Amentum since February 2025, Ryan oversees ground systems and launch operations at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. As the Department Director of Spacecraft Launch and Recovery at Space Perspective since November 2021, Ryan leads the development of human-rated launch systems for near-space tourism. Previous roles include Senior Recovery Engineer and Acting Dragon Recovery Lead at SpaceX, where responsibilities included managing recovery logistics for NASA's Dragon missions, and Senior Engineer at Pratt & Whitney, specializing in verification and validation testing of auxiliary power units. Ryan holds a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from San Diego State University, a Master’s in Space Systems Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology, and a Master’s in Engineering Management from Queensland University of Technology.