Draper’s Paul Doyle and Christopher Marchant Awarded NASA’s Exceptional Public Achievement Medal
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Two Draper employees – Paul Doyle and Christopher Marchant – received the Exceptional Public Achievement Medal from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The award recognizes non-government employees for specific achievement or substantial improvement in operations, efficiency, service, financial savings, science, or technology which contributes to NASA's mission.
Both Doyle and Marchant have supported NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) Program since 2012. Previously they contributed to NASA's Constellation Program as Draper employees embedded at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center.
Doyle received the award for exceptional leadership of the SLS Flight Software team, delivery of the Artemis II flight software and improvements to the Block 1B software development processes.
He currently serves as the NASA Lead for the development of the Space Launch System (SLS) Flight Software (FSW) for the Artemis program. Doyle's in-depth technical knowledge of human-rated, mission critical software and ability to translate complex customer and mission needs into a viable technical solution contributed to the tremendous success of the Artemis I launch, in which the SLS FSW performance exceeded expectations in its predictability and robustness. Paul also was instrumental to the on-time delivery of the Artemis II FSW.
"Paul's knowledge, experience, and insight played a key role in the SLS program's success," said Camila Francolin, Engineering Director at Draper. "We are thrilled that he is recognized not only for his dedication, but also for his excellence in leadership, technical acumen, and outsized impact."
Marchant received the award in recognition of his superior avionics knowledge and support to the SLS Core Stage and Exploration Upper Stage projects contributing to a successful Artemis program from inception.
He currently supports multiple teams for the SLS program, including avionics, command and data handling, systems integration and interfaces, and telemetry.
"Chris' understanding and capabilities with avionics systems is well known across the Marshall Space Flight Center and their contractors, and he is a sought-after resource for them," said Richard Dargusch, Group Leader and Distinguished Member of the Technical Staff at Draper. "Chris exemplifies Draper's engineering excellence, and the company's core values."
The Exceptional Public Achievement Medal is one of the prestigious awards announced at NASA’s Agency Honor Awards Ceremony, an event celebrating individuals and teams who have made remarkable contributions to NASA’s public good missions. The ceremony was held on January 28, 2026, at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama.
NASA’s Agency Honor Awards are approved by the Administrator or Center Director and presented to carefully selected individuals and groups of individuals, both government and non-government, who have distinguished themselves by making outstanding contributions to the Agency’s mission.
About Draper
Draper is a non-profit research, development, and manufacturing company that solves some of the nation’s most important challenges. With more than 2,500 employees working in collaboration across 12 locations, Draper delivers transformative, mission-driven solutions that successfully meet our customers’ requirements. These efforts focus on four critical mission areas: Strategic Systems, Space Systems, Electronic Systems, and Biotechnology Systems. To extend our legacy into the future, the Draper Scholars program engages with the next generation of innovators while DraperSPARX™ seeks to partner with startups and small businesses that can further our mission. To learn more about Draper, visit www.draper.com.
Released January 29, 2026
