Clayton Turner
Operating Partner
Clayton Turner is an Operating Partner at Andromeda Ventures, where he helps founders transform advanced technologies into scalable, operationally disciplined companies. He brings more than 30 years of leadership experience guiding complex engineering organizations, maturing breakthrough technologies, and delivering mission-critical systems at national scale.
Most recently, Clayton served as Associate Administrator for NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, overseeing strategy, portfolio execution, and technology demonstration programs advancing next-generation space and aerospace capabilities. Prior to that, he was Director of NASA’s Langley Research Center, leading multidisciplinary teams across aviation, Earth science, space exploration, and advanced systems development.
Throughout his career, Clayton has operated at the intersection of innovation, execution, and institutional scale, translating ambitious technical vision into reliable deployment. His experience spans systems engineering, flight programs, advanced materials, Earth observation technologies, and human-rated space systems, providing founders with practical guidance on technology readiness, operational rigor, organizational design, and risk management.
At Andromeda, Clayton partners directly with portfolio leadership to strengthen product maturity, operational infrastructure, regulatory alignment, and go-to-market pathways, particularly for dual-use and frontier technologies navigating public-private adoption environments. His deep relationships across the national research, aerospace, and engineering ecosystem create meaningful connective tissue between emerging companies, technical talent, and large-scale mission stakeholders.
Clayton is the recipient of multiple national honors, including the Presidential Rank Award and NASA Distinguished Service Medal. He is an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and serves on the Board of Trustees of Rochester Institute of Technology.