Alexander MacDonald is an economist, author, and expert on U.S. space policy and private-sector space activity. He was NASA’s first Chief Economist and played a central role in shaping the agency’s Moon to Mars strategy, including the Artemis program. He also served as Program Executive for the International Space Station National Laboratory, helping to expand scientific and commercial research in low Earth orbit.

·       Early Life and Education:
Alexander MacDonald earned a Bachelor’s degree in economics from Queen’s University in Canada and a Master’s degree in economics from the University of British Columbia. He completed his doctorate at the University of Oxford as a Clarendon Scholar, where he studied the long-run economic history of American space exploration.

·       NASA Career and Economic Leadership:
MacDonald joined NASA as a staff member at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and later held research appointments through the Universities Space Research Association at NASA’s Ames Research Center. He became a senior economic advisor in the Office of the Administrator and was the founding Program Executive of NASA’s Emerging Space Office, which supports commercial space initiatives and public-private collaboration.

·       Chief Economist and Artemis Program:
As NASA’s first Chief Economist, MacDonald helped guide long-term strategic planning and was a key architect of the agency’s Moon to Mars objectives. He played an instrumental role in establishing Artemis, NASA’s return to the Moon program, and advancing partnerships across government, academia, and the private sector.

·       International Space Station National Laboratory:
During his tenure as Program Executive, MacDonald helped oversee the development of the ISS National Lab as a platform for commercial research, economic innovation, and scientific advancement in microgravity.

·       Academic and Public Engagement:
MacDonald has served as a research faculty member at Carnegie Mellon University and was an inaugural TED Senior Fellow. He is also an accomplished author, with his award-winning book The Long Space Age: The Economic Origins of Space Exploration from Colonial America to the Cold War (Yale University Press, 2016), which won the AIAA History Manuscript of the Year Award.

·       Other Achievements:
In recognition of his distinguished service to NASA and contributions to space policy and economic thought, MacDonald was awarded the NASA Exceptional Service Medal in 2024. He continues to be an influential voice in the fields of space economics, innovation policy, and the future of space exploration.