As United States government agencies go, NASA is unique. It remains the only entity in the world to have landed humans on the moon. It sent robotic probes to every planet, advancing our understanding of the solar system. It flew a helicopter on Mars, the first aircraft to achieve powered, controlled flight on another planet. It flew the Parker Solar Probe closer to study the sun than any previous spacecraft.
NASA’s achievements are technical and scientific marvels.
Beyond these achievements — or perhaps because of them — NASA has long been voted the best place to work in the federal government and it is regularly ranked by Americans as one of the most trustworthy of federal agencies. Globally, NASA is one of the most recognized and beloved brands. It is, in short, a special part of the American identity.
We are at a time, however, where NASA’s role in that identity is being challenged. The organization is undergoing significant transformation through its evolving partnership with the private sector. When I started in 2008, NASA still owned and flew the space shuttle, SpaceX had yet to launch anything to orbit and there were few programs where NASA was leveraging privately-owned capabilities. Today, NASA relies on privately-owned vehicles to take astronauts to the International Space Station, and privately-owned landers to return astronauts to the moon, marking a shift that’s been decades in the making.
I’m excited for the expanded future this shift enables; however, we now need to ask, what is NASA’s role going forward?
NASA needs to lead, not just fund, the future of space exploration and development. Without NASA leading the way and designing, developing and operating core elements of our presence in space, the nation and the public lose leverage in the future. While services from privately-owned capabilities are a great enabler, the enduring aspect of our effort requires it be done by America, not just by Americans.
We are about to embark on a critical phase in the development of U.S. space exploration capabilities. If we get it right, we stand to realize long-held dreams for ourselves and all of humanity. If we get it wrong, we may imperil America’s standing in the world and erode one of the most inspiring and enduring elements of American identity. NASA represents the epitome of the American dream: the public expression of a nation that aims for the moon and doesn’t stop until it gets there.
The consequences of our decisions regarding NASA’s priorities and funding are significant given the increased importance of space to the global economy and national security. For example, a permanent crewed outpost on the lunar surface, owned and operated by NASA, would enable America to serve as the international organizer at the Moon. This would provide America leverage in shaping the space domain for decades to come when the space domain is more important than ever. However, if America is to lead in this way, government funding is the only near-term solution since significant commercial markets for lunar activities are currently non-existent. A NASA outpost on the lunar surface would provide an enduring source of demand for commercial transportation and other services as lunar activities develop.
In addition to a NASA lunar outpost, we should embrace the type of leap-frog exploration endeavors where no other nation can compete. This is where NASA’s true strength lies. During the first Trump administration, NASA developed _The Great American Space Odyssey_, a nuclear propulsion-enabled crewed mission to Mars that included a Venus flyby. As the president suggested in his second inaugural address, we should continue striving for this level of interplanetary ambition. A first human mission to Mars beckons as the next great space achievement and America has a clear technical lead. While the technical and economic complexity of such an endeavor means that we should prepare for a campaign that will stretch over many years, the effort could begin by testing and leveraging human-class Mars lander capabilities, including from the private sector.
A recent National Academies [report](https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/27519/nasa-at-a-crossroads-maintaining-workforce-infrastructure-and-technology-preeminence) assessed, however, that our national appetite for NASA programs is greater than our willingness to pay for them. Regardless of which programs proceed, NASA needs not only to be given the responsibility for bold endeavors of national importance, but also the resources to maintain its unique culture of technical and scientific excellence. Unless we are willing to cede the future to other nations, NASA must have the resources to continue to support both government and private sector expertise and capabilities. NASA has embraced the goal of encouraging a lunar economy but, in truth, NASA provides almost all funding for this ‘economy’ — and the opportunity for lunar resources to genuinely contribute economically lies, at best, decades into the future.
The real prize today, just as it was in the 1960s, is international leadership and global regard, with the consequences this time being potentially even more far-reaching. The competition this time will also likely play out over a longer period of time, necessitating a strategy that can muster the efforts and resources of multiple partners and international allies and which can survive multiple administrations and multiple Congresses. NASA will need to lead this effort for America, and gain the support of people and countries all over the world, if we are to succeed and endure.
For all the legitimate excitement around private space capabilities, NASA remains a shining American beacon to the world. A beacon of hope, optimism, excellence and integrity. I know this because I am an American solely because of NASA. I emigrated to the U.S. for the express purpose of serving the greatest space agency on the planet and had the honor and privilege to do so for nearly 20 years.
Focusing NASA’s responsibilities on designing, developing, and operating a permanent lunar research station, for American and international partner astronauts, and preparing for a first human mission to Mars, including the relevant precursor missions, would provide clear direction and enable expanded horizons across generations. If we want to ensure America continues to stand for a hopeful future of liberty and endless possibilities, we need to also ensure NASA remains strong and ambitious on the endless frontier.
_Alexander MacDonald is the former NASA Chief Economist and the author of The Long Space Age: The Economic Origins of Space Exploration from Colonial America to the Cold War._
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