Alexander MacDonald
Former NASA chief economist and current senior associate with the Aerospace Security Project at CSIS. Specializes in the economics of space exploration, commercial space development, and space policy.
Best podcasts with Alexander MacDonald
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102 snips
Mar 31, 2026 • 49min
Why NASA Hired a Chief Economist
Alexander MacDonald, former NASA chief economist and now a CSIS space policy researcher, dives into why NASA needed an economist in the first place. He explores how space exploration gets funded, why the shuttle era ended, and how NASA weighs public spending against commercial partnerships. The conversation also touches on moon plans, Mars ambitions, and whether a real space economy is finally taking shape.
Apr 1, 2019 • 13min
How sci-fi inspired us to go to the Moon | Alexander MacDonald
Alexander MacDonald, an author and NASA economist, delves into the incredible influence of three centuries of science fiction on our journey to the Moon. He reveals how imaginative tales from writers like Edgar Allan Poe and H.G. Wells ignited the spark for space exploration. The podcast explores storytelling's pivotal role in shaping ambition and technological advances in lunar exploration. Listeners will discover how fiction not only inspired real science but also continues to guide humanity's dreams of reaching the stars.
