NASA's first chief economist appointed president of Canadian Space Agency
Alexander MacDonald, who helped establish NASA's Moon to Mars strategy, will take over the agency on November 16.
OTTAWA · Alexander MacDonald will become the next president of the Canadian Space Agency on November 16. Industry Minister Mélanie Joly announced the appointment in Ottawa on Wednesday, saying MacDonald brings leadership experience and expertise in space policy and economics. He takes over from Lisa Campbell, who led the agency from 2020, and succeeds acting president Jean-Claude Piedboeuf. The appointment places a specialist in space economics at the head of the agency as Canada develops a new space strategy.
MacDonald served as NASA's first chief economist, a role he held for about 17 years before leaving in December 2024. In that position, he helped establish the American agency's Moon to Mars strategy and the Artemis programme. "As incredible as this year has been, I am even more excited about what the future holds for Canadians in space," MacDonald said at an event in Ottawa on Thursday. He added that space has never been more important for Canada's strength and future.
The government said it selected MacDonald through an open, competency-based process. Joly said she welcomed his knowledge of space policy and thanked both Campbell and Piedboeuf for their service. MacDonald's previous NASA roles included senior economic adviser in the administrator's office and founding programme executive of the Emerging Space Office. He studied economics at Queen's University and the University of British Columbia before earning a doctorate from Oxford on the economic history of American space exploration.
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Lunar plans in flux
MacDonald assumes the presidency as NASA's lunar exploration plans shift away from an emphasis on the Gateway station. The Canadian Space Agency had planned to contribute the Canadarm3 robotic system to Gateway but has since stated it will repurpose that investment. Before his appointment, MacDonald publicly recommended Canada quickly pursue opportunities for lunar surface robotics. He suggested testing Canadian robots on commercial lunar landers as early as 2027 or 2028.
Those remarks were personal recommendations, not government policy. The agency is separately developing a concept for a lunar utility rover to assist with surface operations, with a potential launch in the 2030s. NASA's broader plans include the Canadian rover as a possible contribution to sustained lunar operations in a later phase. Canada's astronaut Jeremy Hansen travelled around the Moon on the Artemis II mission earlier this year, testing the Orion spacecraft on a lunar flyby.
Strategy work continues
The government is also developing a new national space strategy. Earlier this month, Joly appointed Hansen as a special adviser to the prime minister and herself on that work. This advisory role is separate from MacDonald's position leading the space agency. The federal defence industrial strategy released in February listed space-based surveillance platforms as a key priority. Joly said MacDonald understands that space is crucial to Canada's national and economic security. The government is also looking to expand space cooperation with European countries. MacDonald's appointment confirms the leadership for the Canadian Space Agency, but the details of the new space strategy and the adaptation of lunar investments remain for future decisions.
With files from London Daily News, CBC News and The Globe and Mail