Listen to this articleDear 2 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated using AI-based technology. Pronunciation errors may occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve results. Alexander MacDonald was named the new president of the Canadian Space Agency on Wednesday night. Industry Minister Mélanie Joly made the announcement in Ottawa during a tribute to the late Marc Garneau, the first Canadian to travel to space. MacDonald was NASA’s first chief economist, according to a government news release. In that role, he helped establish the “Moon to Mars” strategy, which includes the recent Artemis II mission in which Canadian Jeremy Hansen traveled around the Moon earlier this year. “As amazing as this year has been, I’m even more excited about what the future holds for Canadians in space,” MacDonald told the Ottawa crowd at Thursday’s event. MacDonald replaces CampbellMacDonald replaces outgoing president Lisa Campbell, who had been in office since 2020. Her appointment comes as Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government seeks to expand Canada’s space capabilities. Earlier this month, Joly also appointed Hansen as a special adviser to the government on the development of a new space strategy. The federal government listed space platforms for surveillance as a key priority in its new defense industrial strategy released in February. Carney’s government is also seeking to expand cooperation with European countries in space as part of the proposed partnership with the European Union.
