Author: Thomas G. Roberts, Postdoctoral Fellow in International Affiars, Georgia Institute of Technology

The next president of the United States could be the first in that office to accept a phone call from the Moon and hear a woman’s voice on the line. To do so, they’ll first need to make a series of strategic space policy decisions. They’ll also need a little luck. Enormous government investment supports outer space activities, so the U.S. president has an outsize role in shaping space policy during their time in office. Past presidents have leveraged this power to accelerate U.S. leadership in space and boost their presidential brand along the way. Presidential advocacy has helped the…