NASA’s Artemis project aims to establish a long-term human presence on the moon—and then put astronauts on Mars. So in addition to designing rockets and spacesuits, NASA is also exploring the ethical and societal implications of living in space. In the third episode of our Science Policy IRL series, Zach Pirtle, who got his undergraduate degrees in engineering and philosophy at Arizona State University, explains how he came to work in the agency’s Office of Technology Policy and Strategy, where he recently organized a seminar on space ethics. He also works as a program executive within the Science Mission Directorate working on commercial lunar payload services. Zach joins Issues editor-in-chief Lisa Margonelli to talk about how he almost accidentally found his way to a perfect career, and how agencies engage hands-on in science policy as they figure out how to implement legislation.

Is there something about science policy you’d like us to explore? Let us know by emailing us at podcast@issues.org, or by tagging us on social media with the hashtag #SciencePolicyIRL.

Resources:

Presidential Management Fellows Program
National Academies’ Mirzayan Fellowship
AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowships
Daniel Sarewitz, emeritus co-director at ASU’s Consortium for Science, Policy & Outcomes
NASA Artemis
Artemis, Ethics and Society: Synthesis from a Workshop
NASA named best place to work in the federal government
How Would You Defend the Planet From Asteroids? –an Issues article by Mahmud Farooque and Jason Kessler

Zach Pirtle Explores Ethics for Mars Landings

The Ongoing Transformation