US leadership in space is key to solving Earth's 'greatest planetary challenges': Former NASA astronaut

Retired NASA astronaut Nicole Stott spoke with Fox News Digital to discuss the vital role of the United States in leading the space industry, the benefits of public-private partnerships and how space exploration ultimately impacts life on Earth. 

"If we want humanity to survive into that very distant future, we've got to be thinking about space," Stott said.

Stott spent more than 28 years at NASA, working as an engineer on the space shuttle and space station programs before transitioning to astronaut training. She spent 104 days in space, primarily on the International Space Station.

Space, for Stott, means the future for life on Earth, and also for life beyond our planet. "When we talk about being a multi-planetary species, it's got to go beyond just traveling to Mars," she said, sharing a vision of a future where humanity goes outside our solar system.

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Earlier this year, NASA named the crew of the first manned mission to the moon in more than 50 years – called the Artemis program, according to NASA's Artemis Accords. 

"Launched by the State Department and NASA in 2020, the Artemis Accords advance bilateral and multilateral space cooperation between and among signatories, expanding our knowledge of the universe and benefiting the whole world," a State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital.   

"We will collaborate with commercial and international partners and establish the first long-term presence on the Moon. Then, we will use what we learn on and around the Moon to take the next giant leap: sending the first astronauts to Mars," NASA says its Artemis program's official webpage.

"It is absolutely going to be us going back to the Moon as an international partnership and looking for the countries that want to do that in a positive, peaceful way with that mission in mind," Stott added.

Stott shared her experience on the International Space Station, where the crew representing 15 countries worked together on common goals, pointing out that the role of the U.S. in leading cross border collaborations in space exploration cannot be overstated. She said it's the "key to everything we need to do here on Earth to solve our greatest planetary challenges."

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However, the continued participation of private companies and organizations will also play an integral role in the U.S. space program, Stott shared. She highlighted NASA's public-private partnerships with companies like SpaceX, Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC), and Boeing, sharing that these collaborations "lead the way with innovation and technology" to improve life on Earth. Stott stressed the importance of leveraging these partnerships to maintain the U.S.'s leadership role in space.

"The leadership, I think, will come from understanding that you've got to look at using all of these things, right. You've got to look at how you partner with private companies to make sure that they're developing technology and business in a way that expands," Stott said. "The U.S. understands that part of their leadership role is engaging with other countries around the world to bring all the expertise, the tech, together to solve these problems."

Underlying the need for the U.S.'s leadership in space exploration is developing technology to support life on Earth today. Whether it's gaining a better understanding of human bones, muscles, our cardiovascular system, our vision, or creating technology such as GPS, memory foam and more, "it's coming to us from space. And one way or another, everything we do in our lives, I think right now is positively impacted by what we're doing in space," Stott said.

It's not just large companies like SpaceX leading the way of inspiring the next generation, Stott believes nonprofits like, U.S. based, Space for a Better World and initiatives such as Aim Higher, a series of "public outreach and B2B events," play an important role as well. "It's all about providing that connection and helping people establish that relationship to these really awesome and wonderful things that are going on around them," Stott said. 

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This month Space for a Better World will host an Aim Higher event in Romania, an Artemis Accords signee, to inspire space exploration and promote U.S.-Romania relations, where both United States Ambassador to Romania Kathleen Kavalec and Deputy Assistant to the President and Executive Secretary for the National Space Council Chirag Parikh are expected virtual attendees. 

A State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital, "The United States and Romania are long-standing allies on Earth as well as in space," adding that "the United States leads in space because we work collaboratively."

"Secretary Blinken recently launched the Department’s Strategic Framework for Space Diplomacy, which helps establish a shared vision for outer space activities both through government-to-government diplomacy, as well as multi-stakeholder engagement with the U.S. and worldwide commercial space sector," the spokesperson said.

Aim Higher Romania organizers, astronaut manager and president of Purpose Entertainment Christina Korp, and OP Global Events Founder and CEO Oana A. Tucker, hope their efforts encourage other countries to aim higher and become educated about what's going on in space. 

"When we go to space, it is truly an international endeavor of countries cooperating," Korp said.

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Stott concluded by stating that "everything we're doing in space is all about improving life on Earth" and shared her belief that the U.S. has an obligation to be a leader in space.