Former NASA astronaut and 1991 Wharton and Engineering graduate Garrett Reisman returned to Penn Wednesday to discuss the importance of civic engagement, drawing on a career that has taken him from the International Space Station to SpaceX.
The event, hosted in Huntsman Hall by the student-run Penn Policy Consulting Group, was part of the Astronauts for America voter engagement tour. Reisman spoke about the organization’s efforts to increase civic participation and reform what he called a “completely broken” political process.
More than 100 former NASA astronauts have joined the initiative, which Reisman said focuses on constitutional norms, the rule of law, evidence-based decision-making, and discourse rather than individual policy positions.
For Reisman, the transition from a career as an astronaut to speaking about the importance of civic advocacy was not planned. In an interview, Reisman said he never thought he would get involved in politics during his time at Penn.
“One of the things we say a lot is that democracy is not a spectator sport. The founders of the country believed that it’s incumbent upon the citizenry to play an active role,” Reisman said. “As astronauts, when we see something going wrong, we were always trained to say something.”
Reisman showed attendees a risk matrix that Astronauts for America used to evaluate 15 potential political reforms based on their impact and feasibility. Topics included campaign finance reform, independent redistricting commissions, congressional stock-trading bans, ranked-choice voting, and term limits.
Reisman also connected the organization’s work to his years at SpaceX. He recalled traveling to Capitol Hill as a lobbyist and attending fundraisers alongside representatives from other large companies. That experience left him “disgusted” by the role of money in politics, he said.
Chris Alfano, a College junior and president of Penn Policy Consulting, said that Reisman’s call for a “nonpartisan path forward” resonated with him.
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“It was a really enriching presentation,” he added.
When asked how students should engage in politics, Reisman said voting was the first step. He encouraged attendees to look beyond party labels and consider whether candidates are willing to work cooperatively and promote civil discourse.
Reisman also offered a message directly to Penn students. Reflecting on his own undergraduate experience, he urged students to “explore a lot of different things” rather than focus on one path.
“Life seldom works out according to the plan you set at the time,” Reisman said.
