SpaceNews has announced the winners of its 8th annual Icon Awards, recognizing individuals and programs that have profoundly influenced the trajectory of the space industry over the past year. The awards, established in 2017, celebrate outstanding achievements in a sector where ambitious goals are the norm.

The awards ceremony took place on December 2nd at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center in Washington, D.C. Among those honored was Phil McAlister, recognized for his role in fostering public-private partnerships that saved NASA billions of dollars. McAlister's work also helped restore the United States' ability to transport astronauts to and from the International Space Station and stimulated a thriving domestic commercial space transportation industry.

McAlister's advocacy for unconventional business models, in contrast to traditional government contracting, was lauded as visionary leadership, though it also drew criticism. He joined NASA in 2005 after a 20-year career in the private sector, holding positions at Analytical Services Inc., TRW, and Futron Corp. This background enabled him to structure public-private partnerships with appropriate incentives and milestones for participating companies and investors.

A key moment in McAlister's career was his service as executive secretary of the Review of United States Human Space Flight Plans Committee, led by former Lockheed Martin CEO Norm Augustine. The committee's findings that NASA's Constellation program was behind schedule and over budget led to a greater emphasis on the commercial space sector, especially in low Earth orbit.

"It was clear back then, in 2010, this nascent commercial space industry was something that NASA needed to give more support and potentially some contracts to," McAlister said. "Seeing that emboldened me to say, ‘This really is going to take some effort, but it’s going to be worth it.’"

McAlister also championed competition within the Commercial Crew Program, advocating for funding for both Boeing and SpaceX to develop astronaut transportation vehicles. This decision was significant, as many within NASA initially viewed Boeing as the more reliable option for ending reliance on Russia's Soyuz vehicles.

This article first appeared in the December 2025 issue of SpaceNews Magazine.