Since elementary school, Stofan has been extolling the virtues of space research and exploration. “I thought it was normal to argue with my classmates at age 7 or 8 about why it was important to go to the Moon,” Stofan said.

This post is only available to members.

Debra Werner is a correspondent for SpaceNews based in San Francisco. Debra earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of California, Berkeley, and a master’s degree in Journalism from Northwestern University. She is a recipient...