HUNTSVILLE, AL. (WHNT)- A Huntsville attorney will now be advising members of Congress on aerospace and science goals for the future.

Congressmen Robert Aderholt and Dale Strong named Huntsville Attorney Mark McDaniel as their Aerospace and Science Advisor. In the announcement, Aderholt said that McDaniel “understands space and space exploration just about as much as anyone can without being a NASA scientist.”

Mark McDaniel has been a part of the NASA advisory council since the George W. Bush administration. He was on the advisory council for over two decades through five NASA Administrations.

He’s now switching sides going from advising the NASA Administrators to advising Congress on NASA initiatives. McDaniel says he believes this will be a more effective role.

“The importance of advising the congressmen, as opposed to the NASA Administrator, is you’re advising the NASA Administrator on how to go forth. When you’re advising the congressmen, members of congress, you’re advising on space policy and what to pay for,” explained McDaniel.

McDaniel says he also believes in NASA’s influence on young people.

“No other agency in government influences our children the children that are in kindergarten and elementary right now will be the scientist and engineers and mathematicians that actually go to Mars and beyond,” said McDaniel.

McDaniel also previously served as Aerospace and Science Advisor to Former House Science, Space, and Technology Committee Chairman Bart Gordon. He says he believes his experience will allow him to successfully advise the 118th Congress.

He says his greatest aim is to help Congress pass space policies that will help fund space initiatives for the future.