Less than a day after Donald Trump’s administration laid off federal employees in positions related to diversity, equity and inclusion, NASA was quick to implement the executive order by ending its diversity program.
Acting NASA Administrator Janet Petro sent a note to agency employees Wednesday afternoon, asking them to close diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA)-related offices at the agency and cancel associated contracts. The move comes as part of NASA’s efforts to increase the diversity of its workforce and land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon.
In 2023, NASA was appointed as one of the best employees in the United States for diversity. NASA began engaging in DEIA efforts in 2012, adding inclusion as a core value in 2020. In 2021, NASA’s workforce was approximately 35% women and 30% minorities, according to a report. report by the NASA Office of Inspector General. A year later, NASA announced its first-ever Equity Action Plan to try to address ongoing issues of diversity and accessibility, and meet the needs of underrepresented communities.
Petro’s memo, however, reflects a rejection of the agency’s diversity programs. “These programs divided Americans by race, wasted taxpayer dollars, and resulted in shameful discrimination,” the memo reads. The website for NASA Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity currently displays a “404 Not Found” error message.
The memo emphasizes that the measures to close NASA’s DEIA offices are consistent with Trump’s executive orders, which were followed by a template drafted by the Office of Personnel Management to be transmitted to employees.
NASA’s email also included a warning against violating the new order, suggesting that the space agency’s employees had tried to hide the contracts as part of its diversity programs. “We are aware of efforts by some members of the government to conceal these programs using coded or imprecise language,” Petro’s memo reads. “If you are aware of a change in a contract description or staff job description since November 5, 2024 to obscure the connection between the contract and DEIA or similar ideologies, please report all facts and circumstances.”
NASA is not the only federal agency affected by the new executive orders; other agencies, such as the National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Health, are also being forced to end their diversity programs. Diversity and inclusion efforts at agencies like NASA are crucial given the lack of diversity in this field.
It wasn’t until 1978 that NASA selected its first diverse class of astronauts, a group that ultimately included the first African-American and Asian-American astronauts as well as the first women. The problem goes beyond NASA alone. Black and Latino students tend to drop out of STEM programs at a much higher rate than their white counterparts. About 40% of Black and 37% of Latino STEM students changed majors as an undergraduate, compared to 29% of White STEM students. according to a 2019 study.
Even if NASA lands a diverse group on the surface of the Moon, efforts to be more inclusive on Earth should not be taken lightly.