NASA Deletes '1st Woman and Person of Colour on Moon' Pledge
NASA has removed diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) language from its Artemis moon mission statement following President Trump's executive order targeting federal DEI programmes, impacting the agency's sustainability goals.
The space agency has deleted its previous commitment to land "the first woman and first person of colour" on the moon as part of the Artemis programme scheduled for 2027.
This marks a significant shift in NASA's public-facing sustainability and inclusion priorities.
"In keeping with the President's executive order, we're updating our language regarding plans to send crew to the lunar surface as part of NASA's Artemis campaign," says Allard Beutel, a NASA spokesperson.
"We look forward to learning more from and about the Trump administration's plans for our agency and expanding exploration at the moon and Mars for the benefits of all."
NASA's changing priorities
The removal of DEI language from the Artemis mission is a pivot away from NASA's previous stance on inclusion in space exploration.
Prior to the change, NASA's website had explicitly committed to landing "the first woman, first person of colour and first international partner astronaut on the Moon using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before”.
This commitment had been central to the Artemis programme, which aims to return humans to the lunar surface for the first time since 1972.
The modification comes shortly after NASA terminated its diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility programmes following the executive order from the White House.
The financial implications of this decision
NASA has reportedly spent at least US$22.4m annually on DEI programmes, funds that will now be redirected following the executive order.
Staff at the space agency received communication in late January from Acting Administrator Janet Petro regarding the closure of the initiatives.
The email stated that DEI programmes "divided Americans by race, wasted taxpayer dollars, and resulted in shameful discrimination”.
Janet also requested that staff report colleagues who might attempt to disguise DEI programmes with alternative language.
The reaction to NASA’s disavowal of DEI
The policy shift has generated varied responses within and outside the agency.
Kyle Sorensen, a software engineer who has worked for NASA, expressed support for the decision.
"I am really happy that they banned these programmes," he says.
"I am even happier that the Trump administration was smart enough to know that the organisation would just try to rename themselves."
However, other stakeholders have expressed concern about the potential impacts on NASA's inclusivity efforts and representation in space exploration.
Interestingly, Janet herself has previously spoken about the importance of diversity at NASA.
"I often found myself either the only female, or only one of a couple. There weren't many minorities either,” she said in 2021.
"A big part of this is ensuring an environment where everyone feels included, has a voice and feels safe to express their opinions.”
As NASA redirects its focus away from explicit DEI initiatives, questions remain about how this policy shift will impact the agency's long-term sustainability goals and its approach to creating an inclusive workforce in the highly technical field of space exploration.
The Artemis mission itself is still scheduled for 2027, though with revised language regarding its crew composition and objectives.
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