NASA says removal of 'first woman, person of color' language from Artemis websites 'does not indicate' moon mission crew change

 

(Image credit: NASA)

NASA's webpages no longer mention the Artemis 3 lunar mission's long-standing objective of landing the first woman and person of color on the moon, which the agency has frequently used while discussing lunar ambitions.

 As NASA continues to eliminate programs devoted to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) and remove any wording associated with these initiatives from its webpages, the shift was made public this past weekend.  The Trump administration's drive to terminate DEIA-related programs and close offices in an effort to eradicate what it calls "immense public waste and shameful discrimination," according to the White House, serves as the basis for these choices.

However, the agency's most recent action seems to have affected the webpages for its Artemis program.  The Orlando Sentinel reports that all references to landing the first woman and person of color on the moon had been removed from blueprints that were made public online.  However, a NASA representative informed Space.com that "it is important to note that the change in language does not indicate a change in crew assignments." It is unknown how the removal of this language would impact astronaut assignments for NASA's scheduled lunar missions.

The representative also provided Space.com with the following comment, which was the same as what was provided to other news organizations after the language on its Artemis program websites changed:

"NASA is revising its phrasing to more accurately represent the Artemis campaign's primary goal of bringing astronauts back to the lunar surface in compliance with an Executive Order approved by President Trump. NASA is still dedicated to following White House directives and making sure missions are successful.

In the past, NASA "will land the first woman, first person of color, and first international partner astronaut on the moon," according to an online archive of the agency's Artemis program website.

The present edition of the website reads: "With NASA’s Artemis campaign, we are exploring the moon for scientific discovery, technology advancement, and to learn how to live and work on another world as we prepare for human missions to Mars."

 Thus far, federal agencies have responded quickly to sudden requests from the Trump administration to make changes to their processes.

Within days of taking office for a second term, Trump signed a number of executive orders directing federally supported organizations to take different actions, including closing offices and terminating any linked programs relating to DEIA initiatives. In the wake of the executive order, acting NASA administrator Janet Petro wrote to agency staff that the agency's DEIA programs "divided Americans by race, wasted taxpayer dollars, and resulted in shameful discrimination."

Other federally supported science institutions, like the Rubin Observatory, have also begun removing DEIA-related content from their websites in accordance with White House directives, so NASA is not the only entity doing so.

As part of the Trump administration's efforts to cut federal funding, NASA has likewise drastically reduced its personnel.  How much of the agency's employment or funds could be cut is uncertain.

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