NASA eliminates diversity commitment from moon mission
NASA has removed its public commitment to landing the first woman and the first person of color on the Moon as part of its Artemis lunar program. This decision follows US President Donald Trump’s initiative to eliminate diversity, equity, and...
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NASA has removed its public commitment to landing the first woman and the first person of color on the Moon as part of its Artemis lunar program. This decision follows US President Donald Trump’s initiative to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies across federal agencies.
Artemis aims to return humans to the Moon for the first time since 1972, with previous statements on the agency's website emphasizing the goal to land “the first woman, the first person of color, and the first international partner astronaut” on the lunar surface. The updated Artemis webpage now states that the mission will only mention sending “the first humans to explore the lunar South Pole region.” The timeline for when these changes occurred is unclear, but they were first pointed out by British science journalist Oliver Morton and subsequently reported by the Orlando Sentinel.
“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,” a NASA spokesperson commented. “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 benefit of all.”
The Artemis II crew, which is set to conduct a lunar flyby in 2026 without landing, still features female astronaut Christina Koch and African American astronaut Victor Glover.
Historically, NASA has faced criticism for its lack of diversity, with reports highlighting a workforce of predominantly “old, white men.” All astronauts who walked on the Moon during the Apollo missions were white men. In recent years, the agency initiated its ‘Diversity in Employment Opportunities’ initiative, which is still mentioned on its official website.
In January, Trump signed an executive order aimed at dismantling DEI programs and “restoring merit-based” hiring practices. In line with this directive, NASA has begun to phase out its Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity.
“These programs divided Americans by race, wasted taxpayer dollars, and resulted in shameful discrimination,” NASA Acting Administrator Janet Petro stated in a January memo to employees, which was accessed by SpaceNews.
Ramin Sohrabi for TROIB News
Artemis aims to return humans to the Moon for the first time since 1972, with previous statements on the agency's website emphasizing the goal to land “the first woman, the first person of color, and the first international partner astronaut” on the lunar surface. The updated Artemis webpage now states that the mission will only mention sending “the first humans to explore the lunar South Pole region.” The timeline for when these changes occurred is unclear, but they were first pointed out by British science journalist Oliver Morton and subsequently reported by the Orlando Sentinel.
“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,” a NASA spokesperson commented. “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 benefit of all.”
The Artemis II crew, which is set to conduct a lunar flyby in 2026 without landing, still features female astronaut Christina Koch and African American astronaut Victor Glover.
Historically, NASA has faced criticism for its lack of diversity, with reports highlighting a workforce of predominantly “old, white men.” All astronauts who walked on the Moon during the Apollo missions were white men. In recent years, the agency initiated its ‘Diversity in Employment Opportunities’ initiative, which is still mentioned on its official website.
In January, Trump signed an executive order aimed at dismantling DEI programs and “restoring merit-based” hiring practices. In line with this directive, NASA has begun to phase out its Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity.
“These programs divided Americans by race, wasted taxpayer dollars, and resulted in shameful discrimination,” NASA Acting Administrator Janet Petro stated in a January memo to employees, which was accessed by SpaceNews.
Ramin Sohrabi for TROIB News
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