NASA Asked to Scrub ‘Women in Leadership,’ Other ‘DEI’ Terms From Websites
Directive from the space agency’s headquarters asks personnel to remove mentions of terms including ‘diversity,’ ‘equity,’ and ‘anything specifically targeting women.’
Acting NASA Administrator Janet Petro—the first woman to serve in the role—in January sent a memo announcing the closure of all diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility offices. [Courtesy: NASA/Cory Huston]
Key Takeaways:
NASA headquarters issued an urgent directive to remove terms like "diversity," "inclusion," "equity," "environmental justice," and "women in leadership" from agency websites and communications, following a Trump executive order.
This directive has led to the closure of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) offices, cancellation of related contracts and programs (e.g., "Here to Observe"), and the mandate to remove personal pronouns from email display names.
The policy shift appears contradictory to NASA's mission to land the first woman and person of color on the moon, previous statements on DEI's importance for mission success, and scientific research suggesting potential benefits of recruiting more women for space missions.
“Diversity,” “inclusion,” “environmental justice,” and “women in leadership” are just a few of the terms NASA personnel were told to scrub from agency websites following a directive from its headquarters sent on January 22.
Obtained by 404 Media, the memo asked NASA employees to remove the terms by the end of the day.
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Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.
