In a memo sent on January 22, 2025 to employees, and published by the Nasa Watch website, Janet Petro, interim administrator of the space agency and director of the Kennedy Space Center, announced “to close all DEIA offices, in accordance with the executive orders of the President Trump.”
Call for denunciation and threats
In her memo, Janet Petro not only writes: “These programs have divided Americans by race, wasted taxpayer dollars and led to shameful discrimination,” but also urges employees to denounce anyone who has voluntarily concealed initiatives in favor of the DEIA since November 5, 2024, the day of the election of Donald Trump. It thus targets those who, anticipating the implementation of ultraconservative decrees signed by Trump, would have taken the lead (for example by renaming a program intended to promote inclusion in order to hide its final objective).
The text reads: “We are aware of the efforts of some members of the government to conceal these programs by using coded or imprecise language. If you are aware of a change in the description of any contract or position since November 5, 2024 that is intended to obscure the connection between the contract and DEIA or similar ideologies, please report all facts and circumstances to DEIAtruth @opm.gov within 10 days. »
At the end of the memo, Janet Petro even makes threats against people who fail to report offenders: “There will be no negative consequences for the timely reporting of this information. However, failure to report this information within 10 days could result in negative consequences. »
A big turnaround for Janet Petro
This directive is all the more astonishing given that Janet Petro is the very first woman in history to hold the position of NASA administrator and that she had in the past taken a clear position in favor of the DEIA. In an interview given in 2021 to Engineer News Recordand focused on her role as director of the Kennedy Space Center, she declared among other things: “At NASA and the Kennedy Space Center, our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility has been essential to the success of the mission. The entire NASA management team supports this commitment. And “we welcome diversity because we understand that different opinions, backgrounds and perspectives create an enriching environment that fuels innovation and personal growth. Every difference in opinion, background or perspective is an opportunity to learn and build relationships… It’s also how we deliver missions of unprecedented complexity and ambition that inspire the world . »
-According to our colleagues at Space NewsNASA also received, as early as January 21, 2025, a directive from Charles Enzell, the acting director of the Office of Personnel Management, which requested the removal of all content related to the DEIA on the website of the DEIA. NASA. We tried it: by typing “diversity” in the search bar, you get a long list of dedicated content. But by clicking on each of them, a “404 Error” page is displayed… Still according to Space Newsthe directive also directs providing a list of DEIA-related services by January 23, 2025. Under Trump’s executive order, all federal agencies must provide a layoff plan for all DEIA office employees by the end of the month.
Exit the National Space Council
Another change of direction in American space: the new administration plans to do without the National Space Council, which, headed by the Vice-President, aims in particular to coordinate the federal agencies linked to space (the NASA, the Ministry of Defense, the FAA, etc.), to make recommendations on priority missions, or to promote international cooperation. The strategic body is in fact in the sights of Space X and its supporters.
According to Reuters information, the Council’s staff offices have been largely emptied. Furthermore, the website also displays a “404 Error” page. As of now, however, no official decision has been announced. Will the Council survive? “If Trump believes that Elon Musk knows exactly what space policy to follow, then he will not implement one,” said Xavier Pasco, specialist in space policy, director of the Foundation for Strategic Research. “But in the event of small or big future differences between the two, and if Trump wants to keep a small tool to prevent Musk from capturing all the levers, then he could still consider keeping it,” adds the expert.
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