NASA has removed references to landing the first woman and person of color on the moon from its Artemis program websites. The change comes from the Trump administration using executive orders to remove diversity, equity, and inclusion pages from all federal websites. 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,” reads a NASA statement emailed to the media.
We look forward to learning more about the Trump Administration’s plans for our agency and expanding exploration on the moon and Mars for the benefit of all.
The Artemis pages simply state, “Artemis III will build on the crewed Artemis II flight test, adding new capabilities with the human landing system and advanced spacesuits to send the first humans to explore the lunar South Pole region.
The Artemis program successfully launched an uncrewed flight to the moon in 2022. The crew for Artemis II, which will fly around but not land on the moon, includes NASA astronaut Christina Koch, the first woman; NASA astronaut Victor Glover, the first person of color; and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, the first international partner. They will be joined by NASA’s commander, Reid Wiseman.
The first moon landing since Apollo 17 in 1972 is assigned to Artemis III, with the crew yet to be announced. The target date for that landing is on NASA’s calendar for summer 2027.
NASA adjusts Artemis program focus
NASA has already changed Trump’s orders, including removing its Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity. While the link to its DEI-related program is gone, the agency still has some statements about “inclusion” on its careers pages. A NASA page dedicated to “First Woman: NASA’s Promise for Humanity” is no longer available, although it’s still downloadable as an app for both Android and iOS.
The 40-page novelization features the fictional character Callie, who is from Little Havana and has a Black mother and Hispanic father. The announcement that NASA would send the first woman to the moon came during Trump’s first presidency. Jim Bridenstine, NASA administrator at the time, once mentioned he would not be surprised if the Artemis III mission’s landing party featured an all-female crew.
The declaration that the first person of color would join a future Artemis mission came after President Biden’s election. However, NASA has not specified whether that person would be part of Artemis III or later moon landings. Of the 24 astronauts who have traveled to the moon, 12 of whom actually walked on its surface, all have been white men.
Image Credits: Photo by NASA on Unsplash
Cameron is a highly regarded contributor in the rapidly evolving fields of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. His articles delve into the theoretical underpinnings of AI, the practical applications of machine learning across industries, ethical considerations of autonomous systems, and the societal impacts of these disruptive technologies.
