NASA websites have dropped references to landing the first woman on the moon as part of the goals for its Artemis program.
Updated pages as of Friday for the program no longer feature the statement: “NASA will land the first woman, first person of color, and first international partner astronaut on the moon using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before.”
The change comes as the Trump administration has used executive orders to remove diversity, equity and inclusion pages from all federal websites.
The announcement NASA would send the first woman to the moon came under Trump’s first presidency.
The Orlando Sentinel reached out to NASA for comment but has not heard back.
The Artemis pages now simply read, “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 and has its first crewed flight, Artemis II, slated for no later than April 2026.
That crew, which will fly around but not land on the moon, does feature some groundbreaking demographics: the first woman (NASA astronaut Christina Koch), first person of color (NASA astronaut Victor Glover) and first international partner (Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen) riding alongside NASA’s commander, Reid Wiseman.
The first landing on the moon since Apollo 17 in 1972 has been assigned to Artemis III, the crew of which has not been announced. The target date for that landing is on NASA’s calendar for summer 2027.
At one point, Trump’s NASA administrator during his first term, Jim Bridenstine, said he would not be surprised if that mission’s landing party were to feature an all-female crew.
The declaration that the first person of color would join a future Artemis mission came after President Biden’s election, although NASA has not said 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.
NASA has already undergone changes under Trump’s orders — including the removal of 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.
“NASA explores the unknown in air and space, innovates for the benefit of humanity, and inspires the world through discovery. We share a set of core values — safety, integrity, inclusion, teamwork, excellence — and they are evident in all that we do,” it reads.
But that has been changed from previous language that read, “We are committed to recruiting brilliant minds from all backgrounds and experiences to shape the future.”
Also gone is this statement: “Innovation thrives in a culture of inclusion, where different perspectives converge to tackle complex challenges. By creating an environment where every voice is heard and respected, we empower our employees to contribute their fullest potential. We foster collaboration, embracing new perspectives and constructive dialogue to drive informed decision-making.”
Also gone is a NASA page dedicated to a graphic novel released in 2021 titled “First Woman: NASA’s Promise for Humanity” although it’s still available for download as an app as of Friday for both Android and iOS.
The 40-page novelization features fictional character Callie, who is from Little Havana, and has a Black mother and Hispanic father.
“Through this graphic novel, NASA aims to inspire the next generation of explorers – the Artemis Generation,” the original press release for the novel said.
“The story of Callie captures how passion, dedication, and perseverance allow us to turn our dreams into reality,” said then NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy. “Callie, much like myself, grew her skills, seized learning opportunities, and overcame challenges to become a NASA astronaut. Her diversity is reflected in our own astronaut corps today – it’s important we can see ourselves as the explorers among the stars.”
