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NASA puts scientific panels on a break after the Trump wave

NASA puts scientific panels on a break after the Trump wave

In a disturbing decision, NASA has interrupted the work of several astrophysics and planetary science committees while it works to determine where these groups are following many decrees published by President Donald Trump.

In a memo sent on Friday January 31, the NASA registered office informed the managers of several assessment and analysis groups that he examines their activities, ordering them to suspend their meetings and activities until the ‘Space agency ensures that they comply with the recent orders of Trump, SpaceNews reported.

In its memo, NASA has referred to the Trump administration’s decision to dismiss federal employees in the roles of diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as an executive decree aimed at putting an end to ” Extremism of the ideology between the sexes “and another aimed at” unleashing American American Energy “, by turning the decisions of the previous administration linked to climate change.

Shortly after Trump announced his executive decree linked to the closure of the diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility offices (DEIA) in the federal government, NASA quickly ended its diversity program And cancels all related contracts. “We are aware of the efforts of some to the government to hide these programs using coded or imprecise language,” wrote the acting administrator of NASA note at the time. “If you are aware of a change in a description of the contract or a description of the staff position since November 5, 2024 to obscure the link between the contract and Deia or similar ideologies, please point out all the facts and circumstances.”

It seems that the space agency now seeks to cover all its bases, by ensuring that none of its divisions raped Trump’s recent orders. NASA analysis groups are groups organized by the community which do not fall under the law on the federal advisory committee and provide comments to the astrophysical and planetary sciences of the agency, but do no formal recommendation . This means that they examine and analyze the problems linked to the exploration of the Moon and Mars, the study of exoplanets and missions to Venus, Mercury and other destinations of the solar system.

One of these groups, the Mercury Exploration Assessment Group, was to hold a meeting on Tuesday, but was forced to cancel it in the short term in the light of the recently distributed memo. “The steering committee of Mexag is broken that our first meeting in person was canceled because of this,” said Mallory Kinczyk, member of the Mexag Management Committee, wrote On the Bluesky social media platform.

NASA is not the only federal scientific agency that has trouble navigating recent orders by the Trump administration. Several scientific meetings and gatherings have been suddenly called At the end of January after the president suspended Research Grant Reviews, travel and training in agencies like the National Institute of Health.

Trump promise To land the astronauts and plant the American flag on Mars, which he declared during his inaugural speech, may not align with the NASA objectives to explore the solar system and probe the cosmos to obtain answers important scientific questions. The agency also focuses on the landing of astronauts on the moon by 2027, and establishing a lasting human presence on the lunar surface as a gateway to reach March in the 2030s. It is not clear if this plan is Still on the right track under the Trump administration, especially that the dream of landing on Mars is shared by the billionaire friend of President Elon Musk.