NASA ends DEI programs that 'wasted taxpayers dollars'

NASA has ended its diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEI) programs after all federal agencies were directed to 'terminate' the initiatives.

Staff received an email Wednesday from acting administrator Janet Petro, which said the space agency is 'taking steps to close all agency DEIA offices and end all DEIA-related contracts in accordance with President Trump's executive orders.'

The order is titled 'Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing and Initial Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions.' 

NASA's email admitted that 'these programs divided Americans by race, wasted taxpayer dollars, and resulted in shameful discrimination.'

The space agency has spent at least $22.4 million annually on such programs.

DailyMail.com had uncovered millions of taxpayer dollars were dished out for DEI data analytics and to help the agency 'embark on a venture to incorporate and deeply engrain diversity, inclusion, equity and accessibility in the culture and business.'

Petro, who is the first woman to lead NASA as its acting administrator, also urged staff to report colleagues who have attempted to disguise DEI programs with coded language.

'There will be no adverse consequences for timely reporting this information,' the email reads. 'However, failure to report this information within 10 days may result in adverse consequences.'

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the US federal government's human resources agency, has also created an email account to collect reports of suspected DEI initiatives.  

Kyle Sorensen, a software engineer who has worked for NASA, told DailyMail.com: 'I am really happy that they banned these programs. 

'I am even happier that the Trump admin was smart enough to know that the organization would just try to rename themselves.' 

 Petro, however, appeared not to feel the same about DEI in 2021. Speaking to Engineering News-Record, she detailed how she has been the minority at the Kennedy Space Center.

'I often found myself either the only female, or only one of a couple. There weren’t many minorities either,' she said. 

'A big part of this is ensuring an environment where everyone feels included, has a voice and feels safe to express their opinions. 

'I have mentored numerous minorities along their professional journeys, and as director, I am committed to leading Kennedy Space Center to have a diverse and inclusive environment where everyone can thrive.'

While the acting administrator's email appeared to criticize the DEI initiatives, the same message was sent to all federal agencies to pass to their employees. 

The Trump administration sent the letter to all heads and acting heads of government agencies on Tuesday, informing them all federal employees in DEI roles must be placed on paid leave by 5pm ET Wednesday. 

The letter also demanded all public DEI-focused web pages be taken offline, which was around the same time NASA sent the email to staff and removed its DEI website.

The space agency's page now features a '404' error with the message: 'The cosmic object you were looking for has disappeared beyond the event horizon.'

An employee shared on X that they 'had DEI  training and it was part of the employee reviews.' 

While Nancy Vreils, quality records manager at NASA, shared: 'DEI has ruined NASA. Innovation is non-existent.'

NASA has engaged in DEI efforts for over a decade, first creating the Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Implementation Plan in 2012. 

The agency's  DEI spending from 2022 to the present has largely focused on environmental programs.

More than $1 million in grants went to 'assessing environmental justice in air quality, 'advancing environmental justice in Los Angeles and 'examining environmental justice through open source cloud native tools.'

One grant, surpassing $150,00, was given to Cleveland State University to improve monitoring and management of urban tree equity.

Oregon State University was awarded a commitment of more than $450,000 to study refugee farming decisions in Uganda.

The grant's description showed that the results of the project will 'directly support place-based information of refugee self-sufficiency that is called for in Uganda's refugee response plan.'

It's unclear how the findings would advance NASA's aims.

Meanwhile, tens of thousands of dollars were given to the Oceanography Society for 'building diversity, equity and inclusion in ocean sciences.'

LMI consulting received over $2 million in 2023 for NASA to 'embark on a venture to incorporate and deeply engrain diversity, inclusion, equity and accessibility in the culture and business.'

Another $3 million went to Booze Allen Hamilton in March to support NASA's 'Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity DEI data analytic specialty' and $7 million was announced last month for six 'minority-serving institutions.'

One former employee told DailyMail.com in November that NASA's focus on diversity, equality and inclusion was 'destroying America's ability to compete with China in space because the Biden-Harris administration will only fund programs that feature it.'

'The DEI thing can create an environment where things are not focused and accountability gets diluted,' another NASA employee, who works at the agency, said.

'Real scientists don't give a hoot about DEI or other hyper-political c***.

'There are good scientists doing real, good work there. [NASA] has become extremely bureaucratic.'