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NASA has come under scrutiny after quietly removing references to diversity and inclusion from its website and internal programs, in line with recent White House directives eliminating DEI initiatives across federal agencies.
The changes included the deletion of the agency’s Diversity and Equal Opportunity (ODEO) pages, revisions to language on the Artemis mission, and the removal of several staff profiles, including that of Rose Ferreira, a Dominican-American NASA analyst whose life story had previously been showcased as a testament to the power of inclusion in STEM careers.
Ferreira, who overcame extreme poverty, homelessness and abuse to earn a degree in space systems engineering and secure a full-time position at NASA, said the deletion felt like “a slap in the face.”
Staff unease and DEI rollback
The website changes began just days after the inauguration of President Donald Trump, whose administration ordered the elimination of all federal DEI programs. Ferreira’s profile, widely used in classrooms to inspire students in underserved communities, was among the first to be purged.
NASA later reinstated the page following public backlash, but Ferreira’s employment was terminated shortly after her post about the deletion went viral. She had only just returned to work following a hospitalisation for pneumonia when she was summoned to a meeting with HR and dismissed without the opportunity to respond.
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NASA declined to comment on the matter. The agency had received guidance just days earlier stating provisional employees, like Ferreira, would be exempt from a new federal layoff plan.
The DEI rollback has stoked anxiety among employees. Ferreira said staff began to self-censor following the changes: “People are feeling a little more protective now, like they have to watch what they say, and around who.”
Political pressure and future concerns
The erasure of DEI messaging is part of a broader realignment of NASA’s policies under the Trump administration. Acting administrator Janet Petro confirmed DEI programs were being disbanded and that the agency was entering a phase of “weird” transition.
NASA’s proposed 2026 budget includes a 24% cut, the largest in its history, and some departments have reportedly advised employees to remove LGBTQ+ materials from their workspaces.
Ferreira, once hopeful of retiring at NASA, now doubts she will return. “Part of me hopes I can go back in a few years,” she said. In the meantime, she is refocusing on STEM outreach and education in disadvantaged communities.
At a recent event, former administrator Bill Nelson voiced concern over the agency’s trajectory: “The first person that was fired at NASA two months ago was the Chief Scientist and Chief Climate Officer. I think we need to be concerned about that.”
