NASA modifies the objectives of the Artemis mission: the references to the first woman and the first person of color on the moon disappear

The subjects do not change. Only change the way they are described. In line with the new sensitivity of the Trump era. NASA has modified the description, on its website, of the Artemis programwho aims to bring the man back to the moon. Until Friday 21 March, however, the objectives were also others. The text recited: «NASA will bring to the moon The first woman, the first person of color and the first international astronaut Using innovative technologies to explore the lunar surface as never before ». You can read it thanks to Webarchivethe site on which it is possible to « immortal » the web pages at a precise moment. Today, if we go on the same page, The text has been modified. Away the references to any ambition that could marry the policies ofto promote diversity and inclusion.

Policies that have been deleted from Trump: The dedicated departments have all been closed and private companies are also freeing themselves offices created for this reason. And in fact a spokesman for NASA, confirmed that the reason for the modification is precisely this: « In line with the executive order of the president, we are updating our language Regarding the plans to send crews on the lunar surface as part of the NASA Artemis campaign. We can’t wait to know more about the plans of the Trump administration for our agency and to expand the exploration of the moon and Mars for everyone’s benefit « . To remember that The new head of NASAappointed by Trump, is the billionaire Jared Isaacman. Who has long collaborated with Elon Musk’s Spacex and who financed Polaris Dawn Space Research Mission.

It should also be remembered that those plans to bring, with Artemis, the first woman and the first person of color on the moon date back to 2019. Reminds him Arstechnicataking up the words he had pronounced Jim Bridenstine, then head of NASA. Artemis was a program designed for a long -term stay on our satellite. And therefore it had to be a necessarily more international missionThat it also had to include women and – is added later – the color people. In 2019, in the White House, Donald Trump was there (his first term lasted from 2017 to 2021). And his administration had selected the astronaut candidates who would participate in the program: 18 people where diversity and inclusion were taken into consideration.

Among those 18 astronauts there were also Christina Koch, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman and Jeremy Hansen. TRequuntensi Real (of which a woman and an African American) and a Canadian. That is to say The crew that will go on board the Orion capsule For the Artemis 2 mission: they will not reach lunar soil but will be circumnavigated the satellite to test all the technologies. The capsule itself and the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket. The launch is scheduled for April 2026. The subjects, therefore, do not change for now. But surely the way they will be described will change. Indeed, it has already changed. Here too, with the help of Webarchivewe notice how it was eliminated the reference to the « first woman on the moon ».

The change in the narration with the new sensitivity carried out by Trump and his administration continues. And that on the one hand it is modifying the story of this and future, on the other it is also reviewing the past. The Pentagonto eliminate any reference to « diversity, equity, inclusion » has ended up for Delete a portion of history. Eliminating thousands of photos from its site and from the accounts of all the military branches that reported soldiers or color soldiers. They no longer appear, but this does not mean that the Women’s Army Corpswith whom women have entered the army since 1942. And it does not mean that the department has not existed Tuskegee Airmencomposed of African American pilots who fought during the Second World War.