NASA made a big splash today, announcing that its Mars Perseverance rover had spotted "potential biosignatures" last year while examining a rock covered in unusual spots.
It was a compelling finding, to say the least, with scientists suggesting that "leopard spots" on a rock may have been left behind by microbial life metabolizing minerals inside the rock. If confirmed, it would be the first time life has ever been found beyond the Earth.
But instead of putting the hard work of its scientists up front and center, the space agency took special effort to praise a particular individual: Donald Trump, the president of the United States.
"This finding by Perseverance, launched under President Trump in his first term, is the closest we have ever come to discovering life on Mars," NASA's interim administrator Sean Duffy said in the lead quote of a statement about the finding.
What Duffy — who has no scientific background or experience leading a government agency whatsoever — failed to point out is that original plans for the rover were first announced in late 2012, and that Perseverance was designed to build on NASA's Curiosity rover, which was developed and launched years before Trump took office.
In another eyebrow-raising line, Duffy praised "NASA’s commitment to conducting Gold Standard Science," which will "continue as we pursue our goal of putting American boots on Mars’ rocky soil."
It's a laughable sentiment. In reality, the Trump administration has been openly hostile to the world of scientific research, and NASA has been one of its most prominent targets.
In fact, its proposed NASA budget for fiscal year 2026 would deal the agency's science directorate a devastating and potentially "existential" blow by cutting it in half.
The cuts would put dozens of important space missions and Earth sciences investigations on ice, including planned missions to explore the Martian surface.
Instead, as Duffy alluded to, the Trump administration wants to put all of NASA's eggs in one basket by earmarking $1 billion for private sector-led human explorations of the Red Planet.
Duffy has also previously said that "all the climate science and all of the other priorities that the last administration had at NASA," would be moved "aside."
In other words, NASA's promising announcement today is the result of the sort of research the Trump administration is actively trying to cut.
Instead, it has fostered an extremely unwelcoming environment for scientists across the country, sparking a devastating brain drain as young talent looks to build careers abroad.
Duffy's kowtowing also comes as both private industry leaders and elected officials are going out of their way to demonstrate their subservience to Trump.
The White House has made it clear that disloyalty to the administration could have consequences. Case in point, before Duffy was appointed as NASA's acting administrator, billionaire Elon Musk's personal pick and SpaceX astronaut Jared Isaacman was widely expected to get the job.
However, Isaacman's nomination was rescinded abruptly, perfectly coinciding with the rapid deterioration of Trump and Musk's extremely close relationship earlier this year, making it seem like a clear act of retribution.
After over eight months in office, NASA still doesn't even have a long-term leader at its helm — while planetary science has taken a back seat to fossil fuel subsidies and Big Tech courtship.
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