President Donald Trump's tireless pursuit of wiping out any mention of diversity and accessibility across US government agencies could have disastrous consequences for NASA's operations on board the International Space Station.

Last month, the space agency's acting administrator Janet Petro sent out a memo that outright threatened employees with "adverse consequences" if they were to fail to snitch on any coworkers involved with diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) programs.

Now, insiders tell the Guardian that the resulting resignations and mass layoffs could put the safety of NASA's crews in danger.

And that's especially true given Trump's renewed efforts to land humans on Mars for the first time, a staggeringly complex and highly dangerous mission.

There are early warning signs. Officials sitting on NASA's safety panel called on the space agency earlier this month to reassess its plans to send humans to the surface of the Moon for the first time in 50 years, arguing that the two upcoming Artemis missions were far too packed with objectives to be pulled off safely.

Worse yet, existing budget cuts that date back to the Biden administration had already raised safety concerns, sources familiar with NASA's operations told the Guardian. Trump's staunch anti-DEIA agenda and sweeping executive orders could make the situation even worse.

"It’s not a super well kept secret that flight controllers are overworked, underpaid and disrespected by their management," a source who worked in mission control told the newspaper. The DEIA crackdown, they saisd, "is going to impact flight ops."

"Mission control already struggles with certifying and retaining flight controllers, but this is sure to make things worse," the source said. "And with 24/7 ops for ISS, I worry they can’t take much more attrition and keep the consoles staffed around the clock."

To keep the space station from descending into chaos, around 20 people have to perform highly skilled jobs from the ground. Replacing these employees could take years worth of training.

It's a sad state of affairs, with NASA already making "little progress in increasing the representation of women and minorities" even prior to the Trump administration, according to a 2024 report by the agency's office of inspector general.

Former NASA officials and employees are watching on, as the agency is forced to literally stamp out mentions of women in leadership on its websites.

Trump's anti-DEIA agenda has been "disastrous for our country," former NASA astronaut Greg Chamitoff told the Guardian. "I am sure everyone at NASA is worried about personal and programmatic impacts short- and long-term."

And at the end of the day, well-implemented diversity initiatives can actually help an organization like NASA carry out its complex goals.

"I have had times in my life where people have assumed that I don’t know what I’m talking about because I’m the only woman in the room," former European Space Agency flight director Libby Jackson told the Guardian. "That’s what those policies are about is reminding people of their unconscious biases. I just hope that somewhere in all of this that is recognized."

"At the heart of it, any good team is built on diversity of opinion," she added. "Having people from different backgrounds, the right skills for the job."

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