TYB
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day
January 23, 2025
NGC 7814: Little Sombrero
Point your telescope toward the high flying constellation Pegasus and you can find this cosmic expanse of Milky Way stars and distant galaxies. NGC 7814 is centered in the sharp field of view that would almost be covered by a full moon. NGC 7814 is sometimes called the Little Sombrero for its resemblance to the brighter more famous M104, the Sombrero Galaxy. Both Sombrero and Little Sombrero are spiral galaxies seen edge-on, and both have extensive halos and central bulges cut by a thin disk with thinner dust lanes in silhouette. In fact, NGC 7814 is some 40 million light-years away and an estimated 60,000 light-years across. That actually makes the Little Sombrero about the same physical size as its better known namesake, appearing smaller and fainter only because it is farther away.
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
Ex-NASA employee and veteran killed in Kokomo house fire, brother says
January 23, 2025
KOKOMO, Ind— A US Air Force veteran and retired NASA employee died in a house fire Friday night, according to a family member.
Charlene Ormsby, 69, was at home at 1131 N. Armstrong when her home caught fire, according to her brother Chris Ormsby.
Chris Ormsby told WRTV Investigates his sister had just had a company install a new gas furnace earlier in January. The Kokomo Fire Department says the cause of the fire is under investigation.
Chris Ormsby provided Ring camera footage to WRTV which appears to show the fire break out at his sister’s home.
Kokomo Fire Department arrived on scene at 11:13 pm and encountered heavy fire at the home.
“We are saddened to report that attempts to rescue the resident were unsuccessful due to extreme heat and partial collapse of the structure,” Steve Stackhouse, Deputy Chief of Operations said in a statement. “The fire remains under investigation.
Char recently retired from both NASA and the US Air Force after 30 years, according to her brother, and returned to Kokomo to spend time with her parents and siblings.
The coroner cannot positively ID her remains without DNA or dental records, which may take weeks, said Ormsby.
Property records show Charlene Ormsby owns the property at 1131 N. Armstrong in Kokomo.
The Howard County Coroner said a forensic autopsy was scheduled for January 21 at the coroner’s office.
https://www.wrtv.com/news/wrtv-investigates/ex-nasa-employee-and-veteran-killed-in-kokomo-house-fire-brother-says
Bright Comet's Tail Dazzles in Images from ESA/NASA SOHO Spacecraft
Jan 23, 2025
From Jan. 11 to 15, 2025, a bright comet surged through images from the ESA (European Space Agency) and NASA SOHO (Solar and Heliospheric Observatory) spacecraft.
Called C/2024 G3 (ATLAS), the comet made its closest pass to the Sun, or perihelion, on Jan. 13, soaring a mere 8 million miles (or 9% of the average Earth-Sun distance) from our star.
These views of comet ATLAS were captured by SOHO's LASCO (Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph) instrument, which uses a disk to cover the Sun's surface and reveal fainter details in the solar atmosphere (or corona).
Although this comet was first spotted in April 2024 by the NASA-funded Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) survey, LASCO has helped discover more than 5,000 other comets as they flew past the Sun.
Karl Battams, LASCO's principal investigator at the U.S. Naval Research Lab in Washington, D.C., processed some of the images to bring out fine details in the comet's tail and create the sequence above.
When bright comets like this one pass close to the Sun, their tails often react to fluctuations in the solar wind, a stream of particles and energy constantly flowing off the Sun.
Heliophysicists can study the reaction of the tails to better understand the Sun's effects on its neighborhood and on comets passing by.
While it was briefly visible in Northern Hemisphere skies just after sunset near perihelion, comet ATLAS is now slowly receding from the Sun and is best seen from the Southern Hemisphere, where the comet is moving into darker night skies.
However, there are signs the comet might have broken up after its pass by the Sun, meaning it could fade rapidly over the coming days.
https://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Bright_Comets_Tail_Dazzles_in_Images_from_ESA_NASA_SOHO_Spacecraft_999.html
GOP Rep. Luna Calls for Trump to Move NASA’s Headquarters to Florida’s Space Coast
22 Jan 2025
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) called for President Donald Trump to move NASA’s headquarters from Washington, DC, to Florida, highlighting that Florida’s Space Coast is “home to key facilities like the Kennedy Space Center.”
In a letter addressed to Trump, Luna noted that Florida’s Space Coast is “uniquely positioned to support this transformation and strengthen America’s leadership in space exploration.”
Luna added that she believes “relocating NASA’s headquarters to Florida would offer significant strategic, economic, and logistical advantages to NASA and the United States.”
“I write to you in support of relocating NASA’s Headquarters from Washington, D.C. to Florida’s Space Coast,” Luna wrote.
“While Washington, D.C., has historically been the home of NASA’s headquarters, the rapidly evolving space landscape demands a more integrated and efficient approach to space policy.
Florida’s Space Coast, home to key facilities like the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, is uniquely positioned to support this transformation and strengthen America’s leadership in space exploration.”
“Given the accelerating pace of developments in both the public and private space sectors, I believe that relocating NASA’s headquarters to Florida would offer significant strategic, economic, and logistical advantages to NASA and the United States,” Luna added.
Luna continued to highlight that Florida’s Space Coast has been a “cornerstone of the U.S. space program” for awhile, referencing the Apollo missions and the Space Shuttle era:
Florida’s Space Coast has long been a cornerstone of the U.S. space program. From the Apollo missions to the Space Shuttle era, Florida has been integral to the success of NASA’s most historic endeavors.
Today, it continues to play a pivotal role in both national and commercial space initiatives.
Not only is it home to government facilities such as the Kennedy Space Center, but it also houses major private space industry players like SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Boeing.
The collaboration that exists between these companies and government facilities has established a thriving ecosystem that contributes to maintaining American space dominance.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has previously suggested moving NASA’s headquarters to the Kennedy Space Center, noting that “they have this massive building” in the nation’s capital and “nobody goes to it.”
“I was talking to the director before we came out here, there is interest in moving the headquarters of NASA to Kennedy Space Center and I’m supportive of that,” DeSantis said while speaking at the Kennedy Space Center, according to CBS News.
“They have this massive building in D.C. and like nobody goes to it. So why not just shutter it and move everyone down here.
Hopefully with the new administration coming in, they’ll see a great opportunity to headquarter NASA on the Space Coast.”
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/01/22/gop-rep-luna-calls-trump-move-nasas-headquarters-florida-space-coast/
https://x.com/RepLuna/status/1882213524568789287
NASA hosting Day of Remembrance for fallen heroes of space exploration
Updated: 8:43 PM CST January 22, 2025
HOUSTON, Texas — NASA agencies across the United States will join together to honor those who have died in the pursuit of exploring beyond our world this January as the Agency recognizes its annual Day of Remembrance on Thursday, Jan. 23.
Traditionally held on the fourth Thursday of January, NASA's annual Day of Remembrance honors "members of the NASA family who lost their lives in the pursuit of exploration and discovery for benefit of humanity," according to the Agency.
The event recognizes the crews of Apollo 1 and space shuttles Challenger and Columbia.
“On NASA’s Day of Remembrance, we pause to reflect on the bravery, dedication and selflessness of the extraordinary individuals who pushed the boundaries of exploration and discovery,” said NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free.
“Their legacies remind us of the profound responsibility we have to carry their dreams forward while ensuring safety remains our guiding principle.”
Free will lead an observance at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia on Jan. 23, beginning with a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, followed by observances for the Apollo 1, Challenger and Columbia crews, according to NASA.
Agency centers across the U.S. will also hold their own observances, including Johnson Space Center in Houston, Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley, Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama and Stennis Space Flight Center in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.
More information on each center's observances can be found at this link. More information on the crews and the Day of Remembrance can be found at this link.
Astronauts Virgil Grissom, Edward White and Roger Chaffee died during a preflight test for Apollo 204 on Jan. 27, 1967 when a fire swept through the command module, according to NASA.
Francis R. "Dick" Scobee, Michael J. Smith, Judith A. Resnik, Ronald E. McNair, Ellison S. Onizuka, Gregory B. Jarvis and S. Christa McAuliffe died on Jan. 28, 1986 when the Challenger spacecraft exploded shortly after liftoff.
Rick D. Husband, William C. McCool, Michael P. Anderson, David Brown, Kalpana Chawla, Laurel Blair Salton Clark and Ilan Ramon died when the Columbia orbiter suffered a failure while reentering the atmosphere on Feb. 1, 2003.
https://www.kcentv.com/article/tech/science/aerospace/nasa-hosting-day-remembrance-fallen-heroes-space-exploration/500-965b1d28-2aad-4b03-8575-1703c7da5424
https://www.nasa.gov/dor/
https://youtu.be/6pHKGo9bUZw
Alumnus Named Director of NASA's Human Capital
January 22, 2025
Alabama State University alumnus, Larry K. Mack was recently named director of Human Capital with the Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, as well as Mississippi's Stennis Space Center and its Shared Services Center.
Mack earned his bachelor's degree in political science from ASU in 1993 and his master's degree in human resources development from Bowie State University in Maryland.
The Selma, Alabama native now resides in Madison, Alabama, and is a dedicated alumnus who serves as the president of ASU’s National Alumni Association’s Rocket City Chapter in Huntsville.
Mack shared that he is grateful for his appointment by NASA and stated that being an Alabama State University graduate has played a major role in his development and success.
"Attending and being a graduate of The Alabama State University has been integral in my life," said Mack. "ASU has contributed to every positive aspect of my life, both workwise and personally.
My employment over my lifetime is due to Alabama State. Personally, I met my wife, Tamara, on campus as we both attended the University.
My son is a graduate, and my daughter will soon be a member of the Hornet Nation family.
We are all ASU black and gold, through and through."
He has earned several professional awards during his career, including NASA’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Medal, the Federal Asian Pacific American Council’s Outstanding Individual Award, NASA’s Silver Achievement Medal, NASA’s Group Achievement Honor Award, and the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission's Chairman’s Award for Supervisory Excellence.
Before starting his career with NASA in 2015, Mack was employed by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management and then transitioned to the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
Mack has held positions of ascending responsibility, including being a compensation manager, deputy director for Strategic Management of Human Capital, and supervisory specialist in Human Resources.
NASA's director, Joseph Pelfrey, shared that in his new role, Mack will provide leadership for a portfolio of services, including strategic workforce planning and analysis, talent acquisition, training, development, and advising executives on human resource matters.
"Mack has extensive experience in the areas of recruitment, training and awards, automated systems, leadership/organizational development, strategic workforce planning, employee/labor relations, and performance management to complement mission-critical agency goals," stated Pelfrey.
"Mack previously served as deputy director of Human Capital at Marshall from 2015 to 2024.
In this role, he provided leadership to a workforce of civil servants and contractor staff focused on maintaining a working environment that encourages creative thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving in resolving human resources challenges."
Mack says his primary goal is to help to advance NASA’s role in human space exploration through his new position and to promote positive working relationships that support that mission.
“It’s critical to understand the importance of relationships and the impact they may have on your life, as a prior professional relationship led me to NASA and Marshall Space Flight Center,” Mack said.
“Your ability to network truly can impact your net worth. As members of the human capital team, we all have a unique role in helping shape the culture and the working environment necessary for everyone connected to NASA and Marshall Space Flight Center to have a robust and meaningful employee experience in supporting the big, bold mission of human space exploration.”
He notes that recruiting, developing, and empowering current and future NASA employees is critical to the agency’s missions.
"This is a very special moment in time, and in serving people. I help play a role in contributing to our overall success,” Mack concluded.
https://www.alasu.edu/_qa/news-jan-2025-nasa.php
Spacewalk Preps Focus on Robotics; Earth and Piloting Studies Round Out Day
January 22, 2025
Spacewalk preparations continue aboard the International Space Station to remove communications gear and search for microbes next week.
The Expedition 72 crew members also worked on a host of advanced science experiments and housecleaning duties throughout the day on Wednesday.
Station Commander Suni Williams and Flight Engineer Butch Wilmore are slated to begin their spacewalk at 8 a.m. EST on Jan. 30 and spend about six-and-a-half hours removing a radio frequency group antenna assembly and searching for microbes on the orbital outpost.
The duo kicked off their day inside the Quest airlock reviewing their spacewalk procedures and servicing their spacesuit helmets.
Afterward, Williams and Wilmore checked the fuel and power capacity of their SAFER or Simplified Aid for EVA Rescue.
A spacewalker would use the SAFER installed on their spacesuit to maneuver back to the station in the unlikely event they became untethered from the station.
NASA Flight Engineers Nick Hague and Don Pettit will assist the spacewalkers next week and studied on Wednesday the spacewalking tasks and the Canadarm2 robotic maneuvers they will use to support the removal of the radio communications gear.
Hague, with Pettit as backup, will be at the controls of the Canadarm2 carefully guiding Williams, who will be attached to the robotic arm’s tip, or latching end effector.
Pettit and Hague will also help the spacewalkers in and out of their spacesuits, guide the duo in and out of Quest, and monitor the spacewalking activities.
At the end of their shifts, the four NASA astronauts regrouped inside the Harmony module to clean up and reorganize cargo.
The quartet disposed of trash, relocated hardware to gain more space, and conducted a photographic inspection of Harmony for analysis on the ground.
More Earth observations and advanced space piloting studies were on the schedule aboard the orbiting lab’s Roscosmos segment.
Flight Engineer Aleksandr Gorbunov first set up a camera with a spectrometer and pointed it out a window on the Zvezda service module to photograph the effects of Earth disasters in numerous wavelengths.
Next, he strapped on a sensor-packed cap that recorded his reactions as he practiced on a computer spacecraft and robotic piloting techniques crew members may use on future planetary missions.
Roscosmos Cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin began his shift servicing audio and ventilation systems in the Zvezda and Zarya modules then wrapped his day exploring 3D printing tools in microgravity.
Flight Engineer Ivan Vagner spent his day activating video gear and uninstalling electronics hardware before taking a questionnaire documenting his experience communicating with international crews and mission controllers from around the world.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2025/01/22/spacewalk-preps-focus-on-robotics-earth-and-piloting-studies-round-out-day/
Study Finds Earth’s Small Asteroid Visitor Likely Chunk of Moon Rock
Jan 22, 2025
The near-Earth object was likely ejected into space after an impact thousands of years ago. Now it could contribute new insights to asteroid and lunar science.
The small near-Earth object 2024 PT5 captured the world’s attention last year after a NASA-funded telescope discovered it lingering close to, but never orbiting, our planet for several months.
The asteroid, which is about 33 feet (10 meters) wide, does not pose a hazard to Earth, but its orbit around the Sun closely matches that of our planet, hinting that it may have originated nearby.
As described in a study published Jan. 14 in the Astrophysical Journal Letters, researchers have collected further evidence of 2024 PT5 being of local origin: It appears to be composed of rock broken off from the Moon’s surface and ejected into space after a large impact.
“We had a general idea that this asteroid may have come from the Moon, but the smoking gun was when we found out that it was rich in silicate minerals — not the kind that are seen on asteroids but those that have been found in lunar rock samples,” said Teddy Kareta, an astronomer at Lowell Observatory in Arizona, who led the research.
“It looks like it hasn’t been in space for very long, maybe just a few thousand years or so, as there’s a lack of space weathering that would have caused its spectrum to redden.”
The asteroid was first detected on Aug. 7, 2024, by the NASA-funded Sutherland, South Africa, telescope of the University of Hawai’i’s Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS).
Kareta’s team then used observations from the Lowell Discovery Telescope and the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) at the Mauna Kea Observatory in Hawai’i to show that the spectrum of reflected sunlight from the small object’s surface didn’t match that of any known asteroid type; instead, the reflected light more closely matched rock from the Moon.
Not (Old) Rocket Science
A second clue came from observing how the object moves. Along with asteroids, Space Age debris, such as old rockets from historic launches, can also be found in Earth-like orbits.
The difference in their orbits has to do with how each type responds to solar radiation pressure, which comes from the momentum of photons — quantum particles of light from the Sun — exerting a tiny force when they hit a solid object in space.
This momentum exchange from many photons over time can push an object around ever so slightly, speeding it up or slowing it down.
While a human-made object, like a hollow rocket booster, will move like an empty tin can in the wind, a natural object, such as an asteroid, will be much less affected.
To rule out 2024 PT5 being space junk, scientists at NASA’s Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS), which is managed by the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, analyzed its motion.
Their precise calculations of the object’s motion under the force of gravity ultimately enabled them to search for additional motion caused by solar radiation pressure.
In this case, the effects were found to be too small for the object to be artificial, proving 2024 PT5 is most likely of natural origin.
“Space debris and space rocks move slightly differently in space,” said Oscar Fuentes-Muñoz, a study coauthor and NASA postdoctoral fellow at JPL working with the CNEOS team.
“Human-made debris is usually relatively light and gets pushed around by the pressure of sunlight. That 2024 PT5 doesn’t move this way indicates it is much denser than space debris.”
Asteroid Lunar Studies
The discovery of 2024 PT5 doubles the number of known asteroids thought to originate from the Moon. Asteroid 469219 Kamo’oalewa was found in 2016 with an Earth-like orbit around the Sun, indicating that it may also have been ejected from the lunar surface after a large impact.
As telescopes become more sensitive to smaller asteroids, more potential Moon boulders will be discovered, creating an exciting opportunity not only for scientists studying a rare population of asteroids, but also for scientists studying the Moon.
If a lunar asteroid can be directly linked to a specific impact crater on the Moon, studying it could lend insights into cratering processes on the pockmarked lunar surface.
Also, material from deep below the lunar surface — in the form of asteroids passing close to Earth — may be accessible to future scientists to study.
“This is a story about the Moon as told by asteroid scientists,” said Kareta. “It’s a rare situation where we’ve gone out to study an asteroid but then strayed into new territory in terms of the questions we can ask of 2024 PT5.”
https://www.nasa.gov/science-research/planetary-science/study-finds-earths-small-asteroid-visitor-likely-chunk-of-moon-rock/
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/ad9ea8
NASA 3D-Printed Antenna Takes Additive Manufacturing to New Heights
Jan 22, 2025
n fall 2024, NASA developed and tested a 3D-printed antenna to demonstrate a low-cost capability to communicate science data to Earth.
The antenna, tested in flight using an atmospheric weather balloon, could open the door for using 3D printing as a cost-effective development solution for the ever-increasing number of science and exploration missions.
Printing
For this technology demonstration, engineers from NASA’s Near Space Network designed and built a 3D-printed antenna, tested it with the network’s relay satellites, and then flew it on a weather balloon.
The 3D printing process, also known as additive manufacturing, creates a physical object from a digital model by adding multiple layers of material on top of each other, usually as a liquid, powder, or filament.
The bulk of the 3D-printed antenna uses a low electrical resistance, tunable, ceramic-filled polymer material.
Using a printer supplied by Fortify, the team had full control over several of the electromagnetic and mechanical properties that standard 3D printing processes do not.
Once NASA acquired the printer, this technology enabled the team to design and print an antenna for the balloon in a matter of hours.
Teams printed the conductive part of the antenna with one of several different conductive ink printers used during the experiment.
For this technology demonstration, the network team designed and built a 3D-printed magneto-electric dipole antenna and flew it on a weather balloon.
[JF1] A dipole antenna is commonly used in radio and telecommunications. The antenna has two “poles,” creating a radiation pattern similar to a donut shape.
Testing
The antenna, a collaboration between engineers within NASA’s Scientific Balloon Program and the agency’s Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) program, was created to showcase the capabilities of low-cost design and manufacturing.
Following manufacturing, the antenna was assembled and tested at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, in the center’s electromagnetic anechoic chamber.
The anechoic chamber is the quietest room at Goddard — a shielded space designed and constructed to both resist intrusive electromagnetic waves and suppress their emission to the outside world.
This chamber eliminates echoes and reflections of electromagnetic waves to simulate the relative “quiet” of space.
To prepare for testing, NASA intern Alex Moricette installed the antenna onto the mast of the anechoic chamber.
The antenna development team used the chamber to test its performance in a space-like environment and ensure it functioned as intended.
Once completed, NASA antenna engineers conducted final field testing at NASA’s Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility in Palestine, Texas, before liftoff.
The team coordinated links with the Near Space Network’s relay fleet to test the 3D-printed antenna’s ability to send and receive data.
The team monitored performance by sending signals to and from the 3D-printed antenna and the balloon’s planned communications system, a standard satellite antenna.
Both antennas were tested at various angles and elevations. By comparing the 3D-printed antenna with the standard antenna, they established a baseline for optimal performance.
In the Air
During flight, the weather balloon and hosted 3D-printed antenna were tested for environmental survivability at 100,000 feet and were safely recovered.
For decades, NASA’s Scientific Balloon Program, managed by NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, has used balloons to carry science payloads into the atmosphere.
Weather balloons carry instruments that measure atmospheric pressure, temperature, humidity, wind speed, and direction.
The information gathered is transmitted back to a ground station for mission use.
The demonstration revealed the team’s anticipated results: that with rapid prototyping and production capabilities of 3D printing technology, NASA can create high-performance communication antennas tailored to mission specifications faster than ever before.
Implementing these modern technological advancements is vital for NASA, not only to reduce costs for legacy platforms but also to enable future missions.
https://www.nasa.gov/technology/nasa-3d-printed-antenna-takes-additive-manufacturing-to-new-heights/
NASA shutters diversity offices to comply with executive order
January 22, 2025
NASA is beginning to implement a White House executive order to terminate certain diversity programs at the agency that were once praised by its current acting administrator.
In a memo to employees Jan. 22 obtained by SpaceNews, NASA Acting Administrator Janet Petro said the agency was working to close offices related to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) at the agency and cancel relevant contracts.
“These programs divided Americans by race, wasted taxpayer dollars, and resulted in shameful discrimination,” she wrote in the memo.
The steps, she wrote, are intended to implement an executive order issued by President Trump hours after his Jan. 20 inauguration.
The order called on federal agencies to terminate DEIA programs and positions related to them, calling such efforts “discriminatory” and an “immense public waste.”
That was followed the next day by a memo to federal agencies by Charles Ezell, acting director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), directing them to remove “outward facing media” related to DEIA programs by 5 p.m. Eastern Jan. 22 and to place employees of DEIA offices on paid administrative leave.
The memo also requires agencies to provide lists of their DEIA offices and employees, as well as related contracts, by Jan. 23, and submit plans for laying off DEIA employees by the end of the month.
The website for NASA’s Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity returned a “404 Not Found” error message after the close of business Jan. 22.
Some people reported the website was offline earlier in the day after being available in the morning, although for others the site was still available until late in the day.
Websites for similar offices at some NASA field centers also returned similar errors or were otherwise not available late Jan. 22.
“Office Of Diversity and Equal Opportunity has been decommissioned,” stated the website for that office at NASA’s Langley Research Center.
Notably, the DEIA-related website at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory was still active as of late Jan. 22.
JPL is a federally funded research and development center that is funded by NASA but run by the California Institute of Technology.
The OPM memo included a template for agencies to use to notify their employees of the changes.
That template is identical to the memo sent by Petro to NASA employees, including a threat of “adverse consequences” if employees did not report any changes to contract or personnel descriptions since the November general election intended to “disguise” links to DEIA.
“There will be no adverse consequences for timely reporting this information. However, failure to report this information within 10 days may result in adverse consequences,” both the OPM template and Petro’s memo stated.
While the NASA memo, on its own, would make it appear that Petro was critical of DEIA initiatives, she has previously praised them.
In a November 2021 interview with Engineering News-Record, Petro, at the time several months into her tenure as director of the Kennedy Space Center, said diversity efforts were important to NASA and to her personally.
“At NASA and Kennedy Space Center, our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility has been paramount to mission success. The entire NASA leadership team stands behind this commitment,” she said in the interview.
She noted in the interview that, earlier in her career at NASA and the U.S. Army, she was often either the only woman in meetings or “only one of a couple” and that a sibling has a disability.
“I am, therefore, profoundly committed to promoting opportunities for growth for all,” she said then.
That included in employment. “It is crucial that we are more intentional about hiring and recruiting,” she said.
“All selected individuals will continue to be among the well-qualified, and therefore it is crucial that we are intentional about identifying diverse sources of talent to be among that pool.”
https://spacenews.com/nasa-shutters-diversity-offices-to-comply-with-executive-order/
https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/ending-radical-and-wasteful-government-dei-programs-and-preferencing/
https://chcoc.gov/sites/default/files/OPM%20Memo%20Initial%20Guidance%20Regarding%20DEIA%20Executive%20Orders.pdf