NASA has decided to close three offices and lay off personnel due to the Trump administration’s governmentwide size reduction.

Janet Petro, the acting NASA director, said in a memo to staff on Monday that the organization would close its Office of Technology, Policy and Strategy, the Office of the Chief Scientist, and the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility branch within the Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity.

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NASA laid off about 23 employees, one of whom was Katherine Calvin, a climate scientist who held the roles of chief scientist and senior climate adviser, a spokeswoman told the Washington Examiner.

“To optimize our workforce, and in compliance with an executive order, NASA is beginning its phased approach to a reduction in force (RIF),” Cheryl Warner, the spokeswoman, said. “A small number of individuals received notification March 10 they are a part of NASA’s RIF. If they’re eligible, those employees may opt to participate in the Voluntary Early Retirement Authority, or VERA, or complete the RIF process.”

These cuts align with President Donald Trump’s executive actions to end all DEI initiatives and programs throughout the federal government, which were promoted under the previous administration but predate it.

More cuts are likely as the agency finalizes its planned downsizing, Warner added.

“This RIF is happening before our final RIF submission because of the President’s Executive Order directing all federal agencies, including NASA, to begin workforce reductions in line with broader government restructuring,” she said. “While the final plan is still in development, we are taking these actions now to comply with the directive.”

In 2022, under former President Joe Biden, NASA unveiled its 2022-2026 Strategic Plan for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Accessibility, ”to align with Biden EO 14035 “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in the Federal Workforce.”

Former NASA Administrator Bill Nelson called DEIA “critical to innovation, excellence, and mission success,” adding that the plan “leads the Agency on a new journey, one based on the certainty that excellence, advancement, and mission execution are possible when we bring together a diversity of innovative ideas and talents, with an intentional focus on individual development.”

The plan specifically called for recruitment plans to “focus on underrepresented individuals and members of underserved communities and individuals with disabilities” and said “there should be greater focus on training as well, in areas such as implicit bias and workforce diversity” for managers and supervisors.

Under the previous administration, NASA also produced a documentary titled The Color of Space, which shares the inspirational stories of several black astronauts. 

Former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine added “Inclusion” to the agency’s core values list in 2020 during Trump’s first term. It joined “safety,” “integrity,” “teamwork,” and “excellence.”

In the months after the murder of George Floyd, still during Trump’s first term, NASA brought in Ibram X. Kendi to give a talk titled “Mission to Inclusion: Cultivating an Antiracist Workplace,” which is referenced in a new report from watchdog Open the Books released on Wednesday morning detailing the DEI related grants and contracts.

Kendi’s work on diversity and inclusion has been widely rebuked in conservative circles.

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Trump’s latest pick to lead NASA, Jared Isaacman, a billionaire astronaut and businessman, has faced some skepticism from Republicans over his support for diversity efforts.

Draken, a defense company he founded, helped sponsor DEI-related events and deleted a page from its website called “Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI)” in December. The company also seemingly deleted a page on its website referencing a “gender pay gap report” that appeared to be related to Draken’s workforce.