Waste of the Day: NASA Blended Science with DEI
Topline: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration spent $20 million on several contracts and grants centered around diversity, equity and inclusion between 2021 and 2024, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The controversial ideology has been embedded in almost every facet of NASA’s $25 billion budget, OpenTheBooks found through a series of open records requests.
Key facts: The largest DEI contract was $2.4 million paid to LMI Consulting to “incorporate and deeply engrain diversity, inclusion, equity, and accessibility in the culture and business.”
NASA also spent $15,000 to host a talk with Dr. Bruce Stewart, a former deputy director in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion of the Office of Personnel Management under Barack Obama.
Several grants were focused on environmental justice, including $99,997 to help Colorado State University in “leveraging earth science data to heighten awareness of environmental injustices within the U.S. prison system.”
NASA employees also devoted extensive working hours to diversity training. Emails show a planned “Diversity Equity Inclusion and Accessibility Day” at the Johnson Space Center in 2023, “minimally spanning core hours of 9:00 am — 3:00 pm.”
The event hosts considered hiring the group Decide Diversity, which asks participants to make a personal “Table of Diversity.” It’s modeled after the periodic table of elements, but atoms like carbon and hydrogen are replaced with traits like “white” and “able-bodied.”
The author thanked NASA for partnering in a 2025 update of the table.
NASA employees were also asked to read the book “Diversity Beyond Lip Service: A Coaching Guide for Challenging Bias.” One excerpt explains that “The goal in addressing privilege is not to antagonize white men, but to involve them in the process and encourage their accountability … this new accountability will come with a sense of loss and discomfort.”
The Johnson Space Center also hosted a book talk with Uju Asika, whose book “Bringing Up Race; How to Raise a Kind Child in a Prejudiced World” asks readers to teach their children that “Turkey Day (Thanksgiving) is a day of mourning.”
NASA’s Executive Performance Management even evaluated staffers based on how often they selected “diverse team members for professional development courses, speaking engagements, and training opportunities.”
Search all federal, state and local government salaries and vendor spending with the AI search bot, Benjamin, at OpenTheBooks.com.
Supporting quote: "NASA is committed to engaging the best talent to drive innovation and achieve our mission for the benefit of all," Cheryl Warner, a NASA spokesperson, told Fox News. "As new guidance comes in, we’re working to adhere to new requirements in a timely manner. Our agency has complied with the requirements of executive orders and additional guidance from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management."
Summary: NASA’s job is to advance scientific interests in outer space, but there are no racial politics on the moon or Mars.
The #WasteOfTheDay is brought to you by the forensic auditors at OpenTheBooks.com
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