Washington: NASA announced on Tuesday the dismissal of its chief scientist and others to comply with the orders of President Donald Trump, marking the last in a series of administrative actions undermining climate change research.
Although the move affects only 23 people, a spokesperson said that more cuts were coming.
The first round in particular eliminates the office of the chief scientist, led by Katherine Calvin, a renowned climatologist who contributed to the main reports on the United Nations climate.
She and other American delegates were also prohibited from attending a major climate science meeting in China last month.
“To optimize our workforce and in accordance with a decree, NASA begins its progressive approach to a reduction in force, known as Rif,” said agency spokesperson Cheryl Warner.
“A small number of people received a notification on March 10, they are part of the NASA rif. If they are eligible, these employees can choose to participate in the volunteer early, or Vera, or finish the Rif process.”
The office of technology, policies and strategy and the branch of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility of the office of diversity, equity and inclusion are also eliminated.
NASA has so far avoided the deep cuts affecting other agencies, which would have been due to a last -minute intervention by Jared Isaamman, Trump candidate to the chief of NASA. Isaacman, a billionaire of electronic payments and a SpaceX client, is considered to be close to Elon Musk – Trump key and architect of federal cost reduction efforts.
In February, NASA had prepared to fire around a thousand probationary employees. However, Isaacman would have asked that the cuts be suspended, according to Ars Technica. NASA did not explain the reversal.
The new layoffs, reported for the first time by NASA Watch citing an internal note, could point out a distance from research and to exploration.
Trump and Musk both support a human mission in Mars. In his speech on the state of the Union last week, Trump said that the United States “would plant the American flag on the planet Mars and even far beyond”.
NASA plays a crucial role in climate research, the exploitation of a fleet of earth surveillance satellites, the realization of air studies and on the ground, the development of sophisticated climate models and the supply of open-source data to researchers and to the public.
Trump, who called climate change a “scam” and expressed his disdain for the UN and climate science, has already removed the United States from the Paris Agreement for the second time.
Meanwhile, his administration has rejected hundreds of employees at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the other key climate agency in the country, with more than expected cuts.
