By 
May 19th, 2025
En route to Jupiter, the Europa Clipper.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
“It has been a tumultuous few weeks, and we know there are many issues weighing heavily on our community,” explains a communiqué issued today from the Outer Planets Assessment Group (OPAG).
The OPAG community message addresses a “serious concern” regarding recent removal of abstracts and archived advisory group (AG) community documents on the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC) website.
Purportedly, hundreds (over a thousand by one count) of conference and workshop abstracts have been removed…and space scientists are furious.
For years, NASA has taken steps to advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) in their workforce. However, the space agency has started to implement Trump White House directives related to DEIA, such as restricting funding for initiatives associated with DEIA – as well as removing documents that include DEIA discussion.
Open dialogues
Indeed, the overall future of the AGs is not clear – and at a time when projected NASA budget cuts to space science and exploration are looming.
The AG list includes ExMAG [Extraterrestrial Materials Assessment Group], LEAG [Lunar Exploration Analysis Group], MAPSIT [Mapping and Planetary Spatial Infrastructure Team], MEPAG [Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group], MExAG [Mercury Exploration Assessment Group], OPAG [Outer Planets Assessment Group], OWWG [Ocean Worlds Working Group], SBAG [Small Bodies Assessment Group], and the VEXAG [Venus Exploration Analysis Group].
Artwork depicts Dragonfly spacecraft skirting over Titan terrain. Image credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins APL/Steve Gribben
OPAG meetings and other AGs are essentially the only forums where the space science community receives direct information from NASA leadership enabling open dialogues with the NASA Planetary Science Division.
“Our meetings are also a place where we can freely discuss the needs of our community, find consensus, and distill that consensus into findings that are received and read directly by NASA Headquarters,” explains the OPAG statement.
Rapidly evolving landscape
The OPAG was established by NASA in late 2004 to identify scientific priorities and pathways for exploration in the outer solar system. OPAG provides input to NASA but does not make recommendations.
Image credit: NASA
As explained in the OPAG communiqué, “we are at a crossroads.”
What OPAG and the other AGs face is a “rapidly evolving landscape” and a myriad of issues.
In the past, President Trump actions include, but are not limited to, the following Executive Orders and Presidential memoranda:
Ending Radical and Wasteful Government Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) Programs and Preferencing
Initial Guidance Regarding Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access (DEIA) Executive Orders
Go to: https://chcoc.gov/content/initial-guidance-regarding-deia-executive-orders
Initial Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions
Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government
Initial Guidance Regarding President Trump’s Executive Order Defending Women
Unleashing American Energy
Go to: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/unleashing-american-energy/
Image credit: White House
Breach of trust
In the OPAG message is a disclaimer that the views and opinions expressed in today’s email are those of the authors — Morgan Cable, OPAG Co-Chair and Carol Paty, OPAG Co-Chair — and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or positions of the Universities Space Research Association (USRA), the USRA-led Lunar and Planetary Institute and its LPSC annual meeting.
The AG chairs have protested the recent actions taken and are in ongoing discussions with USRA to hopefully restore these critical records. “This breach of trust has deeply impacted our community,” the email explains.
Posted in Space News
