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NASA Analysis and Assessment Groups Required to Hit the Pause Button! (Updated)

February 1st, 2025

Image credit: White House

Yesterday, NASA requested the array of Assessment and Analysis Groups (AGs) that provide community input into Moon, Mars, the outer planets and other exploration target planning to pause all meetings.

While the pause is in action, NASA is conducting a review to ensure compliance with recent presidential actions by the President Trump Administration.

All of these AGs are being made aware of this action.

Clarification

The AGs are not “Advisory,” they are “Assessment or Analysis” Groups. These entities cannot be Advisory because they have not been chartered officially by the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). The Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG) is the oldest “AG”; the only official Advisory Groups are the NASA Advisory Council (NAC) and subsidiaries, such as the Planetary Advisory Committee (PAC).

AGony

The communique from NASA:

“As NASA continues to review and ensure compliance with presidential actions, we are requesting that you please pause all meetings and activities of Planetary Science Analysis/Assessment Groups,” the communique explains.

“This 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], VEXAG [Venus Exploration Analysis Group], the cross-AG EDIA [Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility] Working Group, and any other groups or activities that have been developed by the AGs.”

Image credit: White House

Executive orders, memoranda

The presidential actions NASA listed as leading to this pause may include, but are not limited to, the following Executive Orders and Presidential memoranda: