On Monday, NASA said it was embarking on a new initiative against racism and to create what it is calling “equity” within the space program, which got immediate backlash on social media. Critics branded the new “woke” initiative as “critical space theory.”
The Daily Wire reports:
“NASA is a 21st-century agency with 22nd-century goals. To be successful, it’s critical that NASA takes a comprehensive approach to address the challenges to equity we see today,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement posted to the agency’s website. “The agency’s new Mission Equity is a bold and necessary challenge for NASA to ensure our programs are accessible to all Americans and, especially, those living in historically underserved communities across the country. Because when NASA opens doors to talent previously left untapped, the universe is the limit.”
In line with the mission’s goals, NASA released a public request for information, titled Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities in NASA Programs, Contracts, and Grants, seeking feedback on “potential barriers” to minority involvement in the country’s space program, and asking for suggestions on how NASA can better pursue an agenda that includes both racial and “environmental justice.”
On Twitter, commenters called the new program “critical space theory”
Critical space theory
— Nicholas Jones (@NicholasBJones2) June 15, 2021
They are particularly interested in comments from “Black, Latino, and Indigenous and Native American persons, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other persons of color; members of religious minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) persons; persons with disabilities; persons who live in rural areas; and persons otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality.”
Time will tell if NASA’s program will hold up, as it is doing less space research, in April choosing to have SpaceX pilot the next American astronauts to the moon.
