Keith’s note: This essay “The Only Thing Abandoned is the Truth – Preserving NASA’s Legacy Amidst a Vortex of Misinformation” was written by former NASA employee Amiko Kelly. As another former NASA employee it certain resonates with me. “I know what [NASA] stands for. I see what it inspires. Working for NASA wasn’t just a dream—it was a calling. I worked hard to get my foot in the door and even harder once there. Like many who have devoted their lives to space exploration, I’ve watched with heartbreak as misinformation chips away at the trust and admiration NASA earned. NASA was once among the most respected government agencies, symbolizing human achievement and possibility. But today, conspiracy theories, climate denial, and political distortions diminish decades of groundbreaking work.”
It has been written that the NASA logo (meatball and worm) have a soft power projection of US leadership in space. People including those that are way distance from the space agency around the world wear shirts and hats with NASA written on these. But now after all these decades, “NASA” is becoming synonymous with Musk so that quality is now lost. While he manage to get SpaceX to jump way ahead of Boeing and Lockheed, this same person that would have gone bankrupt and a footnote in history is now slashing NASA along with other agencies.
Science, jobs, trust, stability, employee benefits, telework options. If not happened already, much will be slashed later on.
Your blame should be directed at Congress, not NASA.