In 2021, NASA released a fictional graphic novel about a pioneering astronaut who becomes the first woman to step foot on the moon, Commander Callie Rodriguez, alongside her diverse crew — this novel has now been erased from the agency’s main website as part of the Trump Administration’s major crackdown on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) programs.
There were, in fact, two graphic novels in the series; both have sadly and suddenly vanished from the space agency’s official online presence.
Besides 2021’s “First Woman: NASA’s Promise for Humanity,” there was also 2023’s “First Woman: Expanding Our Universe,” which centered around Commander Callie Rodriguez and her intrepid adventures as the first woman to walk on the lunar surface. That second issue showcased a racially diverse team of astronauts and their thrilling mission to the moon. The graphic novels were previously free to the public on NASA’s government website and were penned by Brad Gann and Steven List with artwork courtesy of Brent Donoho and Kaitlin Reid.
Through the “First Woman” series, NASA aimed to help inspire a future generation of space enthusiasts deemed the “Artemis Generation,” in conjunction with the agency’s endeavor to truly land the first woman and first person of color on the moon via the Artemis program.
“Diversity is at the core of NASA’s missions, and the reason we continue breaking the boundaries of what’s possible,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said back in 2023 regarding the now-banished series. “‘First Woman’ embodies the rich history of countless women who broke barriers and continue to lead NASA to the stars. So much of what NASA does is to inspire future explorers because each member of the Artemis Generation should feel represented in our missions. Callie’s story reminds us that we will do what has never been done before — land the first woman on the moon, and it will inspire the world.”
NASA has been working in the background to remove all language that specifically points out landing the first person of color and the first woman on the moon from all of its Artemis program pages. In compliance with President Trump’s executive order, the agency has also excised wording around DEIA, environmental justice issues, women in leadership roles and Indigenous people from all of its public websites. This came on the heels of NASA canceling its Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity.
However, though Commander Callie might be unceremoniously booted from NASA’s websites, thanks to the digital library known as the Internet Archive, issues can still be read on the Wayback Machine here.
