Nasa racism the reason his sister was pulled from historic mission
return to Johnson Space Centre in Houston, where she will be a candidate for future crews.
Nasa did not give an explanation for the crew change. But Epps’ brother blamed racism at the space agency.
“My sister Dr Jeannette Epps has been fighting against oppressive racism and misogynists in Nasa and now they are holding her back and allowing a Caucasian astronaut to take her place!” Henry Epps wrote in a Facebook post at the weekend. The post has since been removed.
He linked to a MoveOn.org petition asking Nasa to reinstate Epps.
In an email, Epps said she could not comment on her brother’s post or the reason for the crew change and clarified that neither she nor anyone in her family created the petition.
Epps said that she did not have a medical condition or family problem that would have prevented her from participating in the mission, and that her overseas training in Russia and Kazakhstan had been successful.
Nasa likewise declined to comment about Henry Epps’ post, but provided a statement saying: “Diversity and inclusion are integral to mission success at Nasa and we have a diverse astronaut corps reflective of that approach.”
Last-minute crew changes are not unusual at Nasa. Apollo 13 pilot Ken Mattingly was famously pulled from his mission days before launch after being exposed to German measles. It’s also common for Nasa to give limited explanations for these changes, which may involve private medical reasons or other sensitive information.
Epps, who has a PhD in aerospace engineering, was selected as a Nasa astronaut in 2009 after seven years of working for the CIA. In an interview with New York Magazine last year, after her historic assignment to the ISS crew was announced, Epps said she felt “a huge amount of responsibility”.
Fourteen African American astronauts have flown in space, and several have visited the space station. But Epps would have been the first to serve on the ISS long term.
Aunon-Chancellor’s selection was also history-making: She will be the first Hispanic woman to live on the space station.