NASA has halted its efforts to direct more contracting dollars toward small businesses owned by people in historically marginalized groups.

According to the space agency’s inspector general, the move came in response to an executive order signed by President Donald Trump on his first day in office.

NASA, which was funded at nearly $25 billion in 2024, spends about 90% of its budget on contracts. The space agency accounted for $75.6 billion in economic output nationwide, supported nearly 305,000 jobs and generated $9.5 billion in federal, state, and local taxes in Fiscal Year 2023, according to an economic impact study released last year.