NASA announced Tuesday the dismissal of its chief scientist and others to comply with orders from President Donald Trump, marking the latest in a series of administration actions undermining climate change research.

NASA has abruptly closed its chief-scientist office, along with 2 other offices, firing 23 employees. The 10 March action leaves the agency without a way of feeding independent science advice to its topmost leadership, at a time when it is talking about sending astronauts to the Moon and developing plans to go onwards to Mars.

Trump had declared in his State of the Union address last week that the US would “plant the American flag on the planet Mars and even far beyond.”

About 19 positions will be cut, including those in offices focused on technology policy and diversity, equity and inclusion.

NASA is eliminating its chief scientist role and closing down an office that studies policy matters on space and technology, in a round of layoffs affecting 23 employees, the agency said on Monday. NASA's acting administrator Janet Petro told employees by email on Monday the Office of the Chief Scientist,

NASA has cut its office of the chief scientist and its Office of Science, Policy, and Strategy, among other entities, the agency said in an internal email that Axios has viewed. Why it matters: Eliminating these offices comes ahead of potentially deep cuts to the agency's science programs.