NASA Suspends STEM programs!

[Tristan Lall]

I wonder how they're planning to handle existing contractual obligations, especially if they involve sunk costs or penalties for non-performance. After all, for some activities, the fiscal costs, social costs, or both might actually be higher in case of cancellation. (If they're on top of things, those would have been identified already, and waivers decided upon before the issuance of the memorandum.)

Also, does "mission critical" have a special meaning in NASA jargon? And what's the scope? If an organizational unit's mission is to perform STEM outreach, is all STEM outreach "mission critical"?