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Researchers developing NASA's largest and most powerful space telescope ever built are bracing for potential deep budget cuts while the observatory is still only halfway through its primary mission.
The team behind NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has been told to prepare for a potential 20% budget cut that would affect all areas of the flagship observatory, which is run by the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Maryland. The potential cut comes despite the space observatory seeing high interest from astronomers who are seeking the equivalent of nine years of Webb observations in one operational year.
“NASA is facing budget constraints across the board, so the institute is being asked to consider a significant — about 20 percent — reduction in our operating budget for the mission that launches later this year,” Tom Brown, head of the Webb mission office at STScI, told a gathering of scientists at the 245th meeting of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) in National Harbor, Maryland. “So the impact of that, if it happens, would be pretty mission-wide.”
NASA's $25.4 billion budget request for 2025 includes $317 million in funding for the Webb Space Telescope, as well as the Hubble Space Telescope and Chandra X-ray Observatory, which together make up NASA's operating “Great Observatories.” The Hubble program could also face a possible 20% budget cut, according to SpaceNews. Chandra, meanwhile, could end its mission, as NASA's 2025 budget request includes plans to scale back operations, dropping its budget from $41.1 million this year to just $5.2 million in 2029.
But unlike Hubble, which turns 35 this spring, and Chandra, which launched in 1999, Webb is at the peak of its career, nearing the midpoint of its 10-year prime mission. NASA officials have said it could last at least 20 years or longer. The mission is an international collaboration among NASA, the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency.
“Frankly, this mission is performing significantly better than many people expected, you know,” Brown said at an event at Webb City Hall on Jan. 15 during the AAS conference. “It’s extremely concerning that in the middle of a major mission, we’re also potentially looking at significant budget cuts.”
Sourse: www.livescience.com
