A naukri.com initiative
Livescience
1M
410
Image Credit: Livescience
'It's extremely worrisome.' NASA's James Webb Space Telescope faces potential 20% budget cut just 4 years after launch
- NASA's James Webb Space Telescope is facing potential 20% budget cuts midway through its primary mission, despite high demand from astronomers.
- The budget cuts would impact all aspects of the observatory's operations, managed by the Space Telescope Science Institute.
- The mission has been asked to prepare for significant operational budget cuts starting later this year.
- The $25.4 billion budget for 2025 includes funds for the Webb, Hubble, and Chandra observatories, with potential cuts for Hubble as well.
- Unlike Hubble and Chandra, Webb, which launched in 2021, is in its prime and could last 20+ years.
- Webb has exceeded expectations since its launch, making significant discoveries and delivering cutting-edge science.
- The potential cuts may affect the telescope's ability to perform science, review proposals, data analysis, and engage with the scientific community.
- Operational costs set low in 2011, coupled with higher inflation rates and funding constraints, have contributed to the budget challenges.
- NASA's Webb telescope has been hailed for fulfilling its promise, observing distant galaxies and exoplanets with outstanding performance since launch.
- Under the proposed cuts, impacts across the mission's operations may be felt as early as October, affecting various teams and observatory functions.
Read Full Article
24 Likes
For uninterrupted reading, download the app