James Webb space telescope: budget cuts could lead to restrictions
The James Webb Space Telescope is currently one of the most important research tools available. But now cuts will be made in the middle of the main mission.
(Image: NASA GSFC/CIL/Adriana Manrique Gutierrez)
Although the James Webb Space Telescope continues to exceed expectations and has not even completed a quarter of its mission, there is a threat of noticeable restrictions on research work from the fall. The Space Telescope Science Institute from the USA, which is responsible for operating the instrument, warned of this a few days ago. The reason for this is the request to reduce expenditure by up to 20 percent, although the costs were already set at an “idealistically low” level when the mission was planned. If the savings have to be implemented, various areas could be affected from the fall onwards.
Budget cuts in the middle of the main mission
According to a presentation on the operation of the space telescope, there is no doubt about its efficiency and immense value for research. Public interest is also huge. However, if the budget is not increased, expenditure could become too high as early as October. One of the reasons for this is inflation, which is much higher than expected before commissioning. In addition, NASA's budget is becoming less flexible. The Space Telescope Science Institute, which is based at Johns Hopkins University, has therefore been asked to reduce operating expenses by 20 percent – in the middle of the main mission.
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If the cost reductions had to be implemented in this way, the review, and support of observation programs of researchers around the world would suffer. In addition, calibrations and improvements could be carried out less frequently. The efficiency of the instrument would decrease and tools for data analysis would no longer be developed to the usual extent. On top of this, problems could no longer be resolved as quickly and contact with the scientific community would have to be reduced. Cost reductions would also lead to restrictions in the observation modes.
If this were to happen, it would be a noticeable limitation for a mission that is currently making a significant contribution to basic astronomical research. The instrument was launched on December 25, 2021, in such an ideal way that the fuel saved allows the mission duration to be doubled to 20 years. It then began its research work at the beginning of July 2022 and has been making important and sometimes groundbreaking discoveries with great regularity ever since. In terms of interest from the scientific community, records have been broken ever since, according to those responsible. It remains to be seen how things will continue in the fall.
(mho)
