The National Science Board has made a decision affecting the future of U.S. astronomy infrastructure, opting to fund only one of the two proposed giant ground-based telescopes. This decision comes amidst broader concerns about the allocation of government resources, with criticisms highlighting recent job cuts at NASA, deteriorating conditions at the US Antarctic field station, and canceled research trips by the NSF. The NSF board's approval for just one telescope reflects a significant scaling back of ambitions for the astronomical community, which had hoped for a more expansive investment in observational capabilities.
US astronomers might have only one huge ground-based telescope in their future, rather than the two that many had hoped for https://t.co/dFBarVkIIU
NASA just cut tons of jobs, and now we're learning that NSF is unable to support one of our two large telescopes. Meanwhile, the US Antarctic field station is falling apart, and NSF is canceling research trips. The US government always has plenty of money for bombs, though.
U.S. astronomers will have to make do with one giant ground-based telescope rather than the desired two, the National Science Board has announced. https://t.co/qttc7CdrvP
NSF board approves funding for just one of two proposed giant telescopes | Science | AAAS https://t.co/bI1CZug9GE
U.S. astronomers will have to make do with one giant ground-based telescope rather than the desired two, the National Science Board has decided. https://t.co/bI1CZug9GE