US Astronomy Facing Severe Budget Cuts and Facility Closures

Posted by Soulskill on Friday August 17, 2012 @08:31AM from the but-i-like-pie-in-the-sky dept.

Nancy_A writes "The U.S. astronomy budget is facing unprecedented cuts, including the potential closure of several facilities. A new report by the National Science Foundation's Division of Astronomical Sciences says available funding for ground-based astronomy could undershoot projected budgets by as much as 50%. The report recommends the closure – called 'divestment' in the new document — of iconic facilities such as the Very Long Baseline Array and the Green Bank Radio Telescope, as well as shutting down four different telescopes at the Kitt Peak Observatory by 2017."

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The military does drive space science... by daveschroeder · 2012-08-17 08:44 · Score: 5, Insightful

...and has throughout our history — but it shouldn't be the only thing that drives space science and other human achievement.
If you're interested in a truly insightful and inspiring speech on this topic, I highly encourage you to set aside an hour for Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson's recent talk on just this subject at the University of Wisconsin - Madison:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqJzHHkmJ-8
It's well worth your time to watch, to think about — and to discuss with your elected officials.