“ We can not accept termination of WFIRST , which was the highest - precedency outer space - uranology foreign mission in the most late decadal survey , ” said AAS President - Elect Megan Donahue in astatement . “ And the declare oneself 10 percent decrease in NASA ’s astrophysics budget , amount to nearly $ 1 billion over the next five years , will lame US astronomy . ”
This is bad newsworthiness for Americans enjoying the country ’s position as the existence leader in space research . As part of its budget plans , the government activity also recently announced its marriage proposal to terminate Union financing of the International Space Station ( ISS ) , with the vision thatprivate companies will take overand foot the bill . However , these companies are n’t precisely on card .
And now it seems thatWFIRST , a revolutionary new telescope planned to take over from the Hubble Space Telescope and the upcomingJames Webb Space Telescope(JWST ) , will misplace its support too . WFIRST would be 100 fourth dimension more powerful than Hubble , with a focal plane 200 time larger than the JWST . Launching in themid-2020s , it would survey far-off galaxy to execute the mysteries ofdark energy and dark thing .
Without WFIRST , the US will have no large space telescope to succeed Hubble and the JWST , leave astrophysical research rather in the dark .
" Abandoning WFIRST is abandoning US leadership in glowering vim and exoplanets , ” WFIRST skill team carbon monoxide - moderate David Spergeltweetedearlier this week .
“ Not only is WFIRST a top decadal - survey priority in astronomy and astrophysics , but the mission has also undergone rigorous biotic community , agency , and Congressional assessment and oversight and meets the high first moment of an astrophysics flagship , ” stated AAS Executive Officer Kevin B. Marvel .
WFIRST has been intemperately take stock by many review panels , with the conclusion that it wo n’t go beyond its budget and will greatly advance the field of astrophysical research , yet Trump ’s administration wants to call off it andredirect fundingtowards " finish " missions .
However , there is stillsome hopethat Congress might ignore the determination .
Astronomers are worried that a decline in Union investment in place geographic expedition and astrophysical enquiry could affect many future surveys and harm significant residential area - based scientific processes .
“ These efforts to reach community consensus on research priorities are full of life to secure the maximal take on public and secret investment in the astronomical skill , ” say Marvel . “ The cancellation of WFIRST would set a dangerous precedent and badly sabotage a decadal - study process that has launch collective scientific precedency for a earthly concern - leading programme for a half C .
“ Such a move would also give US leading in space - based dark energy , exoplanet , and survey astrophysics . We can not allow such drastic damage to the field of uranology , the impact of which would be felt for more than a generation . ”
