Ending NASA’s Chandra Will Cut Us Out of the High-Resolution X-Ray Universe
SMRTR summary
NASA plans to significantly reduce funding for the Chandra X-ray Observatory, potentially leading to its shutdown by 2026. Launched 25 years ago, Chandra provides unique high-resolution X-ray views of space phenomena. The budget cut from $68 million in 2024 to $26 million in 2026 only allows for mission closeout. Scientists argue Chandra should continue operating until a critical failure or replacement, as it's crucial for multi-wavelength astronomy. This situation highlights the tension between funding new missions and maintaining existing ones.
SMRTR provides this summary for quick context. The original article belongs to Scientific American.
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