How Hubble Budget Cuts Threaten Scientific Discoveries and Mission Success

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — Budget cuts for the Hubble Space Telescope are on the table, and they’re raising concerns for researchers and the future of the observatory. During a town hall meeting at the American Astronomical Society’s 245th session on January 14, officials from the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) shared the impact these cuts could have.

NASA has asked STScI to prepare plans for Hubble’s operations from 2026 to 2028, based on a new budget range of $83 million to $87.8 million per year. This is a drop of over 20% from current funding, and according to Julia Roman-Duval, the interim head of the Hubble Space Telescope Mission Office, this decrease will make it hard to keep Hubble functioning at its current level.

In a proposal submitted last December, STScI outlined how it could adapt to this tighter budget. However, Roman-Duval emphasized that continuing operations as usual won’t be possible under these constraints. Cutbacks would mean less support for scientific instruments, and funding for research grants would fall from an average of $30 million to just $10 million. This would also lead to reductions in necessary software and other scientific products.

These budget cuts could also increase the risks associated with the mission itself. With fewer staff members at STScI and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, there would be less capacity to address unexpected challenges. Roman-Duval noted these staff members are crucial for managing the telescope’s operational stability.

To prepare for budget challenges in 2025, STScI is already reducing costs. This includes cutting outreach efforts by 35%. Last October, Hubble’s social media accounts were closed, and its main website, hubblesite.org, will shut down in March, moving content to NASA’s site. Grant funding is set to drop to $15.9 million, along with tighter science operations budgets.

Despite these challenges, Roman-Duval stated that the aim is to postpone any serious changes until there’s more clarity on budget outcomes. They have plans to present this proposal to a NASA panel in February, with final decisions expected in late spring.

Hubble has faced a steady decline in funding over recent years, with a budget of $98.3 million annually throughout most of the 2010s and about $93.8 million from 2020 to 2024. However, the lack of funding growth means that inflation has effectively reduced Hubble’s budget by about 30%. Even though last year NASA aimed to offset inflation by cutting an $8 million fellowship program, later proposals preserved this program while keeping overall funding flat.

Despite its age, Hubble continues to perform well. Although it recently transitioned to a single-gyro mode due to a gyro failure, Roman-Duval believes it can operate well into the 2030s. Demand for Hubble remains high, with astronomers requesting six times as much observing time as is available.

Jennifer Lotz, director of STScI, highlighted Hubble’s impressive productivity, stating it has generated 30% more scientific output with 30% less funding in the past decade. She also expressed hope that NASA might secure additional resources for Hubble through the ongoing budget reviews or potentially from Congress. Meanwhile, there are concerns that similar funding challenges could soon arise for the James Webb Space Telescope, which also relies on funding from NASA.