Share to ClassroomCuts May Close Jodrell Bank Telescope
Jodrell Bank Observatory in England may have to close. For almost 70 years it has held the biggest radio telescope in Britain. UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the group that pays for the site, said it will stop funding the telescope network in March 2028. The BBC says all research there will stop on 1 April 2028 unless someone else pays. About 28 people could lose their jobs, and 3,000 scientists use the telescopes.
UKRI has almost £10 billion a year, but it says it must choose the most important projects. Electricity and staff costs have gone up, so it needs to save money. Jodrell Bank cost £2.8 million a year. The site opened in 1945. Scientists there study how stars and planets are born, what black holes do to galaxies, and the dark matter that fills space. During the Cold War, the telescope watched Soviet missiles. In 2019 it became a World Heritage site.
Many scientists are angry. Professor Brian Cox called the decision "hasty and ill-considered". Professor Catherine Heymans called it "a real act of national self-harm". Others warn that Britain will lose important skills. The observatory will fight the decision. It hopes that following satellites and space junk can bring new money. Other British science projects will also lose funding, and about 800 jobs may go.
