U.S. Senate Saves the James Webb Space Telescope
A while back, it looked like the U.S. was going to kill the James Webb Space Telescope by reducing funding for Science and Technology significantly. Now it looks like this is no longer the case:
The 2012 fiscal year appropriation bill, marked up today by the Senate, allows for continued funding of the James Webb Space Telescope and support up to a launch in 2018! Yes, it looks like this bird is going to fly.
In addition to continued funding for the telescope the 2012 bill also allots the National Aeronautics and Space Administration $17.9 billion (a reduction of $509 million or 2.8 percent from the 2011 enacted level) and preserves NASA’s portfolio balanced among science, aeronautics, technology and human space flight investments, including the Orion Multipurpose Crew Vehicle, the heavy lift Space Launch System, and commercial crew development.
The whole bill can be found here.
Thank you, senators who aren’t afraid of the dark!
via Universe Today