NASA 3.5 billion dollars for the bin

It had already indicated a few days ago – now it will be a certainty: The next flagship of the fleet of space telescopes is almost ready to start, but will probably never fly into space because the US government is cutting the last funds.

Beat against science

The Nancy Grace Grace Roman dream telescope, an ambitious NASA project for researching dark matter and also exoplanet, is actually about to complete its completion. Around 3.5 billion dollars have already been invested in development and construction.

As can be seen from a leaked budget draft of the US government for 2026, the project should actually be deleted. This reports Scientific American Citing internal sources. The telescope, which originally operated under the name Wfirst (Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope), was renamed in 2020 in honor of the astronomer Nancy Grace Roman-a pioneer in the development of the Hubble world dream telescope.

The new mission was considered a scientific hope: with a resolution similar to that of Hubble, but a hundred times larger field of vision, Roman is to herald a new era of space observation. The construction of the Nancy Grace Roman dream telescope

However, according to the draft of the Trump government’s budget, the financing is to be completely hired – despite almost completed construction work and a possible start in autumn 2026 – half a year earlier than planned. “This is madness,” commented the astrophysicist David Spörgel, former co-chair of the mission team. “The telescope is almost finished – and you just want to give it up?” The Roman telescope is not the only victim of the new budget.

The design provides for drastic cuts in several scientific areas of NASA: sun research (heliophysics) is to be reduced by almost 50 percent to $ 455 million, and the earth observation is even more than half. Planetary research, including the planned DAVINCI mission to Venus and the Mars rehearsal recovery, is also to be sensitive.

A spark of hope

Astrophysics are particularly strong: two thirds of the funds are canceled here – with the exception of Hubble and the James Webb Telescope, there are hardly any funds for new projects left. Criticism also comes from politics: Senator Chris van Hollen called the design “completely dubious”. Experts commented even more drasted behind the scenes: the United States would score a leading role in space research.

Whether the project will be finally stopped remains open. In the past, the congress had already reversed reductions in the Roman telescope. The hope of the space community: This time again the MPs could save science. In view of the fact that there is currently hardly any republican deputies to be tuned against the Trump clique, the probability is low.