Astronomers are scrambling to save the world's most powerful X-ray space telescope

JULY 23, 2024 6:00 AM ET
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To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the launch of the Chandra X-ray Observatory, the mission released 25 views of cosmic objects ranging from supernova remnants to galaxy clusters and more.
NASA/SAO/CXC

The most powerful X-ray telescope ever built has reached its landmark 25th anniversary in space — but back on Earth, astronomers worry that its future is very much in doubt.

Supporters of the Chandra X-ray Observatory say the school bus-sized instrument is healthy and could keep doing science for another decade, but NASA recently announced a plan to slash its funding and effectively wrap up the mission.

The agency’s head of astrophysics, Mark Clampin, has said that officials are facing a tough budget situation, and that hard choices have to be made to free up money to develop future telescopes, like one that will search for habitable planets that could potentially support life.

But many astronomers can’t fathom pulling the plug on Chandra, a one-of-a-kind instrument that’s currently being used in tandem with the Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope to make important discoveries.

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