NASA Contemplates Slashing Funding for Iconic Space Telescopes

NASA is considering reducing the budget for the Chandra X-Ray Observatory and Hubble Space Telescope due to anticipated budget cuts. The space agency had requested a 7% increase in funding for its 2024 budget but is now expecting budgets to stay at 2023 levels. The decision to cut the budget for these two long-running missions is aimed at reallocating funds to other astrophysics missions. The Hubble telescope has cost NASA approximately $16 billion since its launch in 1990, while the Chandra observatory has racked up around $913 million since 1999.