Budget cuts may force shutdown of Spitzer Space Telescope
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.027957
Scientific American : Launched in 2003 to look for and study celestial bodies emitting in the IR wavelength, the Spitzer Space Telescope was the first to directly view extrasolar planets. Now that it has completed its prime mission, however, the telescope may be decommissioned by NASA because of budgetary constraints. NASA’s budget has been shrinking, which is forcing the agency to make some tough decisions regarding its fleet of orbiting astrophysics telescopes. After Spitzer‘s coolant ran out in 2009, most of its instruments became unusable. Despite its reduced capabilities, it has remained the most sought-after telescope for observing time. If Spitzer is let go, no other telescope will have comparable sensitivity in the IR range until the James Webb Space Telescope is launched in 2018.
