NASA Astrophysics Head Eyes Budget Cuts for Chandra, Hubble Programs

Mark Clampin, NASA’s astrophysics director, revealed on Friday that he is looking into spending cuts for the Chandra X-Ray Observatory and the Hubble Space Telescope.

At the National Academies’ Committee on Astronomy and Astrophysics, Clampin said he expects that the fiscal year 2024 budget will remain at 2023 levels due to the Fiscal Responsibility Act and that he wants to prioritize other programs in his division, SpaceNews reported Saturday.

The astrophysics division is requesting almost $1.56 billion for fiscal year 2024. NASA’s budget proposal allocates $93.3 million for Hubble and $68.7 million for Chandra.

According to Clampin, the choice to reduce spending for the two programs is partially driven by their age. He noted that the Chandra spacecraft, launched in 1999, is starting to experience operational difficulties because of degrading insulation.

NASA plans to conduct “mini senior reviews” for Hubble and Chandra in May 2024 after the FY 2025 budget proposal is released. The agency uses such reviews to determine whether it should extend programs that have completed their primary missions.