Proposed budget reductions for the Hubble Space Telescope are raising serious concerns among project officials. These cuts, warned at a town hall session during the 245th Meeting of the American Astronomical Society, could severely impact research, outreach efforts, and even increase the risk to the observatory’s continued operation.
Representatives from the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), which manages Hubble's science operations, explained that NASA’s proposed budget cuts—part of a senior review of astrophysics missions—could significantly diminish the telescope’s effectiveness. Julia Roman-Duval, interim head of the Hubble Space Telescope Mission Office at STScI, revealed that NASA has instructed STScI to plan for fiscal years 2026 through 2028 with a budget ranging from $83 million to $87.8 million annually. This represents a cut of over 20% compared to current operational costs.
STScI’s response, submitted in December, outlines how they would operate Hubble under these reduced budgetary constraints. However, Roman-Duval stated, “There’s no in-guide scenario in which we can continue operating Hubble as we have in the past,” highlighting the impact on capabilities, grant funding, and mission risk. The proposal includes “minimal support” for some instrument modes, a significant reduction in grant funding for Hubble data research (from an average of $30 million annually to $10 million), and cuts to other science products and software.
Further, reduced staffing at STScI and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center would increase the overall mission risk. Roman-Duval explained, “Those are the folks who are able to work around those ‘unknown unknowns’ and anomalies, and so not having them around would mean that the mission risk would increase.” The institute has already implemented cost-cutting measures for fiscal year 2025, including a 35% reduction in outreach, resulting in the closure of Hubble's social media accounts and the planned shutdown of hubblesite.org.
“We’re all feeling the pain of budget reductions,” Roman-Duval acknowledged. The 2025 reductions aim to postpone irreversible capability cuts while the senior review is underway. “With this approach, we delay any irreversible changes until we have more certainty on where the budget scenarios are headed.” STScI will present its proposal to the NASA review panel in February, with final recommendations expected in late spring.
These proposed cuts follow years of flat funding for Hubble. While the telescope has maintained an average of $93.8 million annually from fiscal years 2020 to 2024, inflation effectively eroded its budget by 30%. Despite this, Hubble continues to perform exceptionally well. “Hubble remains a scientific powerhouse despite flat budgets,” said Jennifer Lotz, director of STScI. “Over the past 10 years, Hubble has produced 30% more science with effectively 30% less spending power.” Lotz emphasized the possibility of increased funding from NASA or Congress, but cautioned, “We’re hoping for the best but preparing for the worst.” She also warned that Hubble's budget issues could foreshadow similar challenges for the James Webb Space Telescope.