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$10,000,000,000 James Webb Telescope could go dark due to Trump administration

Home> News> Science

Published 21:01 23 Apr 2025 GMT+1

$10,000,000,000 James Webb Telescope could go dark due to Trump administration

The Trump Administration could make cuts to its NASA funding, affecting all operations

Joshua Nair

Joshua Nair

Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Image

Topics: James Webb Space Telescope, NASA, Donald Trump, Space, Science

Joshua Nair
Joshua Nair

Joshua Nair is a journalist at LADbible. Born in Malaysia and raised in Dubai, he has always been interested in writing about a range of subjects, from sports to trending pop culture news. After graduating from Oxford Brookes University with a BA in Media, Journalism and Publishing, he got a job freelance writing for SPORTbible while working in marketing before landing a full-time role at LADbible. Unfortunately, he's unhealthily obsessed with Manchester United, which takes its toll on his mental and physical health. Daily.

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@joshnair10

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The revolutionary James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) could go dark, following some cuts made by the Trump Administration.

Unfortunately, the highly advanced space technology could be out of operation, according to the latest reports.

The JWST detects objects in space that are up to 100 times fainter than objects the long-standing Hubble Telescope can, and can also see objects from earlier in the history of the universe.

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Located about a million miles away, the telescope has been instrumental in making a number of groundbreaking scientific discoveries, such as a planet that has a 99.7 percent chance of biological life.

While it utilises infrared scanning to reveal how previously unknown stars and galaxies form, it can also study the atmosphere and composition of other distant planets.

The telescope could soon go dark (NASA)
The telescope could soon go dark (NASA)

With all of these revolutionary astronomical discoveries, you'd think that the country behind it would provide the financial backing to keep it running.

However, Donald Trump may not be the biggest fan of the telescope, if reports are to be believed.

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Currently, the JWST, much like other scientific research in the US, could be defunded imminently.

Trump recently removed NASA's top scientists, with a proposal of a near 50 percent budget cut to the agency's Science Mission Directorate also at stake.

They are responsible for overseeing astrophysics research, planetary science, and more, though it doesn't stop there.

The Chicago Tribune report that the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, a wide-view instrument that is in its final stages and set to launch in the next two years, could also be scrapped.

Other new satellites that were in the works could also face the axe.

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The JWST helped to discover a planet that has a 99.7 percent chance of biological life (Getty Stock Image)
The JWST helped to discover a planet that has a 99.7 percent chance of biological life (Getty Stock Image)

While NASA's budget holds some funding for both the Hubble Telescope and JWST, they would mean nothing due to the cuts to NASA's staff.

The scientists operating the equipment are just as important, as Daniel Holz, an astrophysicist at the University of Chicago, said that 'the science' stops if this happens.

"It's just not viable if these cuts go through anywhere near what's proposed. There is no bare-bones mode to run these highly complex, state-of-the-art facilities," he added.

It is further reported that the Trump Administration are also attempting to make cuts at other agencies employing scientists that work in a range of industries.

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The world of science could be facing turmoil if the Administration were to have their way, according to the publication.

Space may get further away for the US, and closer for the rest of the world (Getty Stock Image)
Space may get further away for the US, and closer for the rest of the world (Getty Stock Image)

It is well known that politics has an influence on federal spending, but the facts are that cuts at NASA will benefit other space agencies around the world.

China and Europe are already working to capitalise on the US' decision to slack on science and technology research, getting some big scientists in who feel like their time is up in the US.

In the long-term, this could affect the US' ability to create cures for medical conditions, develop new defence systems, or further simple technologies like phones and computers.

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While it isn't too late to change things, the Trump's Administration has made their stance known.

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