More than 200 public figures - including musicians, writers and scientists - have signed an open letter to the UK government to save the historic Jodrell Bank observatory from ‘foolish and short-sighted’ funding cuts.
Owned and managed by the University of Manchester, the Jodrell Bank Observatory is a world-renowned deep space research facility located in Cheshire. Opened in 1957, the site features the iconic 76-metre-wide Lovell Telescope, which was the world's largest steerable dish radio telescope at the time of its completion. Vital space research is carried out at the facility, which has been recognised as a Unesco world heritage site.
Last week (27 July), the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) officially announced the decision to pull the £2.8m annual budget to the observatory when the current funding term comes to an end in March 2028.
The UKRI grant supports the Enhanced Multi-Element Radio Linked Interferometer Network...