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(meteorobs) Followup: NEO News (12/20/01B) Arecibo funding restored
In the immortal words of Emily Litella (better known as Gilda
Radner of Saturday Night Live), "Never mind..."
Lew
------- Forwarded Message
Date: Thu, 20 Dec 2001 10:03:54 -0800
To: david.morrison@arc.nasadot gov
From: David Morrison <dmorrison@arc.nasadot gov>
Subject: NEO News (12/20/01B) Arecibo funding restored
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed"
NEO News (12/20/01B) Arecibo funding restored
I am pleased to report that the NASA fecision to terminate funding
for the Arecibo planetary radar was rescinded a few minutes ago --
see the following from a story by Rob Britt just posted by Space.com.
David Morrison
=============================================
A NASA decision yesterday to cut asteroid-research funding for the
Arecibo radio telescope in Puerto Rico, which helps track space rocks
that might threaten Earth, surprised and frustrated many astronomers
who see the telescope as an important element in protecting Earth
from a potentially devastating collision.
This morning [December 20], NASA reconsidered the decision and said
they would continue to fund the research for 2002 while reviewing the
program, SPACE.com has learned. The funding amounts to $550,000 out
of a total annual budget of more than $10 million at Arecibo.
Arecibo's Donald B. Campbell, Professor of Astronomy, Cornell
University, said NASA had informed him that the decision was being
reconsidered.
"NASA has indicated that they will provide some funding for the
program to allow it to carry on in the coming year," Campbell said in
a telephone interview from Arecibo. At the same time, he said, the
space agency would carry out a review of the program.
A NASA spokesperson confirmed the reversal.
Campbell said if NASA were to eliminate the $550,000 annual spending,
other research into the solar system would be affected at Arecibo.
"Arecibo would live on, but there would be a big hole in solar system
study," he said.
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