NASA Cancels Astrometry Mission
Citing budget problems and setbacks in the production of suitable CCDs,
NASA has withdrawn its support of the Full-Sky Astrometric Mapping Explorer mission, a collaborative effort of the
US Naval Observatory,
Lockheed Martin Corp.'s Advanced Technology Center,
Naval Research Laboratory and
Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. The mission's orbiting telescope, which had been slated to launch in 2004, would have surveyed approximately 40 million stars within 8100 light-years of the solar system for studies of stellar evolution and the distribution of dark matter in the galaxy and for the calibration of distances to Cepheid variables.
In a letter to the principal investigator on the project, the space agency noted that the mission's estimated budget had grown from $180 million to $220 million. NASA also noted that
Scientific Imaging Technologies Inc. of Tigard, Ore., the company that had been contracted to supply the 2048 x 4096 CCD detectors for the satellite, was experiencing difficulties satisfying the requirements of the order.
LATEST NEWS
- 3D Printing High Quality Optics with Blurred Light
May 20, 2024
- Photon Momentum Creates Electron Interaction for Use in Optoelectronics
May 20, 2024
- Active Surfaces Secures $5.6M in Funding for Solar Tech: Week in Brief: 5/17/24
May 17, 2024
- Quantum State Opens Possibility for Advances in Optoelectronics
May 17, 2024
- LED Display Guides Surgery with Real-Time Visuals of Brain Activity
May 16, 2024
- George Mason University Receives Air Force Funding for Imaging, Digital Twins Lab
May 16, 2024
- Intel Appoints Vice President, General Manager of Foundry Arm: People in the News: 5/15/24
May 15, 2024
- Agreements Fortify NVIDIA's Role as Global Partner in Quantum Supercomputing
May 15, 2024