A coalition of more than 100 figures from arts, science and culture has appealed to the UK government to preserve funding for Jodrell Bank Observatory’s radio telescope network. The group, which includes New Order, astronaut Chris Hadfield and poet laureate Simon Armitage, has written to Prime Minister Andy Burnham and other officials requesting immediate intervention to prevent the facility’s closure.
The appeal follows an announcement from UK Research and Innovation that it would cease funding for the e-Merlin network, the country’s national radio astronomy facility, when the current agreement terminates in March 2028. UKRI cited cost savings of approximately £2.8 million annually as justification for the withdrawal. The signatories characterize the decision as counterproductive, arguing that the savings are minimal relative to the facility’s scientific value and global importance.
Jodrell Bank, home to the Grade I-listed Lovell telescope, serves as the headquarters for the Square Kilometre Array Observatory, an international project involving institutions in South Africa and Western Australia. The facility plays a crucial role in space weather monitoring, asteroid tracking and fundamental astronomical research. The proposed closure would affect approximately 28 direct jobs and impact nearly 3,000 researchers who utilize the facility.
The funding cuts are part of a broader reduction announced by the Science and Technology Facilities Council, which oversees numerous research initiatives. The STFC cited cost overruns, elevated electricity and personnel expenses, and foreign exchange pressures as drivers of the necessary savings. The cuts extend beyond Jodrell Bank, with multiple international astronomical projects experiencing significant reductions in UK participation, including a 20% decrease to the Rubin Observatory in Chile and a complete UK withdrawal from the Event Horizon Telescope collaboration.
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