National Science Foundation awards cooperative agreement for Green Bank Observatory

GREEN BANK, W.Va. — A new five-year cooperative agreement has been reached between with the Green Bank Observatory and Associated Universities, Inc., avoiding any shutdown of the facility, the National Science Foundation announced.

The Pocahontas County observatory operates the world’s largest, fully steerable telescope, the 100-meter diameter Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT), as well as numerous other smaller instruments and a world-renowned education and public outreach center.

In July, the National Science Foundation (NSF) entered a record of decision that said it would continue to support the operation of the massive telescope and its location in Green Bank.

U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) released a statement on Monday:

“It doesn’t seem like a month goes by without reading about another discovery made at the Green Bank Observatory. I am excited that the NSF has made the wise decision to continue this partnership and provide some much-needed stability to help continue fostering innovation and discovery. It has been my privilege to advocate for Green Bank as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and to help support all of the good work happening there. I’ll continue to do so now and for the many future scientists and explorers who are inspired by the Green Bank Observatory.”

U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) released a statement on Monday, in part:

“Scientists at the Green Bank Observatory have made significant discoveries that have helped us better understand our universe. “Just last week, WVU researchers helped discover a massive star that strains the limits of physics. That discovery wouldn’t have been possible without the research made possible at Green Bank. Today’s announcement of a five-year cooperative agreement for the continued operations of the Green Bank Observatory is a testament to the tremendous amount of research and data the Observatory provides to the global scientific community.”

In 2018, NSF awarded $1.3 million to the Green Bank Observatory to implement a laser ranging measurement system on GBT that will measure any surface distortions very accurately, allowing the GBT to be focused precisely both day and night.

According to a release by Manchin, that investment increased the available usable time of the telescope at its highest operating frequencies by as much as 1,000 hours every year, with a corresponding increase in the scientific output of the GBT and its utility to the US scientific community for a broad range of investigations.





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