U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced $1,345,903 for the Green Bank Observatory (GBO) through the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Associated Universities Inc./National Radio Astronomy Observatory. Funding will support a laser ranging measurement system on the Green Bank Telescope. This will increase the available usable time of the telescope by as much as 1,000 hours annually, maximizing the scientific output of the telescope and its utility to the science community. “This award from the National Science Foundation recognizes the potential for discovery that is unique to the Green Bank Observatory,” Capito said. “In my visits there and in conversations with scientists, educators and students, it is clear that GBO has the opportunity to make significant contributions to science. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, it has been a goal of mine to increase those opportunities, and I applaud the NSF for this investment.” “The Green Bank Observatory has provided a tremendous amount of research and data to the scientific community and the whole Mountain State is proud of the Observatory’s contributions,” Manchin said. “This funding from the National Science Foundation is critical to keeping the facility at the forefront of scientific research. I’m glad the Green Bank Observatory is receiving this important funding.”
