Get Organized for the Green Bank Observatory!
#KeepGreenBankFullyFunded
- Have you experienced the awe of one of the man-made wonders of the world – the Green Bank Telescope (GBT)?
- Did you or a family member come away from an experience at the Green Bank Observatory with a contagious enthusiasm for learning more about the wonders of our Universe?
- Are you a local community member who can’t imagine what your area would be like if the Green Bank Observatory operated differently or not at all?
- Are you a researcher, student, or organization who has benefited from the Green Bank Observatory’s telescopes, scientific expertise, facilities, or their educational programs?
- Have you recently seen Small Town Universe and wondered how you could help keep the GBO for future generations?
Then we need your help ASAP!
The NSF Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request to Congress has specified the reduction in funding to the GBO from its annual budget of ~ $10 million to $3 million, which renders it no longer available for the many programs and research we’ve all benefited from – and further they have recommended “decommissioning” the facility which is in effect shutting down the Observatory. To read the NSF’s 2026 proposed budget, visit our Resources page for a link to it.
We have the opportunity right now to use our voices to call Congress –
to urge them to reject this proposal and to support full funding and continued operation of the Green Bank Observatory as a public science and education centered facility via Congressionally directed spending specifically marked for the Green Bank Observatory. The GBO is a vital part of West Virginia, providing over 100 jobs in a very rural setting, contributing approx. $30 million to WV’s economy, making groundbreaking discoveries with its state-of-the-art Green Bank Telescope and other equipment on site, and inspiring our next generation of researchers, innovators, and leaders with its unique and world-renowned education programs.
Please visit our Take Action and Resources pages to learn more about how you can help!
Sign up to learn more!
Check out the award winning documentary Small Town Universe
Small Town Universe shares stories of love, loss, resilience, hope, scientific discovery, and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence in Green Bank, WV, a small town with a big telescope. But when government defunding threatens the telescope’s future, the town must decide what connections truly matter.
STU debuted this past April at the 2024 Cleveland International Film Festival in the historic Mimi Theater, where it won the Global Health Award, and was part of the Solar Eclipse day events that were made possible by a partnership between CIFF, the Great Lakes Science Center, and NASA’s Glenn Research Center. It has been and continues to go to multiple film festivals, winning awards and audiences’ hearts across the country and beyond.
Small Town Universe shows why the Green Bank Observatory is so vital to so many communities.
And Now, their future is threatened again, even more so, so we need your help –
please call Congress and let them know to keep Green Bank fully funded and operating to its fullest potential to continue delivering ground breaking research, keep a rural community thriving, and inspiring our next generation of explorers and leaders.
To learn more about STU – visit Rescued Media’s webpage https://smalltownuniversefilm.com/)/
To request a screening
visit https://smalltownuniversefilm.com/#9348b19c-e100-4b57-87f3-917139bec823