UKRI to end funding for Jodrell Bank's eMerlin array

The future of the United Kingdom's premier radio astronomy facility is in jeopardy after its primary public funder announced it will withdraw support. UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) confirmed on Monday, July 27, 2026, that it will not renew funding for the eMerlin telescope network operated by the Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire when the current agreement ends in March 2028. Without alternative financing, all scientific observations at the site are expected to cease on April 1, 2028, effectively ending its role as the UK's national radio astronomy facility.

The decision threatens the operation of the iconic Lovell Telescope, a Grade I-listed structure and the UK's largest steerable radio telescope, which has been at the heart of Jodrell Bank since 1957. The eMerlin network, which links the Lovell dish with six other telescopes across central England, provides astronomers with high-resolution data comparable to the Hubble Space Telescope for studying star formation, black holes, galaxy evolution, and the cosmic afterglow of the Big Bang.

UKRI stated the move resulted from a rigorous prioritization process by its Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), which is...