In the event of an HST failure, the additional loss of jobs directly associated with the Space Telescope Science Institute and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center would be substantial, not to mention the loss of a primary scientific capability. Recovery of the scientific personnel complement and the nation's astronomical research capability from such a catastrophe would be slow. Most important is that a significant fraction of the support for the youngest members of the field comes from such missions. In conclusion, the committee found the field of astronomy in the United States to be in generally good health. The United States still leads the field.
New discoveries continue to be made at a quickening pace.
There is strong public interest in astronomy. However, the dramatic shift in the majority of research grant support from NSF to NASA over the past two decades has led to a system in which the funding for subfields that cannot rely on NASA support has eroded somewhat and the funding for the field as a whole is vulnerable to the unexpected termination of a major NASA mission.