This story was corrected on July 25, 2011. An explanation follows the story.

For the past 16 years, John Mather of Hyattsville has worked on NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. His efforts might go into a black hole if Congress quashes additional funding for the program.

“There is nothing currently in space or being planned that can do what the [telescope] can do,” said Mather, an astrophysicist and senior project scientist at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt. “If we didn’t actually do the project, then we would lose the top priority science mission of NASA.”

The House Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies voted July 7 to cut funding for the telescope, the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope. If funding is eliminated, about 500 jobs in Maryland would be affected, with the “vast majority” in Greenbelt, said U.S. Rep. Donna Edwards (D-Dist. 4) of Fort Washington.

Edwards said she hopes funding is restored.

“What’s really important here is that the work going on with the [telescope] is really significant in terms of maintaining the United State’s pre-eminence in space,” Edwards said. “We cannot afford to lose our pre-eminence. We need to make sure that it is a financially sound project.”

A decision is expected by Sept. 30, the end of fiscal 2011, Edwards said.

The project has cost about $6.5 billion. For fiscal 2012, $374.7 million initially was authorized.

House Minority Whip Steny H. Hoyer (D-Dist. 5) of Mechanicsville said in an email that he is “disappointed” about the “significant” proposed cuts.

“This not only threatens the future of science research, but it will have a dramatic impact on our economy, costing 2,000 full-time private sector jobs in 22 states,” Hoyer said.

The infrared telescope is expected to launch in 2018 and examine the first galaxies that formed in the universe, Mather said. The project is 75 percent complete.

The telescope will be about 1 million miles from Earth, Mather said.

“I’m hoping for the best. I think the best thing and what is best for the country is to finish what we started as fast as possible,” he said. “Fast is cheaper.”

eskalski@gazette.net

Correction: The original version contained an incorrect byline.