The Manchester Evening News has launched a campaign to secure the future of the Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank after financial backing for the e-Merlin telescope network was scrapped. All scientific observations at Jodrell are expected to end on April 1, 2028, unless alternative funding can be found.
The telescope's history and significance
Standing since 1957, the Lovell Telescope is the world's third largest steerable radio telescope. In 1966 it intercepted and printed the first-ever pictures from the Moon's surface. It later played a key covert role in the Cold War, providing a four-minute warning of an impending nuclear attack for five years.
The iconic telescope was built by Bernard Lovell and his team in the 1950s. The University of Manchester is working to find alternative sources of funding from government, industry, charities and philanthropy. The Jodrell Bank Centre for Engagement, popular for educational school trips, is not affected and would remain open.
Political reaction and impact
Blackley and Middleton South MP Graham Stringer, who sat on the Government's Science and Technology Select Committee for 15 years, criticised the decision. He said: "This was a mistaken policy from Keir Starmer's regime. I would expect Andy Burnham to reverse this decision. To lose Jodrell Bank, which is a symbol of science excellence in the north of the country, would undermine his policy to rebalance up the United Kingdom."
It is estimated that around 3,000 scientists could be affected in total in a knock-on effect. The Manchester Evening News is calling on UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to reverse the decision to cut funding.
Sir Bernard Lovell's story
The founder of Jodrell Bank, Sir Bernard Lovell, was a giant of the scientific community. He described how Russian officials attempted to detain him during a visit to the USSR in 1963, after he was invited to tour observatories. They tried to encourage him to defect and he was left ill after the visit. Despite this, he later worked with the Russians in tracking the Venus 4 probe in 1967 and visited again in 1976. He retired in 1981 and died in 2012.
Cultural significance
In recent years, Jodrell Bank has become a music venue, hosting the Bluedot Festival. In 2022, Björk closed the festival, performing with the Hallé orchestra beneath the telescope. Four bands have filmed there: Oasis in 1994, D:Ream in 1995, Placebo in 2003, and Public Service Broadcasting in 2015.
A mannequin of Sir Isaac Newton at Jodrell Bank has long been remembered by visitors as "nightmare fuel," with one describing it as "half shop dummy, half projection, all nightmare fuel."
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