A recent announcement says former Google CEO Eric Schmidt is funding four new telescopes, including a space‑based Hubble successor named Lazuli. This marks a possible reversal of the post‑WWII pattern where only governments and universities could underwrite flagship astrophysics platforms.
— If wealthy private patrons again underwrite flagship space science, it will reshape governance, access, international cooperation, and who sets scientific priorities for decades.
msmash
2026.01.08
100% relevant
Eric and Wendy Schmidt announced the Schmidt Observatory System and Lazuli (a Hubble‑class space telescope) and reportedly pledged at least hundreds of millions for the effort.
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