RIGA, Mar 26 (LETA) - Two radio telescopes in Irbene, western Latvia, might have to be temporarily shut down due to a lack of state funding, Edgars Zukovskis, a spokesman for the Ventspils University of Applied Sciences, informed LETA. 

Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Center (VIRAC) has been a part of the Ventspils University of Applied Sciences for 17 years already and has seen major infrastructure upgrades and scientific achievements in the course of these years. VIRAC's pride - the two radio telescopes in Irbene - are the largest telescopes of this type in Northern Europe. Scientists and engineers are using them in their fundamental studies in the fields of astronomy and astrophysics. 

Zukovskis said that at the end of last year, the Education and Science Ministry together with the Economics Ministry published Latvia's Space Strategy 2021-2027. A successful work of VIRAC is essential for the strategy's implementation, but for the third consecutive year already the government has failed to provide state funding necessary for the center's maintenance. 

In the period from 2016 to 2018 VIRAC received EUR 343,000 in state funding annually for the maintenance of the Irbene telescopes. This money is vital to meet the center's obligations and continue scientific research. Since 2019, the telescopes have been funded by the Ventspils University of Applied Sciences, but its resources have been exhausted and the university's persistent calls for resumed state funding have been unsuccessful, the spokesman said. 

A failure to secure state funding would harm not only VIRAC but also Latvia's reputation, as the shutdown can lead to a termination of international agreements on observations that are conducted at Irbene and VIRA can lose membership in international networks. A more prolonged break in the telescopes' operation can lead to a loss of highly-qualified engineering personnel, which cannot be easily replaced in Latvia, Zukovskis warned.