The Region - News from May 5, 1986

The Clark Lake Radio Observatory near Borrego Springs, which has lost its funding because of National Science Foundation cutbacks, will continue to operate through the end of June, but the future is uncertain. The unique deep-space observatory, which has been credited with identifying celestial objects 15 billion light-years away, is counting on a $50,000 contract from the U.S. Navy to keep operating for two months. Prospects for permanent funding look dismal, said director M.J. Mahoney. The facility’s owner, the University of Maryland, said it is unable to provide the needed $400,000 annual budget. Mahoney said that, although the university is soliciting corporate grants, he hopes to obtain more military contracts in October, when the fiscal year begins.