Astronomy current events question: SOFIA to be mothballed

Astronomy 210L, spring semester 2014
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Students are assigned to read online articles on current astronomy events, and take a short current events quiz during the first 10 minutes of lab. (This motivates students to show up promptly to lab, as the time cut-off for the quiz is strictly enforced!)

Elizabeth Howell, "BUDGET 2015: Flying SOFIA Telescope To Be Shelved For ‘Higher-Priority’ Programs Like Cassini," March 4, 2014
http://www.universetoday.com/110007/budget-2015-flying-sofia-telescope-to-be-shelved-for-higher-priority-programs-like-cassini/

NASA will mothball the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) airplane-mounted telescope, due to:
(A) increasing solar activity interference.
(B) a Russian airplane-mounted telescope.
(C) budgetary cutbacks.
(D) landing gear problems.
(E) lack of spare parts for repairs.

Correct answer: (C)

Student responses
Sections 30678, 30679, 30680
(A) : 6 students
(B) : 2 students
(C) : 37 students
(D) : 1 student
(E) : 0 students