James Webb Space Telescope

[astroron (Ron)]

This is going to happen 1.2 Million kilometres out in space at the end
of next month.
All without a glitch, hopefully
Absolutely amazing.
If it fails, then it's about 10 billion dollars and 20 years of work
down the drain.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pg-YI0T-4Mk
Cheers

[Drac0 (Mark)]

Looking forward to this - hope they haven't screwed anything up like they did Hubble...

[xelasnave]

I have a bad feeling...frankly I will be surprised if they pull it off...alex

[astroron (Ron)]

Originally Posted by xelasnave

I have a bad feeling...frankly I will be surprised if they pull it off...alex

I hope your bad feelings will be unfounded Alex
Think positive. Lol

[multiweb (Marc)]

Awesome news. Long overdue. Finally happening. Fingers and toes crossed that everything goes according to plan with a successful outcome. Can't wait to see first light. I wonder what they'll point it at first.

[floyd_2 (Dean)]

What could possibly go wrong?

[astroron (Ron)]

Originally Posted by floyd_2

What could possibly go wrong?

Are you for real?
This is probably the most delicate and costly
telescope ever put into space.
One small thing going wrong could endanger
the whole mission.
It cannot be repaired as it is 1.2 million
kms from earth.
Watch the video to see exactly how much
everything must work, just unfolding the Sunshade,
never mind the Mirror, are on the edge.
Cheers

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

Bah!...piece of cake!

[astroron (Ron)]

Originally Posted by strongmanmike

Bah!...piece of cake!

It's just about the right size to fit in Eagleview.
Cheers

[xelasnave]

When I made my somewhat negative comment it was with some small appreciation of the things that could go wrong...moreover I know the trouble I go to just dialing in an off the self scope that is in front of me...Think of Hubble..what was it a speck of paint causing problems in measurement.. and fifty men unfolding that multiple layer Sun shield would probably screw it up..
My bet is they run into a problem and then have to build a robot to fix it...way to go to get funding..but if we dont get our robot think of all the money down the drain...

Alex

[astroron (Ron)]

Well lets hope your surprise is a good one Alex.
Cheers

[floyd_2 (Dean)]

Originally Posted by astroron

Are you for real?
This is probably the most delicate and costly
telescope ever put into space.
One small thing going wrong could endanger
the whole mission.
It cannot be repaired as it is 1.2 million
kms from earth.
Watch the video to see exactly how much
everything must work, just unfolding the Sunshade,
never mind the Mirror, are on the edge.
Cheers

Sorry Ron, I really was just being ridiculous as I had already seen the video and to me, the whole thing looked to be so fraught with peril as to almost not stand any chance at all of working to completion.

[multiweb (Marc)]

https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/im...rs-from-kourou

[TrevorW]

As to repair they'll have a AI built robotic probe waiting on the sidelines if something goes wrong, well at least I would

[Spyrith (Dave)]

Originally Posted by astroron

This is going to happen 1.2 Million kilometres out in space at the end
of next month.
All without a glitch, hopefully
Absolutely amazing.
If it fails, then it's about 10 billion dollars and 20 years of work
down the drain.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pg-YI0T-4Mk
Cheers

In all fairness, those 10 billion dollars and 20 years of work won't be entirely wasted even if it fails.

A lot of know-how and industrial processes were developed and created to allow the creation of the JWST.

If the telescope would be damaged or rendered inoperable, replacing it should cost a fraction of the money and time. It would come down to politicians in Congress whether a replacement were made, but it certainly wouldn't be as expensive as before nor as time consuming.

[Hans Tucker (Hans)]

Originally Posted by Spyrith

In all fairness, those 10 billion dollars and 20 years of work won't be entirely wasted even if it fails.

A lot of know-how and industrial processes were developed and created to allow the creation of the JWST.

If the telescope would be damaged or rendered inoperable, replacing it should cost a fraction of the money and time. It would come down to politicians in Congress whether a replacement were made, but it certainly wouldn't be as expensive as before nor as time consuming.

Failure will kill NASA's reputation in Congress. Applying for funding for future projects will be made even more difficult particularly given the heightened political tension around the world which would see potential funding redirected to the Military. Military can get away with over-spending and project failures but NASA can't.

[astroron (Ron)]

Congress will go into scientific reverse if JWST fails.
So we must all put all our thoughts into wishing it's success.
Cheers

[astronobob (Bob)]

NASA’s oft-delayed James Webb Space Telescope has suffered yet another setback. While it was most recently scheduled to lift off on December 18th, it now won’t launch until December 22nd at the earliest.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/techa...id=mailsignout

[glend (Glen)]

It has 300 single points of failure, and positioned 1.5 million miles from Earth it will never be able to be serviced like Hubble. There is no present craft that could Take a repair crew to the James Webb, even it they held it in a parking orbit. The only grappling arm is on the ISS, and there is no grappling plate or fitting on the James Webb.
As a project it seems doomed.

[pmrid (Peter)]

This discussion is interesting for reason unconnected with the telescope itself. It shows us how cynical and negative we have become in our thinking. These days, more time and energy seems be devoted to finding things wrong than right. Reasons “why it won’t work” than “why it will.”

I suppose the Hubble experience has conditioned our thinking to some extent, but I think it is more than that. We’ve just become a bunch of what my parents would have called “misery guts”.

,