Nature: NASA reveals major delay for $8-billion Hubble successor

[james bond]

DJT proposed to cancel WFIRST, tied to the James Webb Telescope or JWST. There are other more important fish to fry.

Secular scientists think, "US astronomers ranked JWST and WFIRST as the most important large space missions, respectively, in decadal surveys of their scientific priorities released in 2000 and 2010."

NASA reveals major delay for $8-billion Hubble successor

Note: The article is from March, but shows an update of 1 hr ago. Could be due to the heat Trump is causing by arguing for cancellation WFIRST.

 

[james bond]

Effect of delays
Texas researchers left in a lurch with continued delays of NASA’s James Webb telescope

 

[harmonica]

Effect of delays
Texas researchers left in a lurch with continued delays of NASA’s James Webb telescope

so the delay in launching a telescope is affecting space researchers--big deal
this is not like a new car design/a new airplane design/etc
this is a massive, innovative, space telescope
.....they have delays on many building projects--for things like stadiums--super simple compared to space telescopes that are blasted into space--so a delay is not surprising
Arthur Blank blames Mercedes-Benz stadium delays on the building's complexity
Inglewood football stadium's opening will be delayed a year because of record rainfall
etc

 

[westwall]

Effect of delays
Texas researchers left in a lurch with continued delays of NASA’s James Webb telescope

so the delay in launching a telescope is affecting space researchers--big deal
this is not like a new car design/a new airplane design/etc
this is a massive, innovative, space telescope
.....they have delays on many building projects--for things like stadiums--super simple compared to space telescopes that are blasted into space--so a delay is not surprising
Arthur Blank blames Mercedes-Benz stadium delays on the building's complexity
Inglewood football stadium's opening will be delayed a year because of record rainfall
etc

You are correct in your overall statement, but the biggest problem is the time delays are now years, not months, and it is due to incompetence on the part of the project managers. I agree the work needs to continue, but they need to fire the upper management and bring in someone who can deliver.

 

[Darkwind]

I am a big supporter of the space program and space research.

However, we simply cannot afford anything right now. Far too much needs to be cut from government and our budget realigned to balance before we can start working on 'wanted projects' v 'needed projects'.

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

The delays are chiefly due to the private companies contracted to build and assemble various parts of the project. The project will continue and will provide very important knowledge.

 

[james bond]

Effect of delays
Texas researchers left in a lurch with continued delays of NASA’s James Webb telescope

so the delay in launching a telescope is affecting space researchers--big deal
this is not like a new car design/a new airplane design/etc
this is a massive, innovative, space telescope
.....they have delays on many building projects--for things like stadiums--super simple compared to space telescopes that are blasted into space--so a delay is not surprising
Arthur Blank blames Mercedes-Benz stadium delays on the building's complexity
Inglewood football stadium's opening will be delayed a year because of record rainfall
etc

My first concern is the costs associated with the multiple delays and human mistakes. The JWST is 13 years behind schedule, and I now agree with Trump. The Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST), is meant to follow the Webb and study dark energy, exoplanets and infrared astrophysics. This portion can be cut because it's more pie-in-the-sky.

Trump has stated his NASA budget is to focus on returning to the moon and exploring Mars. They're both alternatives in case a catastrophe hits earth such as an asteroid. It appears he doesn't want to spend more on projects piggybacked to telescope launch.

Details of the delay report are in this pdf.
https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/webb_irb_report_and_response_0.pdf

More recent update article here
The launch of NASA's James Webb Telescope has been delayed again, to March 2021

 

[james bond]

Trump's reasons for going back to the moon. He thought Obama's missions were dumb AF.

"The Obama administration wanted to send humans to Mars. But the Trump administration wants to put them back on the moon first, and quickly.

That ambition is inside internal documents reported by Politico on Thursday that describe what would be a dramatic shift in mission for NASA. According to the documents, created by the transition team assigned to the agency, President Donald Trump’s advisers want NASA to send humans to the moon three years from now, nearly five decades since the last astronaut left his footprints there. NASA would focus on boosting human activity in the cislunar region—the space between the Earth and the moon—as opposed to venturing deeper into the solar system. The space agency’s main goal, they say, should be “the large-scale economic development of space.”

“NASA’s new strategy will prioritize economic growth and the organic creation of new industries and private sector jobs, over ‘exploration’ and other esoteric activities,” explains a summary of what’s next for NASA in the documents. “Done correctly, this could create a trillion-dollar per year space economy, dominated by America.”

Also, okay to explore going to Mars, but not plan to go there like Obama.

Trump's Advisers Want to Send Humans to the Moon in Three Years - The Atlantic

 

[harmonica]

9 Billion$$$$$ on the table
it will be too far away to repair it
big gamble here

 

[harmonica]

this is coooool--has to be SUPER cold to work
reminds me of James Bond movies space stuff