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from the is-that-a-question-or-a-challenge? dept.
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), an infrared space observatory with an $8.8 billion budget, will be transported to South America to launch atop an Ariane 5 rocket, presumably in Spring 2019. The JWST was not intended to be serviceable at the Earth-Sun L2 point. Will there still be a "Golden Age of astronomy" even if the JWST fails?
[Due] to its steadily escalating cost and continually delayed send-off (which recently slipped from 2018 to 2019), this telescopic time machine is now under increasingly intense congressional scrutiny. To help satisfy any doubts about JWST's status, the project is headed for an independent review as soon as January 2018, advised NASA's science chief Thomas Zurbuchen during an early December congressional hearing. Pressed by legislators about whether JWST will actually launch as presently planned in spring of 2019, he said, "at this moment in time, with the information that I have, I believe it's achievable."
[...] Simply launching JWST is fraught with peril, not to mention unfurling its delicate sunshield and vast, segmented mirror in deep space. Just waving goodbye to JWST atop its booster will be a nail-biter. "The truth is, every single rocket launch off of planet Earth is risky. The good news is that the Ariane 5 has a spectacular record," says former astronaut John Grunsfeld, a repeat "Hubble hugger" who made three space-shuttle visits to low-Earth orbit to renovate that iconic facility. Now scientist emeritus at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, he sees an on-duty JWST as cranking out science "beyond all of our expectations."
"Assuming we make it to the injection trajectory to Earth-Sun L2, of course the next most risky thing is deploying the telescope. And unlike Hubble we can't go out and fix it. Not even a robot can go out and fix it. So we're taking a great risk, but for great reward," Grunsfeld says.
There are, however, modest efforts being made to make JWST "serviceable" like Hubble, according to Scott Willoughby, JWST's program manager at Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems in Redondo Beach, California. The aerospace firm is NASA's prime contractor to develop and integrate JWST, and has been tasked with provisioning for a "launch vehicle interface ring" on the telescope that could be "grasped by something," whether astronaut or remotely operated robot, Willoughby says. If a spacecraft were sent out to L2 to dock with JWST, it could then attempt repairs—or, if the observatory is well-functioning, simply top off its fuel tank to extend its life. But presently no money is budgeted for such heroics. In the event that JWST suffers what those in spaceflight understatedly call a "bad day," whether due to rocket mishap or deployment glitch or something unforeseen, Grunsfeld says there's presently an ensemble of in-space observatories, including Hubble, and an ever-expanding collection of powerful ground-based telescopes that would offset such misfortune.
Previously: Space science: The telescope that ate astronomy
Telescope That 'Ate Astronomy' Is on Track to Surpass Hubble
Launch of James Webb Space Telescope Delayed to Spring 2019
Launch of James Webb Space Telescope Could be Further Delayed
(Score: 2) by bzipitidoo on Monday January 01 2018, @06:11PM (1 child)
Among reasons for the huge costs of the Superconducting Super Collider was Congress changing their minds, forcing a great deal of additional expense to idle people and mothball things repeatedly. Do you dismiss the science staff whenever funding is cut or even looks likely to be cut, knowing you'll have a hard time replacing them, or do you keep them all on the payroll in hopes that Congress will find the will to stay the course and pony up the money that was promised, soon? It stood accused of bad and wasteful management, but at least some of that was the fault of Congress.
James Webb has the same problem. Its high costs put it on Congress' radar, and that's never good. Congressional fickleness makes it very hard to do expensive, ambitious science.
(Score: 3, Informative) by takyon on Monday January 01 2018, @06:41PM
I don't think Congress can be blamed for JWST cost overruns.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Webb_Space_Telescope#Cost_and_schedule_issues [wikipedia.org]
Congress's action didn't mothball JWST or cause it to waste more billions. There were many delays that had nothing to do with Congress, the capabilities expanded from the original proposal (but with the mirror diameter cut down from 8 meters) and "significant changes in the integration and test plans" caused delays.
http://www.nature.com/news/2010/101027/full/4671028a.html [nature.com]
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]