NASA OFFICIALS ARE WORRIED THAT PIRATES WILL STEAL THE JAMES WEBB TELESCOPE

Futurism ^ | 03/12/2021 | Victor Tangermann

[bhl]

Sounds like Joe Biden has put the morons back in charge.

If they’re so worried, have SpaceX launch it from the US.

[freedumb2003]

Wasn’t it put there by the Gideons?

[CrazyIvan]

“Hold it for ransom and threaten to destroy it.”

I wonder how many years of bad luck breaking a mirror like that would bring.

[TalBlack]

Per the article, the last such thing stolen was stolen by the CAPTAIN of the ship itself. If the USA doesnt know how to get this thing from point A to point B then I just don’t know what to say.

[BradyLS]

And why does it have to go through the Panama Canal? Can’t it be sent by rail to a port on the Gulf or Atlantic coast and shipped from there?

Can they not safely disassemble it into smaller parts than can be flown and reassembled it at the launch site?

It won’t fit into any military or cmmercial cargo aircraft? How did they get the Space Shuttle around? (I know that answer.)

I’ll bet this whole exercise is just to put money in people’s pockets.

[DesertRhino]

So send a platoon of Marines on the ship. Next problem please.

[Reno89519]

What? It’s not even being launched on an American rocket?

[UnwashedPeasant]

Space pirates.

[Chickensoup]

If they are so worried why is there a news article about it to advertise the issue?

[MHGinTN]

Hear here!

[Liaison]

Is is a govt project. When it gets through the locks have an USCG cutter escort it.

[Mr. K]

Why are these boats NOT ARMED!!!???

[Liaison]

The the playload is very heavy for a lunch at the Cape. NASA will use the heavy rockets off the French rocket pad and use the centripetal force of the earth to sling the payload up. You can launch a 10-15% heavier payload from Ghana than the Florida. Likely they built the payload and tuned the ammount of ISP needed for the launch based on a Ghana launch

[Sirius Lee]

You know what pirates will look at with the telescope?

.

Staaarrrrrrrs.

[Flick Lives]

How do you fence such a thing? Can’t imagine a Craigslist ad.

—

For sale. Very large telescope. Excellent condition. Perfect for the serious hobbyist. Local pickup only.
Do NOT contact me with unsolicited services or offers

[The MAGA-Deplorian]

Gosh I’m afraid I’ll be robbed of the $750,000 dollars in cash that I will have on Monday the 15th at 4pm when I cross 4th and Main in Mucie Indiana after leaving the Bank of America. Sure hopw I’ll be as safe as that mirror

[Yo-Yo]

The massive space telescope, featuring a 21 foot mirror, and a tennis court-sized protective cage, is far too large to stick inside a plane.

I find that hard to believe, Mr. Smart. If its going to be launched into orbit, it will fit into a Guppy.

[BroJoeK]

"Another extremely poor piece of journalism. No attempt to answer the obvious questions:

1) The United States and NASA have several launch facilities inside the continental United States. Why is NASA incurring the time, expense and risk of launching it halfway around the planet?"

I just can't get past this question -- sorry, but WTF are those people thinking?
This shouldn't be rocket science, why wouldn't they put an American launch site first?
Do they think they'll save enough money to make the risks worthwhile?

[Yo-Yo]

I just can't get past this question -- sorry, but WTF are those people thinking? This shouldn't be rocket science, why wouldn't they put an American launch site first? Do they think they'll save enough money to make the risks worthwhile?

The closer to the equator you launch from, the more assist you get from the Earth's rotation.

Why is it better to launch from the Equator?

[BroJoeK]

And here's another way to do that job: