Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

James Webb Space Telescope Passes Key Launch Clearance Review
SciTechDaily ^ | 02 July 2021 | EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY

Posted on 07/02/2021 6:21:47 AM PDT by zeestephen

The international James Webb Space Telescope has passed the final mission analysis review for its launch on an Ariane 5 rocket from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana...Launch readiness date is 31 October 2021.

(Excerpt) Read more at scitechdaily.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat
KEYWORDS: nasa

1 posted on 07/02/2021 6:21:47 AM PDT by zeestephen
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: zeestephen

Development began in 1996 for a launch that was initially planned for 2007 and a 500-million-dollar budget. It has now spent 10 billion. There is no such thing as a perpetual motion machine but so far this has been a perpetual non motion endless delay money sucking machine.


2 posted on 07/02/2021 6:29:11 AM PDT by Nateman (If the Left is not screaming , you are doing it wrong.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Nateman

And what if ... the rocket fails ...


3 posted on 07/02/2021 6:34:08 AM PDT by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now its your turn)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: zeestephen

My understanding is the Hubble Space Telescope is broken.

https://www.sciencetimes.com/articles/32039/20210701/hubble-space-telescope-still-broken-reason-being-offline-remains-mystery.htm

So maybe they can up the launch date of the Webb Space Telescope to sooner than October.


4 posted on 07/02/2021 6:38:08 AM PDT by Alas Babylon! ("You, the American people, are my only special interest." --President Donald J. Trump)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Nateman
Development began in 1996 for a launch that was initially planned for 2007 and a 500-million-dollar budget.

JWST will be positioned at the "L2 Lagrange Point," which is not stable. A satellite positioned at L2 needs to undertake "station keeping," which requires the expenditure of fuel. JWST will carry enough fuel for a 10-year mission lifetime. After that, it will drift away from L2, either toward Earth or away from it.

The "upside" of the L2 orbit location is that Earth is always between JWST and the sun, thereby acting as a sun-shield for the telescope; this in turn allows JWST to operate at an extremely cold temperature, which will give it incredible sensitivity and the ability to see far back in time, close to the time of the creation of the universe.

5 posted on 07/02/2021 7:09:55 AM PDT by Steely Tom ([Voter Fraud] == [Civil War])
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Nateman

Turn the project over to Elon Musk. The telescope would be in orbit soon after.


6 posted on 07/02/2021 7:10:10 AM PDT by minnesota_bound (I need more money. )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Alas Babylon!

My understanding is the Hubble Space Telescope is broken.

their Intel 486 cpu may have packed it in


7 posted on 07/02/2021 7:10:26 AM PDT by butlerweave
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: butlerweave

or the power supply


8 posted on 07/02/2021 7:25:07 AM PDT by butlerweave
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: butlerweave

NASA forgot to uncheck the “Automatically Accept all Windows Updates” checkbox.


9 posted on 07/02/2021 7:53:50 AM PDT by who_would_fardels_bear (This is not a tagline.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Alas Babylon!
The JWST is not really a replacement for Hubble. Hubble looks in the visible region where JWST will be looking in the infrared.

Hubble was a star and galaxy hunter. JWST will be mostly a planet hunter.

10 posted on 07/02/2021 7:55:20 AM PDT by who_would_fardels_bear (This is not a tagline.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson