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James Webb Space Telescope Cost Overruns Adding Up

Posted by Soulskill on from the still-worth-it dept.

digitaldc writes "The scale of the delay and cost overrun blighting NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has been laid bare by a panel called in to review the project. The group believes the final budget for Hubble's successor is likely to climb to at least $6.5bn, for a launch that is possible in September 2015. But even this assessment is optimistic (PDF), say the panel members. Estimates for JWST's total cost to build, launch and operate have steadily increased over the years from $3.5bn to $5bn. Along with the cost growth, the schedule has also eroded. The most recent projected launch of 2014 has looked under pressure for some time. Charles Bolden has ordered a reorganization of the project and has changed the management at its top. Whereas Hubble sees the Universe mostly in visible light, JWST will observe the cosmos at longer wavelengths, in the infrared. It will see deeper into space and further back in time, to the very first population of stars."

6 of 153 comments (clear)

  1. The scary thing by chemicaldave · · Score: 3, Interesting

    is that this will be in an orbit we can't get to if there have to be repairs, much like the Hubble desperately needed. They better get it right the first time.

    1. Re:The scary thing by afidel · · Score: 4, Interesting

      They built adaptive optics in this time, though there is a chance either the secondary mirror or the heat shield will fail to deploy (the heat shield is a significant risk as there is no vacuum chamber on earth large enough to fully test it).

      --
      There are 4 boxes to use in the defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, ammo. Use in that order. Starting now.
    2. Re:The scary thing by chemicaldave · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I forgot to mention that even if it goes to plan, we still can't upgrade parts either. That's one reason Hubble has had such a long life.

    3. Re:The scary thing by Overzeetop · · Score: 3, Interesting

      the heat shield is a significant risk as there is no vacuum chamber on earth large enough to fully test it.

      There was an analogous problem on Hubble (not wanting to do an end-to-end test due to the facilities required) which is one of the reasons the flawed mirror was not caught before deployment.

      Sure, vacuum chambers are expensive to build. Is it worth significantly hampering a $6B project to avoid? There was a cartoon that someone taped to the wall where I worked at GSFC "back in the day" that showed a mouse in a lab coat poking a mouse trap. The caption was "One test is worth a thousand expert opinions."

      --
      Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
  2. Re:Still less than war by countertrolling · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Wall street makes more money from war than from exploration and space science.

    --
    For justice, we must go to Don Corleone
  3. News for nerds? by Beelzebud · · Score: 4, Interesting

    For a place that bills itself as "news for nerds" there certainly is a very large group here who seem to not be interested in any type of scientific research, are seem more interesting in whining about paying taxes.

    A lot of us didn't want to invade Iraq, but our tax dollars were used any way. Don't want us to pay for a space telescope? Tough shit!