I’m not sure what incompetence Localfluff thinks there is. The main problem that caused schedule slips and thus the majority of cost overruns were due to attempting to use technologies that were not mature enough to use on this telescope. The sun shield was one of these. Delays during development problems caused additional expenses in every other system on the satellite. There may have been cost overruns also due to delays at a power supply manufacturer that did not have enough experience in building power supplies.

These were due to decisions made early in the project. During various reviews, such as the preliminary design review, schedule and cost risks are analyzed and approved. Sometimes those risks do not end as well as hoped, and Webb was victim to a lack of successfully retiring some risks.

In retrospect, maybe they should not have taken these risks, or maybe Congress should have cancelled Webb and made NASA start over with lower risk technologies and more experienced companies. I consider this to be poor judgement rather than incompetence.

Either way, it is OK to lament the loss of science and astronomy that could have been funded had Webb not run over budget so badly and had launched in time to do a lot more concurrent astronomy with Hubble.

It is all a question of balance sheet, and this has long been abandoned on this issue. The impression always arises even more over time that other than technical reasons are decisive as to why female staff are so massively supported. Left ideological reasons for enforced equalization.

Good that this launch was successful. Solar panel are already deployed.

I have read all the stories about all the single points of failure in the engineering of this observatory. So much can happen between now and the arrival at L2.

Having a daughter who has a degree in Science and is getting started in her life after getting her education, I have no issue with a female presence in the presentations.

Complaining about it is on the same level as complaining about a shirt someone might wear.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rARTOhbLDg

James Webb telescope has been delayed so many times, it’s hard to believe it is finally happening. Hope everything goes well, the world can use some good news for a change.

If it is delayed for some reason, here is an hour and 40 minute interview with Elon musk by the Babylon Bee last Sunday.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jvGnw1sHh9M

A rambling conversation starting with his early life, his successes and near failures, Elizabeth Warren (alias Senator Karen), he’s selling of stock and why. And his taxes.
The government is a monopoly… It does not have a compelling reason to be efficient. Max Q for starship, his thoughts on environmentalism, global warming, Peak oil and running out of energy. (Big disappointment for me, he’s ignorant of so much data)
NeuroLink explained.
And a practical view of religion.

One thing must not be forgotten – despite the cheers that will soon follow the successful start: The 10 billion dollar costs (whether as taxes or as national debt generated from nothing) are borne by the American citizen. He wasn’t asked and couldn’t defend himself. The money was forced from him – ultimately under threat of imprisonment and by having a gun ready – by the state and its monopoly on the use of force.

“STS-31 – Hubble Space Telescope Launch
Shuttle Discovery, multiple cameras”
(April 1990)
https://youtu.be/MbwMM7y7qMw
10:07

“A remix of NASA hero video highlighting why JWST is bound to fail…”

IXPE was launched recently without any fanfare. It will be the first observatory for polarized x-rays. It will be able to image magnetic fields. We could’ve had a couple of such missions every year for the last two decades, instead of JWST. And what about heliophysics? The Sun is important and interesting. It is a star nearby, and stars are pretty important in astrophysics. Solar observatories should be the big priority, but it isn’t. JWST has cost more than all heliophysics space missions ever.

Overall, granted, NASA is paying 90% of the bill, however you cut it. But European and Canadian contributions are not insignificant. Undoubtedly it bought JWST some political protection on the Hill, and some goodwill on future ESA projects.

Now we just need it to work.

Jay: Ah yes, I stand corrected. I forgot about the science instruments that Europe has built.

I hope all goes well with the launch.

Merry Christmas guys.

Questioner: As far as I know, the ESA has spent no money developing Webb. It however is paying for the launch entirely. That gives its astronomers a guaranteed portion of telescope observing time, the percentage of which I cannot remember at this moment. For Hubble, it was 15%. I suspect it is about the same for Webb.

And Merry Christmas to you too!

What do you mean? What specific political influences have NASA evolved into this left-wing political propaganda machine over the years?

By the way, we won’t let the fun at the start be spoiled? Another question for you: How big is ESA’s share of the 10 billion dollar development costs? Has it stayed with the 0.3 billion start-up fee? That would be just 3% and a very good deal for ESA. Merry Christmas!