James Webb space telescope set to launch on Christmas Eve.

So exciting if this all works the way they hope.

https://jwst.nasa.gov/content/about/launch.html

I joked to someone "well now maybe they can spot Fillory or Arakis" haha

 

the very definition of feature creep, incredibly behind schedule, billions over budget. It is hard to say how many other worthy space science projects could have flown that never saw the light of day because JWST became a money pit. Having said all that, I hope it's an incredible success. I also sincerely hope it doesn't need in-orbit servicing.

 

Same. Reading about this it just seems like they kept spending and spending... I hope it's a great success too.

 

A fine present…there is often a way of things…

 

I love how it's all designed but the biggest worry is that the mirror won't unfold. Was there any way to test all that in a clean room? OOPS answered my own question.



This is absolutely amazing

 

Tested in a G field and under atmospheric pressure but not weightless and in a vacuum under bombardment by direct solar radiation, cosmic rays and the solar wind. There are also many potential single points of failure. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I want it to succeed.

 

If it's sturdy enough to work in 1G I think it might in any case work in zero G and if they can't radiation proof stuff after so many other satellites, probes and whatever...

 

Let's hope so.

 

the electronics are rad-hardened. there are customers more important who pay more regularly for that level of 9's than NASA.

 

Due to adverse weather conditions at the launch site in French Guiana, they are now targeting for launch on Saturday 25DEC between 1220 and 1252 UTC (0720-07:52 EST, 1320-1352 CET, 21:20-21:52 JST).

 

I missed the actual launch from Kourou by about 7 minutes, it seems. Looks like things are going well as of T+17 minutes...

If I understand correctly, this is going to build on work done by the Hubble, GAIA and other teams?

 

Should have launched regardless........ Reindeer in space

 

real international cooperation in action. Now it's finally launched, it will be interesting to see what is discovered with it.

 

Now for the unfolding

 

I'll be excited if they find any real bona fide exoplanets, not that they haven't already but would the JWT see more details?

 

The hope is to get atmospheric detail, I think?

 

As opposed to just confirming the planets exist wherever they're found by, say, GAIA or TESS or the like?

 

So?

Webb will be able to give us hopefully more detailed images of things like this if it finds them. I hope we find many more great discoveries with this machine.

I wonder if they can swing it around to take photos of Earth or would it fritz out as the Earth is too close.

 

That would guarantee equipment failure and therefore mission failure, if I understand how the Telescope was designed, built and intended to be "installed" at L2.