Funding for Crucial Space Telescope in Danger

James Webb Telescope Funding In Danger

The US House of Representatives is moving forward with a proposal that would eliminate funding for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)--said to be one of the most complex projects of its kind ever conceived--according to various media reports.

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"What's the big deal about yanking a space telescope?" Peckham asks. "For starters, the Webb Telescope's actually more than your average collection of curved mirrors and lenses. In fact it's a full-blown infrared space observatory. Its mission: to scan for light from the very first stars, understand galaxy formation and evolution and study the origins of life in terms of planetary systems."


"Not surprisingly, the move to scrap the telescope, which has been under construction since 2004 and is named after a former NASA administrator, has horrified astronomers," said McKie. "The James Webb was intended to be the centerpiece of astronomical research for the next two decades.

Its segmented mirror would be almost three times the diameter of the Hubble telescope's, and because it would orbit outside Earth's atmosphere it would be able to make observations of unprecedented accuracy. This would allow it to capture images from a time when the first stars and galaxies lit up the universe."


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http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/2076552/james_webb_telescope_funding_in_danger/index.html?source=r_space

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AAS Issues Statement On Proposed Cancellation Of James Webb Space Telescope


The American Astronomical Society (AAS) today issued a strong statement protesting yesterday's proposal from the House Appropriations Committee to cancel the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), Hubble's successor and the centerpiece of U.S. space astronomy for the next two decades.

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JWST is much larger than the Hubble telescope - 6.5 meters (21.3 feet) in diameter compared with 2.4 meters (7.9 feet) - and is designed to see much farther out in space and much farther back in time, to the era when the first stars and galaxies lit up the infant universe...

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......(this)threatens American leadership in the fields of astrophysics and advanced space technology while likely eliminating hundreds, if not thousands, of high-tech jobs. Additionally, this proposal comes before the completion of a revised construction plan and budget for a launch of JWST by 2018. The United States position as the leader in astronomy, space science, and spaceflight is directly threatened by this proposal.

The JWST is ...... the revolutionary successor to the Hubble Space Telescope.

.......The potential of JWST to transform astronomy underlies many of the activities recommended in the 2010 decadal report released last August. JWST is designed to observe well beyond Hubble's capabilities. It is expected to serve thousands of astronomers in the coming decades to revolutionize our understanding of our place in the Universe, just as Hubble has done since its completion and launch just over two decades ago.

The JWST's completion, launch, and operation will unveil new knowledge about the earliest formation of stars and planets and on a wide range of additional advanced scientific questions, including many not yet formulated.

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http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/AAS_Issues_Statement_On_Proposed_Cancellation_Of_James_Webb_Space_Telescope_999.html



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Because we are at the mercy of anti-science yahoos.

Still a pretty cool time machine though...


How does the Webb Contrast with Hubble?

http://www.jwst.nasa.gov/comparison.html





How Far Will Webb see?

Because of the time it takes light to travel, the further away an object is, the further back in time we are looking.
Essentially, Hubble can see the equivalent of "toddler galaxies" and Webb Telescope will be able see "baby galaxies".

constituents to learn anything about the real world. Makes them too difficult to manipulate.