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by gbrown 2291 days ago
We all have high hopes for JWST, but it’s been a long and expensive road with lots of delays.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Webb_Space_Telescope

2 comments

It's also an extremely complicated machine. Its deployment plan involves many moving, origami, mechanical parts including solar panels, the primary and secondary mirrors, and a sunshade. Plus it's all being done far away at L2 without repair access.

Cross all digits, pray to all deities, burn sage, and best hopes it all works.

Well, the wiki page is good, but I think xkcd is the canonical authority on the particular subject of JWST delays:

https://xkcd.com/2014/

I recall Hubble often being fodder for late night hosts and other media, but we don't even think about it now that it's proved it's worth many times over. It changed the narrative once it was operational.
My question is, how much is too much? Does it have to cost fifteen billion before it stops being worth it? Twenty? Fifty?
It's a fair question, and I'm not educated on the subject enough to provide an opinion. Like I said, I'd just heard about this, so I'm not aware how much has gone into it. If it's hitting the figures you're talking about, I would question it as well.
Cost+ is a cancer that needs to die.
That one works with SLS also...