The James Webb Space Telescope and stuff

[JoeSchmuckatelli]

1 hour ago, Codraroll said:

So many ways to take this from here

I think you won the forum tonight. 

Cudos! 

 

41 minutes ago, SunlitZelkova said:

find it funny how JAXA/ISAS is excluded from this

D'oh! 

[Minmus Taster]

At this rate it will never launch, nuff' said.

[StrandedonEarth]

[Admiral Fluffy]

2 minutes ago, StrandedonEarth said:

Sad but true

[FleshJeb]

Relax, you goobers. If they thought it were critical, they'd be delaying it by more than 4 days. They're probably going to run it through the same checklist that they did when they pulled it off the boat.

It's like watching a kid fall off a bike: You look them over to make sure they're not leaking fluid and you put them back on the bike.

[NFUN]

2 hours ago, SunlitZelkova said:

Japanese conservative politician approach: Those clamps are vital to potential indigenous ballistic missile technology. Have 10 million yen to replace them!

do you know how much 10 million yen is worth?

[JoeSchmuckatelli]

24 minutes ago, NFUN said:

do you know how much 10 million yen is worth?

A clamp?

 

[Gargamel]

@Codraroll excellent! 

[JoeSchmuckatelli]

1 minute ago, Gargamel said:

@Codraroll excellent! 

No kidding: the ESA being taken over by the French was spot on.

[Staticalliam7]

Curious as to why SpaceX wasn't selected to launch this.

I'm gonna assume that its because of fairing volume on falcon 9/heavy, but falcon heavy is capable of lifting it..

[JoeSchmuckatelli]

2 minutes ago, Staticalliam7 said:

Curious as to why SpaceX wasn't selected to launch this.

I'm gonna assume that its because of fairing volume on falcon 9/heavy, but falcon heavy is capable of lifting it..

Decision was made long ago.  SX capacity came on after decision was made.

[Staticalliam7]

5 minutes ago, JoeSchmuckatelli said:

Decision was made long ago.  SX capacity came on after decision was made.

Ah, ok that makes sense. I'm not super knowledgeable on the project (or the timeline)

[JoeSchmuckatelli]

11 minutes ago, Staticalliam7 said:

Ah, ok that makes sense. I'm not super knowledgeable on the project (or the timeline)

Imagine this project started back when Clinton was in office and Newt Gingrich was Speaker.

FWIW - there were only 5.79 Billion people on the planet in 1996.

That was the year 3Dfx started selling graphics cards.

The Palm Pilot was cool.

36 Million people used the World Wide Web

 

Edited November 23, 2021 by JoeSchmuckatelli

[Beccab]

6 hours ago, Codraroll said:

ULA approach: "Unforeseen circumstances have led to unexpected delays in the spacecraft integration process. An extra cash injection of $5.5 billion is necessary to uphold the schedule of the project and retain America's capability to integrate mission critical components."

0/10, didn't mention Atlas V's unrivaled precision accompanied by a needlessly hard to read graphic

[monophonic]

4 hours ago, JoeSchmuckatelli said:

Decision was made long ago.  SX capacity came on after decision was made.

I think Ariane would have been chosen even if SX/Falcon9/Heavy was an option at the time. It is a long standing European tradition to insist that European funding be piped back to European industries no matter how much cheaper everybody else does it.

[Codraroll]

10 hours ago, SunlitZelkova said:

I find it funny how JAXA/ISAS is excluded from this. Are they just too normal of a space program to make fun of?

It's more that I don't have that much knowledge - or prejudice, perhaps - about those. 

But to make up for it, here's a bonus one: the Virgin Galactic approach: "Our clamps are sideways!"

[SunlitZelkova]

9 hours ago, NFUN said:

do you know how much 10 million yen is worth?

The amount of funding that the HOPE spaceplane (the real one, not the uncrewed HOPE-X demonstrator) and other crewed Japanese spacecraft have gotten  (I'm exaggerating a little of course).

Edited November 23, 2021 by SunlitZelkova

[Gargamel]

 

[Mitchz95]

Good news, everyone!

 

[StrandedonEarth]

Doesn't matter. People going to holding their breath with fingers and toes crossed until it delivers crystal-clear firstlight images

[Nuke]

xkcd, you jest good sir!

[Gargamel]

So are we any closer to confirming that as the launch date?      I’ll be at the Cape that week for the CRS-24 launch, and it’d be great to find a launch viewing party down there for the JWST.  

[NFUN]

1 hour ago, Gargamel said:

So are we any closer to confirming that as the launch date?      I’ll be at the Cape that week for the CRS-24 launch, and it’d be great to find a launch viewing party down there for the JWST.  

Each day that passes without it getting pushed back is further confirmation of the date

[Beccab]

It's the JWST, I won't believe the launch date until it clears the tower

[Gargamel]

Spaceflight Now has it listed as 1220-1250 GMT (0720-0750 EST) Dec 22.    
 

Woot!