Put 30 March 2021 on your agenda. It is then that NASA plans to launch its James Webb space telescope, very much delayed.
In an independent review committee established by the space agency, the new launch date is realistic – as long as no additional problem arises
The recommendations of the Board of Trustees. "Administration is" rigorously enforced, "and NASA has" a very high probability "of meeting its revised launch schedule, said Wednesday Tom Young, who chaired NASA's board of directors.
Webb Telescope Completes Final Cryogenic Testing
This latest delay will add approximately US $ 837 million (NZ $ 1.2 billion) to the cost of the telescope, bringing the total cost of development to US $ 8.8 billion, According to Thomas Zurbuchen, Associate Administrator The total life cycle cost, which includes Webb's first five years of operation, is now set at 9.66 billion US dollars, added Mr Zurbuchen
NASA
Engineers pose with the Webb telescope.
The new budget exceeds the $ 8 billion ceiling that Congress set for the development and construction of the telescope. Nasa has submitted a "report of violation" to Congress, which must reauthorize the mission and provide the additional funds needed for its advancement, said Stephen Jurczyk, badociate administrator of NASA.
Webb is considered the successor of the Hubble The space telescope is the scientific priority of NASA. Starting from an orbit about 1 million miles from Earth, it will trace back to the origins of the universe in order to understand how galaxies, stars and planets have become.
He will also search for exoplanets in orbit. Said John Mather, the lead scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. [19659017Letelecalled"awe-inspiringscientificposts"declaredYoungl'sformerGoddardSpaceFlightCenterMaisilaalsoa"compellingcomplexity"
Webb was originally scheduled to be launched in 2007, but a series of scientific challenges and avoidable mistakes have led to multiple delays and budget increases. More recently, the telescope was to be launched in May 2020.
Young described five factors that have caused delays in Webb's schedule since 2011:
NASA [19659008EngineeringresolveextremewashbackofthelightfromtheBlueWebScelaNASA
– Human error. According to the report, small errors resulted in "substantial" extra costs and delays in the mission. For example, workers who had the intention of cleaning telescope propulsion system valves accidentally used the wrong solvent for the job. The cleaning procedure was not clear and the workers did not check with the valve manufacturer to make sure that the solvent they planned to use would not damage the equipment. This was the case
"It's an error that would not really have happened," said Young
. These are problems that are not discovered before the telescope was built. Damaged valves are an example. Another is that the fasteners designed to hold the Webb visor cover in place were improperly installed and detached during advanced phase testing. These and other problems should have been discovered much earlier, while they would have been simpler and cheaper to resolve, according to the report.
The review panel noted that NASA is looking more closely at how its charges are connecting to the rockets that launch them. This audit was motivated by the loss of a clbadified satellite that was built by Northrop Grumman and that apparently did not detach as planned from the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that was supposed to transport it into orbit . An April Wall Street Journal report revealed that two separate teams of government and industry investigators had "tentatively concluded" that "Northrop's engineering and testing errors" Grumman "were responsible for the mistake. Northrop is the prime contractor for Webb's mission.
– Lack of experience. The James Webb Space Telescope involves many "firsts". For example, the 21-foot-wide segmented mirror of the telescope is so large that it must be folded for launch like a piece of origami paper, then carefully deployed in space. Mission managers must recognize that these challenges for the first time "require special attention," writes the review panel.
-The complexity of systems. Without a doubt, the James Webb Space Telescope "is the most complex space system that NASA (Scientific Missions Branch) has ever built," the board of directors wrote. This makes the mission inherently risky, and these risks should not be underestimated, they added. In this context, even small problems can lead to "delays and significant costs," they warn.
– Excessive optimism. NASA should be more realistic about the challenges it faces, said Young, who noted that delays cost NASA about $ 1 million a day
The Independent Review Panel has identified 31 areas specific improvements.
Some of the council's recommendations have already begun to be implemented, such as appointing an experienced system engineer to serve as a "commission manager", implementing a more sustainable work schedule, and allowing Northrop workers to work more effectively. interrupt their work.
The launch date of 2021 badumes that the recommendations contained in the report are taken to heart, said Mr. Young; The telescope is being badembled at the Northrop Space Park facility in Redondo Beach, California. He was asked if he was unhappy with how Northrop had managed the project, Zurbuchen focused on the role of NASA
. mistake: I'm not happy sitting here to share this story, "said Zurbuchen." Of course, Northrop is part of that, but we have the responsibility, and we take responsibility for that. "
Zurbuchen pointed out that the telescope is the most ambitious thing that NASA has tried to build, and the team behind it has overcome significant obstacles to get to that point.
"This is the first telescope of its kind" Zurbuchen said. "He is at the forefront of technological innovation."
"We have to put all this in place before going into space," he said. added. "Webb is worth the wait."
