Thread: Axe falling on J Webb Scope

The mirror segments are built.
The planning is done, much research and development, done, ticked off. Ready...

but... a nervous nation. Gripped by reservations of expectation and economic instability.. worse than you know.

If this telescope does get canned. Not built, assembled and placed in high orbit..

What a sad day for science.

Yet as I ready to watch the last Shuttle fly.. I see some optimistic hope...

Talk of a private space program. Then that is what must happen.

Frankly I have little care if it becomes the ' Cola Scope,' or the ' Fed X Image r'

Just Please, Oh please get this thing into space and working...

It will never be cheaper than now.

'They shout over budget and cost over runs.. If we knew what the Hubble Scope was going to cost.. it would not have ever happened..

Must all of humanity suffer the budget cuts of NASA ? Please say its not so...

We're taking contributions!

Sobering but true,. We can not justifiably keep throwing money at a manned space program... the Shuttles have not been replaced.

The James Webb Space telescope is proven to be a cost too great to meet. Its for the chop.

80% of the public do not care... its what killed the Apollo program, and we have learned nothing...

They see unemployment and eroded living standards as more important.. and we the scientific community must take some of the blame.

How many insurance brokers, investment companies and Banks have gone under.. hundreds. So its going to be hard to sell a space program, Yes ?

A direct threat to humanity like a fundamentalist group obtaining a nuclear capability.. or a inbound comet. A sizable asteroid coming straight at us..

All of those things could be the end of humanity., or just our own complacency..

Is that what has to happen or threaten us to move us from our complacent inevitably smug comfort zone......

or do I just have to accept that we can not afford the space program.. that is a sad truth.. I do not much like. Do you's agree ?

So how do we move forward. Encourage the great adventure. Space.

Originally Posted by astromark

Must all of humanity suffer the budget cuts of NASA ? Please say its not so...

Unfortunately, most government entities grow to the size of their budgets while slowly loosing ground on the "mean, lean, fighting machine" front. I call it "blubbergate," a not quite conspiracy, patterned after observing my own waistline.

Sadly, I feel you're correct. However, if 'they' cut back, say the IRS, Homeland Security, DoE for example, to say the levels they were at in 2000 then NASA might have enough to continue JWS and even hire <aka contract out> personnel to finish the job...

I'd bet dollars to donuts that they've already made a deal with google, and they're jiust waiting for the right time to announce that the telescope will be search-enabled...

"Where is Niburu?"

"Where are my car keys?"

"Does this make me look fat?"

I can with some authority answer 'grapes' questions...

Where is Niburu ? .... In the minds of men.

Where are my car keys ?... In the last place you look, or where they were left.

Does this make me look fat ? ... No.That mirror is faulty. Lol.

How could we convince a group of politicians that the James Webb scope is going to find weapons of mass destruction or oil...

Without being foolish or even selfish... surly they can see the worth of such a tool...

Originally Posted by astromark

How could we convince a group of politicians that the James Webb scope is going to find weapons of mass destruction or oil...

Without being foolish or even selfish... surly they can see the worth of such a tool...

Alas, my friend, it's not about seeing 'the worth of such a tool'. It's all about how much 'power' <aka money> they can get for themselves.

Now there's a surprise... I could not possibly comment myself on such issues..

to suggest that political motivations might be selfish or mercenary... Oh goodness me... :razz: or stupid even...

That is my point.. How do we convince private enterprise in space travel or research in space.. The very science we so love..

The NASA team has just taken a big hit.. the closing of the shuttle program..Redundancies will follow..

more seriously, expert knowledge and experience will be lost..

To not have a replacement vehicle is a budget cut too far.

To axe the James Webb Scope is a fool of a idea..

Originally Posted by astromark

That is my point.. How do we convince private enterprise in space travel or research in space.. The very science we so love....

By allowing them to recoup their investments in space exploration/transportation...

Originally Posted by astromark

The NASA team has just taken a big hit.. the closing of the shuttle program..Redundancies will follow..

more seriously, expert knowledge and experience will be lost....

If they can be convinced of the above (i. e., there is money to be made in space), then they could/would hire NASA's team...

Originally Posted by astromark

To not have a replacement vehicle is a budget cut too far. To axe the James Webb Scope is a fool of a idea..

Agreed....