GETTING IT RIGHT: THE MOST COMPLEX SPACE TELESCOPE EVER BUILT
As the Hubble Space Telescope prepares to mark its 30th year, what can we expect from its successor, the James Webb Space Telescope?
By Dr Rachael Livermore, University of Melbourne
The Hubble Space Telescope has revolutionised astronomy and produced images of space that have captured the public’s imagination like no other telescope. But as Hubble approaches its 30th birthday, its successor is waiting in the wings.
The James Webb Space Telescope promises to revolutionise astronomy once again - if only it can get off the ground.
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Webb was initially conceived in the 1990s with a planned launch date of 2007 and a budget of US$500 million. Since then the cost has ballooned almost twenty-fold and the latest announcement, made by NASA in June, puts the planned launch back to March 2021.
So why do we need this behemoth, and why has it been so beset by problems?
More:
https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/getting-it-right-the-most-complex-space-telescope-ever-built