Already starting to think that this thing will never fly into space opening new horizons to humanity. Space Agency NASA announced that once again delays the launch of its most advanced and highly anticipated space telescope “James Webb” at a later date.
Just a month earlier, the Agency said that scheduled for a late 2018 launch pushed into early 2019. Now, this event is pushed further, the early — in may 2020. As they say, never such was and here again.
The head of the Agency Robert Lightfoot confirmed that all the equipment for the telescope is fully assembled and ready to work, but new problems in the machine cause the team of engineers to take additional time for the completion of all works. According to Lightfoot, individually, all of the machine work well, but the whole system requires additional checks and tests.
Artistic concept of a telescope in space
The Agency wants to collect external independent team of experts, so that they could evaluate the project and make recommendations that will help NASA prepare the equipment for the new launch date. In a statement, the Agency also stated that NASA and the European space Agency (one of the parties who contributed to the creation of a space telescope) agreed on the need to postpone the launch for a new term. In addition, the parties will provide final cost estimates, which are likely to exceed the current estimated cost of the project. Now she, recall, is about $ 8 billion, which is several times higher than the original estimates. It was planned that the telescope will cost $ 1.6 billion and will be launched in 2011!
Scientists are anxious to get access to the machine, but the project became so ambitious that any error in Assembly may cause a real catastrophe. Eight billion dollars, Carl. This is the most expensive telescope in the history of mankind. And, apparently, it will become even more expensive by the time its launch.
But is it worth such effort and cost? Decide for yourself: the telescope will be able to observe the oldest galaxies and stars in the Universe, to watch the formation of new stars, to study new exoplanets to an unprecedented new, further level and to search for life on water worlds of the Solar system – Europe and Enceladus.
NASA has again postponed the launch of the telescope “James Webb”
Nikolai Khizhnyak