Have you been anxiously waiting to see some of the new and more dazzling views of space that NASA promises will be provided by the new James Webb Space Telescope?
Well, sorry to disappoint you, but you’re going to have to wait a little longer.
The US space agency says they must delay sending the more powerful replacement to Hubble Space Telescope into space… yet again.
Technicians inspect primary mirror segments that will be used on the James Webb Space Telescope. (NASA/Chris Gunn)
NASA recently announced that after reviewing an independent assessment of what still needs to be completed with the state-of-the-art space observatory in order to assure a successful mission, more testing and evaluation must be conducted.
So, the previously revised 2019 launch window for Webb must now be moved up to approximately May 2020.
Originally called the Next Generation Space Telescope or NGST, the space observatory was renamed in 2002 to honor NASA’s second administrator James E. Webb.
According to the 1998 NASA Goddard Space Flight Center’s annual report, as the NGST, it was hoped that Hubble’s replacement would be launched sometime in 2007.
Over the years, the Webb project has been plagued with a number of problems and delays, including a 2011 close call of almost being canceled completely.
The James Webb Space Telescope is an international collaboration between NASA, The European Space Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency.
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