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Anybody else on pins and needles over the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope?
Posted on 12/23/21 at 7:56 pm
Posted on 12/23/21 at 7:56 pm
It’s set to launch on Dec 25th. I thought this day would never get here but here we are.
$10 billion dollars and a couple decades in the making, if it explodes on launch or has any number of other points of failure go wrong the that’s that. I dunno if they would rebuild it. The good news is though that NASA has had an excellent track record lately so dear lord I hope it all goes well.
YouTube vid I found on the engineering
$10 billion dollars and a couple decades in the making, if it explodes on launch or has any number of other points of failure go wrong the that’s that. I dunno if they would rebuild it. The good news is though that NASA has had an excellent track record lately so dear lord I hope it all goes well.
YouTube vid I found on the engineering
Posted on 12/23/21 at 7:59 pm to DavidTheGnome
I can’t wait to get a closer look at Uranus
Posted on 12/23/21 at 8:11 pm to WaWaWeeWa
quote:
I can’t wait to get a closer look at Uranus
Happy to accommodate you. Here is an image of Uranus I took a few days ago from my back yard with a 4½ inch telescope:

Posted on 12/23/21 at 8:13 pm to DavidTheGnome
I’m sure NASA would prefer SpaceX Falcon Heavy to do it but the equatorial orbit left them with limited options for launch providers. I am also nervous because it’s gonna be a huge benefit to science if it succeeds.
Posted on 12/23/21 at 8:15 pm to DavidTheGnome
quote:
James Webb Space Telescope?
I'm protesting the launch because it should be named the Spud Webb Space Telescope.
Posted on 12/23/21 at 8:16 pm to DavidTheGnome
I am. Been following for years.
Posted on 12/23/21 at 8:18 pm to jcaz
I came across a reddit thread this week and way down the comments were people who, having no real connection to the project, were so emotionally invested they were talking about how devestated they would be if this fails.
Gave me some insight to how some people have followed this project or what it means to them.
Gave me some insight to how some people have followed this project or what it means to them.
Posted on 12/23/21 at 8:25 pm to DavidTheGnome
quote:
The good news is though that NASA has had an excellent track record lately so dear lord I hope it all goes well.
SpaceX isn’t launching this one is it? Isn’t SpaceX with the excellent track record and not NASA?
Posted on 12/23/21 at 8:26 pm to DavidTheGnome
After so so many delays, at this point, I’ll wait to get excited until the first pix finally come in.
Posted on 12/23/21 at 8:26 pm to fightin tigers
quote:
I came across a reddit thread this week and way down the comments were people who, having no real connection to the project, were so emotionally invested they were talking about how devestated they would be if this fails.
We have way too many vaginas in this world.
Posted on 12/23/21 at 8:27 pm to cypresstiger
quote:
I’ll wait to get excited until the first pix finally come in.
Doubt it will outdo mine from the last eclipse

Posted on 12/23/21 at 8:28 pm to BuckyCheese
quote:
We have way too many vaginas in this world.
No doubt. I've seen grown men cry and curse God because of a loss to Alabama.
This post was edited on 12/23/21 at 8:29 pm
Posted on 12/23/21 at 8:29 pm to DavidTheGnome
This thing is going to be cool as frick if it works. It’s going to show us things we’ve never seen in amazing detail. Hopefully inspires a new generation to start looking up again.
Posted on 12/23/21 at 8:55 pm to DavidTheGnome
I am also excited for the launch… I have been keeping up with the progress for the past few years and hope that everything goes well with the launch.
Posted on 12/23/21 at 8:56 pm to DavidTheGnome
Hopefully they finally get this sucker launched.
Posted on 12/23/21 at 8:57 pm to wickowick
quote:
SpaceX isn’t launching this one is it? Isn’t SpaceX with the excellent track record and not NASA?
No. The Webb requires an insertion into an equatorial transfer orbit. From the latitude that SpaceX launches from, it would need a lot of cross range delta V (north/south thrust versus straight east) to get to an equatorial orbit. If it did that, then it wouldn't have enough fuel to hit the altitudes Webb needs to get from the booster before it can take over with its own propulsion.
The ESA has the Ariane 5 booster than can get the final orbit needed and it has a launch site near the equator in French Guyana to negate the need for a lot of cross range delta V, so the Ariane can easily meet the mission specs.
There just isn't a combination of American launch vehicle and launch site that can hit the mission specifications for the orbit needed as well as the ESA's Ariane 5 from French Guyana.
This post was edited on 12/23/21 at 9:05 pm
Posted on 12/23/21 at 9:00 pm to TigerstuckinMS
quote:
The Webb requires an insertion into an equatorial orbit. From the latitude that SpaceX launches from, it would need a lot of cross range delta V to get to an equatorial orbit. If it did that, then it wouldn't have enough fuel to hit the altitudes Webb needs from the booster before it can take over with its own propulsion.
The ESA has the Ariane 5 booster than can get the final orbit needed and it has a launch site on the equator in French Guyana to negate the need for cross range delta V.
Obviously...
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