Who's very nervous about this launch? I am very nervous about this launch. Next Friday, Christmas Eve, is the moment of truth....
“5 critical moments will determine the success or failure of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope”: https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/5-moments-nasas-james-webb/.
“NASA confirms next Friday for Webb Space Telescope launch”: https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/nasa-confirms-friday-webb-space-telescope-launch-81816784
JWST has been so expensive and delayed so many times, and it's so important (Hubble is on its 18th life now), and it's such a complex yet delicate device.... The article points out 5 big things that can go wrong, but so can 1,000 smaller ones. And if it does fail, will we build another one? Will it take another 20 years to do so? Will we have to wait until one of the billionaires takes pity on the scientists and builds one on the moon?
But I also realize that, excepting the exorbitant cost and absurd delays, these risks apply to every launch. We've lost several rovers to Mars on the landing attempt, but we keep going back. We thought we'd lost Hubble not long after launch, but we fixed it, and look what it's done. So, yes, I'm always nervous at big launches.
Originally posted on Facebook.