(Update) NASA Just Told Congress That Webb Has Not Been Launched Yet

Statement by NASA Administrator Nelson – Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Committee on Appropriations United States Senate, NASA
“Later this year, NASA will launch the James Webb Space Telescope (Webb), the largest and most complex space science observatory ever built. Webb is an infrared telescope designed to observe the farthest objects, broadening and transforming our understanding of the early universe. It will see the light from the first galaxies that formed in the early universe after the Big Bang ….”

Keith’s 3 May note: This is what his prepared testimony says. Really? I thought Webb was actually in outer space and just sent back its first calibration images. Let’s see how fast this document is replaced. If it is replaced that is. Yes, its a nit but the 9th floor at NASA is rather sloppy these days. They hype the SLS rollout and then try and deny media access to the tests on the pad which were the reason why the rollout happened in the first place; they take more than 2 weeks to post a simple Youtube video of the VP talking to an astronaut on his cellphone – on Earth; and you cannot get a straight answer about what a SLS launch will cost or when it will launch. Oh yes it is dated “June 15, 2021” (last year) and it is linked to from this Senate page on the hearing itself. Doesn’t anyone in NASA Public Affairs and/or Legislative Affairs read through this stuff before it goes out? SMD might know where their telescopes are. Just sayin’ Or did the committee staff post something old – I doubt that since the NSF testimony and webcast links and every thing else are correct and current.
Keith’s 4 May update: After a tweet about this item this morning I promptly got a note from [email protected]: “I think when I tried to upload it to our website it just pulled the previous year’s testimony instead. It has now been corrected and I regret any confusion.” Here is the revised prepared testimony.. Oddly the incorrect statement sat there for the entire nation to see for 24 hours and NASA did not notice until (apparently) I pointed out. My earlier comments still stand – NASA HQ is far too often asleep at the wheel. To those of you who did not read the earlier post this is what was originally posted – and NASA did not notice.
– NASA Administrator Statement FY 2023 BudgetSenate Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Committee on Appropriations (Revised)
– Hearing Webcast