Today @NorthropGrumman CEO Wes Bush said #JWST sunshield technology was "new". But according to this 2002 @NASA presentation #JWST uses "Flight-proven cable driven boom system provides a predictable and reliable deployment for the Sunshield" https://t.co/Gj8DqtoAzS pic.twitter.com/AsrZwq0u4u — NASA Watch (@NASAWatch) July 26, 2018 Today @NorthropGrumman CEO Wes Bush testified before Congress that #JWST sunshield technology was "new". But back in 1998 it was sold as "proven technology": "Based on a […]

NASA’s next great space telescope is stuck on Earth after screwy errors, Washington Post “Mission success is the cornerstone of everything we do. Getting it right is the most important thing,” said Scott Willoughby, program manager for the Webb at Northrop Grumman. “No, we don’t need a culture change. We need people to understand how hard it is. We need people to know that we’re going to get it right.” […]

Based on the James Webb Space Telescope IRB report released by @NASA yesterday @NorthropGrumman needs to hire people who can: use a wrench to tighten bolts, read simple solvent use instructions, and conduct basic electrical tests. #JWST #NASA https://t.co/WLkM6FtsLd — NASA Watch (@NASAWatch) June 29, 2018

This graph of time vs launch date for JWST (courtesy of @jtuttlekeane) is funny and profoundly frustrating. pic.twitter.com/kLytMYmy7V — Corey S. Powell (@coreyspowell) March 27, 2018 Updated plot of #JWST Budget/Launch Date projections. Each blue dot was one such media advisory. I'm genuinely not trying to be snarky – JWST will do transformational science – but this … this isn't a good look. pic.twitter.com/Vw5ZALSeGC — Grant Tremblay (@astrogrant) June 26, […]

According to #JWST IRB chair Tom Young simple fixes that weren't implemented by @NorthropGrumman ended up costing #NASA $600 million. Delays now cost $1 million/day. One would hope that @NASA is examining ways to get Northrop Grumman to refund the cost of fixing their mistakes. pic.twitter.com/pRWrDdOVrJ — NASA Watch (@NASAWatch) June 28, 2018 Heads up @NorthropGrumman There is a precedent for @NASA to follow for seeking reimbursement for contractor errors […]

Media Telecon on Status of James Webb Space Telescope, June 27th “NASA will host a media teleconference at 1 p.m. EDT [17:00 UTC], Wednesday, June 27, to provide an update on the agency’s James Webb Space Telescope and the findings of an external independent review board. Webb will be the world’s premier infrared space observatory and the largest astronomical space science telescope ever built. Audio of the call will stream […]

NASA Evaluating JWST Independent Review Report, Space Policy Online “NASA is in the process of evaluating the report from the Independent Review Board chaired by Tom Young to assess the status of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). Established in March, the Board was due to submit its report on May 31. NASA said today that the Board has completed its work and briefed NASA. The report will be released […]

JWST suffers new problem during spacecraft testing, Space News “In a presentation at a meeting of the National Academies’ Space Studies Board here May 3, Greg Robinson, the JWST program director at NASA Headquarters, said some “screws and washers” appear to have come off the spacecraft during recent environmental testing at a Northrop Grumman facility in Southern California. Technicians found the items after the spacecraft element of JWST, which includes […]

NASA Announces Independent Review Board Members for James Webb Space Telescope “The Independent Review Board review process will take approximately eight weeks. Once the review concludes, the board members will deliver a presentation and final report to NASA outlining their findings and recommendations, which are expected to complement recent data input from Webb’s Standing Review Board. NASA will review those findings and then provide its assessment in a report to […]

NASA Announces Senior Leadership Changes to Refocus Launch Readiness Efforts for Webb Telescope “NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) is taking essential steps to refocus efforts to ensure a successful mission for the agency’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) after an independent assessment of remaining tasks revealed more time is needed for testing and integration to meet a new launch window of approximately May 2020. Webb is SMD’s highest priority project […]