The James Webb Space Telescope: Evolving Hubble for the 21st Century

That whole Halloween Launch is definitely not unnecessarily creepy at all.
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[@stuartgray5877]

The scariest part of this mission will be the initial deployment. The company I work for not only built all of the mirrors themselves, but all of the deployment and focus adjusting motors and mechanisms. The electronic boxes that drive the focus motors must work down to FIVE DEGREES KELVIN! I helped test some of those boxes in a Liquid Helium cooled Thermal Vacuum chamber.

[@sethshaffer8592]

NASA Plum Brook Station in Ohio?

[@stuartgray5877]

@@sethshaffer8592 Are you asking where I work? A hint: The same company that built the hardware that fixed the Hubble Telescope, Built the Kepler Space Telescope, Lots of Spizter, and AXAF, the HiRise camera in orbit of Mars, and the Deep Impact spacecraft that slammed into a comet.

[@BokeFlyingSimulations]

Just one small correction to your post: it's 5 kelvin, never 5 degrees kelvin. Kelvin are an absolute unit, thedefore it does not need the "degrees" part unlike celsius, for example :)

[@macdietz]

@@stuartgray5877 love when people name drop instead of answering a simple question..

[@stuartgray5877]

@@macdietz Great. Because that's what I did. I love it when people are sarcastic.

[@thomasjephson7639]

That’s going to be one nervy rocket launch!

[@HSAC.WDTK.DTKT.LFO.]

The rocket will disassemble its' self upon takeoff, just for the irony.

[@michagrill9432]

The unfolding will alsi be nerve wracking. Every second will be nerve wracking till we get the first pictures

[@fox406]

I wonder if they can get insurance coverage for the payload.

[@jwpipes47]

@@fox406 looked it up and turns out they are usually. Look up satellite insurance.

[@clubsport9334]

Intense.

[@Dr.RichardBanks]

When I eventually have grandchildren I'll be sure to tell them to tell their grandchildren to watch the JWST launch.

[@Chris-hx3om]

Ohh, that burns!

[@ObservationofLimits]

When they ask, “What’s Windows XP”, well that was the launch Window eXtended Permanently

[@Quantiad]

Tell them to buy Star Citizen, when it's released.

[@Dr.RichardBanks]

@@Quantiad gotem

[@justin_5631]

that's not funny. thousands of years from now when humans are colonizing the solar system, our descendents will be able to look back at what NASA did and be proud to complete its telescope for them.

[@goldenageofdinosaurs7192]

Got all my fingers (and toes) crossed in the hopes that they can pull this off. If they do & it works as well as is hoped, I’ve got a feeling we’re gonna see some truly awesome shit!

[@christopherwright3980]

Agreed I been waiting for this. Can't wait to see what picture we get

[@deanbenton70]

Finally I beepin hope, I want to see the first big bang lol

[@Psittac20]

The one and probably biggest fact that pushes this over the top as a mega project would be that there is no second go at this. When at the L2 Lagrange point there is no way to mount a mission to fix it if broken, do not pass go do not collect $200 go directly to jail, she's done for Jim.

[@32kirby32]

@@Psittac20 you’re right, I just learned this too. With Hubble we could fix our mistakes, not with this, or very easily anyways. And with so many different teams touching different parts of the craft, let’s pray they all end up working together as well as a brand new Porsche thumbs up. Also do you get the idea most of the pics will be in infared and not visible light? Or will they digital enhance/develop the photos in color for a visual representation?

[@dirkvandaele4466]

​@@32kirby32 You cannot see infrared light. The JWST pictures will be adjusted to the visible light. The pictures willalso be processed to make pretty pictures. However, that process is similar to adjusting the colour balance in your digital camera to take "warmer" pictures. Or sharpen an image in photo processing software.

[@Derektaylor1983]

You've now delayed it another year by making a video about it, or even mentioning it, thanks Simon!

[@properfunny]

That or it will have an issue after launch that dooms it.

[@logiticalresponse9574]

Ooops 😑

[@QuantumAscension1]

I wouldn't be surprised, lol. I was starting to think we'd have to actually go physically visit these exoplanets hundreds of light years away before the JWST got sent up. Either way, we'll probably have done both by the time Star Citizen is finished.

[@joedufour8188]

You can thank the Hubble engineers for the delays. Once James Webb is deployed, there is no possible way for us to fly out and fix it if something goes wrong. If everything went perfectly with Hubble, the James Webb would have been launched a decade ago with a much smaller cost but at an incredibly higher unknown risk.

[@Jezus42]

Yeah October is already off maybe the end of the year

[@willbarnstead3194]

It’s worth it to watch the animation of the deploy sequence. It makes it clear how many things can go wrong and how nervous many people will be for the launch and following weeks while they wait to see if this 2 decades long $10billion project works.

[@bigsmall246]

And the micromotors need to constantly adjust once every few days to maintain focus! Once those fail, it's goodbye to the telescope. It's not going to be a software fix like the Hubble screw-up.

[@TeamLegacyFTW]

Shoutout to my fellow space nerds🖖👽

[@JohnDoe-tt6bh]

and aliens

[@jasonwomack4064]

Simon, you missed to coolest part of this drawn out financial blackhole. It's been in the design and build phase for so long, the current testing phase requires its own network of state-of-the-art computers running the finest edition of Windows XP because nothing else will run the software.

[@jedaaa]

It would only be a financial black hole if it produces no information on its deployment, and also its cost pales into insignificance next to the money lost on the food the U.S wastes on a daily basis, can you really put a price on revolutionising human understanding of nature itself? When humans put money before all other considerations we're no longer worthy of being called human, exploring is what we do! It's our nature and who we are as a species!

[@32kirby32]

Right, so many take what the Hubble telescope has done for granted. Like the knowledge of universe creation, number of galaxies and accelerated expansion of the universe aren’t important for our society to know and grow on. This telescope will take that to the next level, but you could also just buy one navy warship instead if you’d prefer

[@massmike11]

@@jedaaa the knee jerk is strong with this one. Seems like we get blamed for everything. I doubt that per capita we waist a great deal more food than many other developed nations. Yes I know you will disagree. Next time we show up at your natural disaster, you don’t get any help.

[@justv7536]

@@massmike11 it's more the fact that the US military gets a budget Of 780~ billion annually and NASA gets a whopping 22~ billion annually.

[@dirkvandaele4466]

@@32kirby32 10 billion is a big budget for a space telescope. For the same kind of budget, 10 other space telescopes have been launched. Or several Mars rovers. This is halve the budget of the Orion spacecraft, the successor of the Apollo spacecraft. Look at the 100 meter OWL telescope that has been replaced by the 40 meter ELT telesope. The OWL telescope would need a budget the size of JWST. The ESA said: what can we buy with 1 billion and started the ELT. The ELT has the potential to be the first to discover potential live on an exoplanet. The NASA marketing department is working overtime to promote the JWST. On the JWST website they claim that "Webb will be the largest, most powerful and complex space telescope ever built and launched into space." Elsewhere they claim that Webb "will be ~100x more powerful" than Hubble. Nowhere is mentioned how "power" is measured. With other words: it is marketing fluff that means nothing. They love to say how big JWST will be, but size doesn't matter. For every user of a telescope size is important, but number 1 factor is resolution: how sharp will be my pictures? How much detail can I capture? If you search for it you can find this about the resolution on the JWST website: "Webb's angular resolution, or sharpness of vision, will be the same as Hubble's, but in the near infrared. This means that Webb images will appear just as sharp as Hubble's do." Does that sound like 100x more powerful? The JWST is an important telescope. The near-infrared Is largely unexplored with space telescopes and some useful data will be discovered. However, the JWST will be by far the most expensive space telescope ever built. To justify the cost the JWST story has been embellished. The link with the popular Hubble, is essential to justify the budget. However, JWST cannot replace Hubble. It is a different kind of telescope. The JWST timeline is already a joke. If NASA cannot live up to the hype created to obscure the fact that they spend too much money, then JWST will be a joke. Like the NASA joke of finding water on Mars...again. Only it will not be funny for the scientific community. So yes, money can flow to science. Yes: scrape a warship to build a telescope. However, this doesn't mean you can not be sceptical how a limited science budget is spend. Do not forget: a lot of other projects have been scraped to make room for the JWST budget. So you must ask yourself if launching the JWST was the right decision.

[@matthewungar2138]

Successfully launched, and can’t wait to see what future the JWST brings. 🥳🎉

[@DeactivatedCharcoal]

The biggest reason for JWT _being_ an IR telescope was left out of this video. The light of objects furthest away are also receding faster thus "Red Shifted" below the range visible to Hubble.

[@ignitionfrn2223]

2:15 - Chapter 1 - A long road 4:00 - Chapter 2 - Development 6:45 - Chapter 3 - Construction 8:10 - Chapter 4 - The JTW 11:35 - Chapter 5 - Instruments 13:10 - Chapter 6 - Missions & expectations 15:25 - Chapter 7 - The next step

[@jayterriblemrlimb18]

BEST episode yet, the anticipation of the James Webb Telescope gives me goosebumps thinking of what we will be will discovering. I already know that one day I will be telling my grandchildren about it and how I remember all this excitement leading up to the historical day.

[@charlie7531]

No probably won’t be telling anyone years from now. I mean there will be way better telescopes and people will forget about it

[@goldenageofdinosaurs7192]

Charlie Yeah, cause no one ever mentions Model T’s or ‘64 Vettes cause there are new cars out that are better..

[@dirkvandaele4466]

@@goldenageofdinosaurs7192 People will remember Hubble, but not James Webb. It will not make new discoveries but build on the data we already have. The ELT will be more successful: their goal is to direct image an exoplanet atmosphere (first exoplanet with signs of live?). The hype around James Webb is just NASA marketing to divert your attention of the fact that they are way too late and way over budget.

[@Chris-hx3om]

I've been telling my grand-daughter (9 years old) about Hubble's deep field observations. She's as excited about JWST as the rest of us.

[@dirkvandaele4466]

@C. V. Have ever seen pictures of the Hubble telescope? Pillars of creation? Deep Field? GN-z11? You didn't recognized the last one? That is the fartest galaxy ever observed (by Hubble and Spitzer), the target of the JWST. This is why people will remember Hubble and not JWST. How many people know Chandra or Spitzer? Very important telescopes, but not so known by the general public because their pictures need some scientific background. The kind of pictures that JWST will make (infrared) are the same scientific pictures, not so fotogenic. Look up GN-Z11 and you will know what I mean. Pillars of creation and Deep Field have something extra: It reminds us of our place as humankind in the universe. One of the missions of the ELT is to direct image exoplanet atmopsheres for life markers. ELT will probably find an exoplanet with a breathable atmosphere ans signs of life, reminding us that we are probably not alone. Yes, I believe that the ELT will be far more important than the JWST for the general public. That for a budget one tenth of the JWST and certainly the with a smaller marketing budget.

[@princebasaya950]

A Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) Simonnnnn!!!!!!

[@dirkvandaele4466]

The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) or LIGO in space. :-)

[@SeanBlader]

Also the key thing to mention with LIGO is it's precision. Please spend a few minutes detailing the efforts and results of the level of precision LIGO is looking for.

[@Tsprinter330]

§ Kids video can you just done please stop it now stop Siri talk tic tock tic tock tic tock tic tock tic tock🚨

[@Tsprinter330]

Babar blah yeah yeah is your favourite girl vanilla one for the little I live down there

[@kindlin]

I went there last year (or was it 2 years ago??), it's just right over the mountains, a 3-hour drive away. Was a great time! Recommended.

[@Frolaire]

As a student of Astrophysics I am extremely excited to see what the JWT brings for discoveries. Also the advanced tactical fighter program that led to the F-22 would make a fantastic Megaprojects video.

[@Thros1]

@1:25 rip Hubble hope they can get it working again!

[@amandajones661]

Me too.

[@MrHurst-lb1rn]

We want a Megaprojects on the #simonwistlerclonefactory

[@alklazaris3741]

This would be a great April Fools video.

[@llperlrll]

Make one on "The Blazement™" to!!

[@reggiep75]

Yep.. I support all this and we also need a video on the day Danny made a run for it and slammed the 'Blazement' door on Whistler's head and scarred his pulsating dome! Rumour is that Danny was fed supermarket brand cat food for weeks after that, not the premium stuff... *SUPERMARKET BRAND CAT FOOD.* 😐

[@groundumbilicalcarrierplat7868]

Agreed

[@MirageGSM]

I was wondering how one guy could churn out all those videos...

[@seafodder6129]

Just one of the things about the JWST that blows my mind is that out in the cold, hard vacuum of space at L2, this thing requires a cryogenic plant to keep it cool.

[@helmsscotta]

It's still at roughly the same distance from the sun as the Earth.

[@novafawks]

The side facing the sun gets very hot in space. Not only that but due to less molecules to diffuse the energy, heat takes FOREVER to dissipate, thus requiring active cooling

[@Carstuff111]

I so hope this goes well, because Hubble has been a glorious part of my life for a long time now.

[@anthonyC214]

Would it be funny is after we finally get this off the ground and we look deep deep into space, that the Webb telescope will find another telescope looking back on us.lol

[@Chris-hx3om]

One can only hope!

[@atjohnson4831]

You should do one on the Square Kilometer Array, the biggest and most expensive science project ever undertaken. It'll use something like 100x the world's internet bandwidth once completed

[@klind57]

The reason it's taken so long is that every time they get a piece of equipment installed it is obsolete. Then they have to go back and put in the upgraded one. Then it went obsolete. Etc etc etc

[@matthewdopler8997]

I remember in 5th grade of them talking about it. This was 2005.

[@garyhendrick4391]

That explanation of the Hubble Deep Field image was A+ Lol

[@Chris-hx3om]

The area of 'sky' covered by Deep Field? The width of the eye on the back of a coin, held at arm's length! So, a really really small, very dark part of the sky, observed for 10 days. Once the image was processed, 3,000 new *GALAXIES!* Truly awesome!

[@1974lionsfan]

FINALLY! Well done Simon and thank you

[@frimodig]

One thing i don't understand is why the mission duration for the JWT will only last 10 years, while the hubble telescope is still in active service after over 30 years. Why only 10 years service time for such an expensive and invaluable instrument?

[@michaelsommers2356]

Fuel and cryogenics are big limiting factors.

[@joshuahoots5299]

@@michaelsommers2356 Agreed, keeping things in a stable L2 orbit requires way more fuel than keeping an object in LEO like Hubble. The other aspect is the cooling. The IR equipment needs to be kept cool for it to work properly with low noise. Fortunately, the next generation of telescopes will not have this problem of running out of fuel and cryogenics. These next one will have the ability to be resupplied by other spacecraft. There are 4 major ones proposed, one called the Luvoir telescope and it makes the 6.5 mirror that the JWST has small. Yet it will be using similar technology so it should not take as long to develop and the sun shield does not have to be as precise. Need starship or SLS block 2 to get the big version up to L2.

[@Latwis]

More of Space, even more, please! And thank you!

[@luso5201]

Praying all goes well so we can see further back! I be zooming in Hubble’s deep view looking for the smallest dot

[@drewhuscher496]

So glad you finally did this one, thank you! Can't wait for it to launch!

[@kaiying74]

I'm still waiting for the Megaproject for the massive Drydock that was used to build that massive ship.

[@kaiying74]

We blasted the number of likes Simon set by miles. Come on Simon!

[@anulbonecrusher]

Agreed. Where is the drydock factboy

[@robertgarrett5009]

Love that the "S" is dropped throughout this, as its always been known as the JWST, even on its twitter feed.

[@PMA65537]

It was done to confuse people searching for JSON Web Tokens.

[@remi_gio]

Twitter? Are you kidding me? Look at the NASA web page dude. www.jwst.nasa.gov/

[@cypherdk85]

Simon, the Vera C Rubin Observatory, that is a feat of engineering that you should cover. The largest optical lens ever made, possibly the highest resolution ever achieved. According to one physicist working on it, they will be able to spot a golf ball out at the distance of the moon with how much resolution it has. 3.2 gigapixel... that's 3200 megapixel.. It will take a shot every 20 seconds. Just imagine the harddrive space you need for that.

[@mikecurtis9485]

Thank you for that, really hope it goes on time this time and work flawlessly.

[@user-ts6ew7eu2x]

T•H•A•N•K•S F•O•R W•A•T•C•H•I•N•G F•O•R M•O•R•E P•R•O•F•I•T A•N•D I•N•V•E•S•T•M•E•N•T G•U•I•D•E W•H•A•T•S•A•P•P +•1•6•2•8•2•6•8•7•0•0•3

[@AnonymousAlcoholic772]

My god we are living in a golden age of facial hair, and im on the outside looking in.

[@helmsscotta]

I'm with ya bro.

[@homer9k655]

You're not missing anything. I don't remember the source but I read an article a couple years ago that said the average beard contains as much bacteria as a public toilet. I'm not willing to take the risk just so I can have a muppet living on my face. As well as the itching lol.

[@SuperCatacata]

@@homer9k655 If that's actually true, then it means that human being himself is also dirtier than a public toilet, not just his beard. Anyone who actually takes time to clean themselves won't be that dirty. Guarantee that "statistic" was using people in poorer countries who don't have the luxury to bathe every day. Otherwise it sounds like total BS.

[@MinBlick]

I was blessed with thick beautiful hair on my head which I wear long. And then I have this run over hedgehog vibe of a look on the chin no matter the effort. :(

[@avincoolhunk]

"Can see parts of the universe never seen", finally we can look forward to see Asgard!

[@jaysdood]

I want to see Hoth!

[@stuartronald9785]

Been looking forward to this

[@gollum8977]

Have a few German Mega Projects Ideas: 1. The "Elbphilharmonie" ist a big opera house built in the Hamburg old Harbour ontop of antique buildings which aren't allowed to be altered. 2. The Big Upgrade to the Munich subway network currently, with digging of a second main track, to ease the pressure on the old and overused central tunnel. That one is actually the most used two-way rail track in the world. Also the whole Munich "S-Bahn" drives more track km a year than the whole German long distance Network. 3. Maybe in a Megaprojects Video we can finally get behind the million of delays to the new Berlin Airport, which finally opened last year. The Year no-one could fly due to covid :D Just a few Ideas that i thought could be interesting.

[@bigbob1699]

Did they get the extended warrenty ? Is there a pool on when and if it flies, if if fails , if if blows on the pad ?

[@youtubevanced4900]

The rocket is going on has almost never failed.

[@bigbob1699]

@@youtubevanced4900 The Titanic never sank before .

[@tardvandecluntproductions1278]

@@bigbob1699 Titanic also didn't had as many trips as the rocket.

[@helmsscotta]

Def needs insurance.

[@ObservationofLimits]

@KZbin Vanced … the rocket that has problems that just delayed us?

[@goodisgoog]

And now it's been delayed because there's problems with the rocket. Might still launch before the end of 2021 though

[@megaprojects9649]

hahahhahahha, of course it has.

[@BIGJATPSU]

@@megaprojects9649 JWST < HST, might have a bigger mirror, but can't see across all the spectrums Hubble can.

[@nolancain8792]

@@BIGJATPSU sad that Hubble is dead.

[@BIGJATPSU]

@@nolancain8792 indeed. I'm hopeful NASA can get it working again. Even more hopeful that it can be returned to Earth and put on display.

[@nolancain8792]

@@BIGJATPSU I think the shuttle was the only hope unless starship and its cargo variant can capture it.

[@scottyford4224]

Thank you Simon. Ive been asking for this episode forever.

[@martijnb5887]

Great video! I love the higher than usual level of detail in this episode. The JWT is an incredibly ambitious instrument. I hope everything will work as designed.

[@JSJSpeaks]

I would like to propose a Simon-centered fan club called “Mister Whistler’s Listeners”, a fine society to find oneself amongst!

[@CocoaBeachLiving]

Imagine it's 'Ultra Deep Field' capture!

[@erlienfrommars]

It won't because unlike the Hubble it only captures in infrared, all you'll see are purple and red clouds.

[@CocoaBeachLiving]

@@erlienfrommars good point

[@OnlykinGaming]

Great video thank youuu

[@RaderizDorret]

Great. I saw "A Long Road" and now I have the Star Trek: Enterprise theme stuck in my head.

[@jassimalserkal1604]

Merry Christmas….. Successful Lunch today 25/12/2021. Go WEBB Go

[@CaminoAir]

I can't imagine how repairs could be conducted on the J.W.T. given where it is going to be positioned. It had better work immediately and for long enough to justify the enormous cost.

[@goldenageofdinosaurs7192]

That’s why it’s undergoing so much intensive testing. It’s a one shot deal.

[@Timmycoo]

There can't be repairs because of the orbit it will be in. It's an all or nothing, hence delays to make it "perfect".

[@CaminoAir]

@@Timmycoo I understand that, but there have been a number of issues with space probes and landers. The chief investigator of one probe said he couldn't relax for months (during the probe's journey to its destination) for fear of some issue occurring. Juno's fuel lines aren't being used to adjust its orbit around Jupiter. Opportunity had issues with its heater that drained power. Insight accumulated dust on its solar panels faster than anticipated. Voyager 2 had serious computer issues which miraculously corrected themselves. Galileo had antenna and tape recorder issues. Given the complexity of how the JWT will have to deploy itself to become fully operational, there is a frightening number of potential issues.

[@Timmycoo]

@@CaminoAir Oh I know. I'm scared as heck. But also anxiously excited.

[@CaminoAir]

@@Timmycoo Exactly. Everyone is feeling that mixture of emotions. Hopefully, in ten years time, our knowledge of the Universe will have taken a huge leap forward.

[@frankgulla2335]

Thank you. Very nice report, filled with details and snarky remarks. I am a fan!

[@NicFlicksRL]

Great Video Thanks you!

[@sierravortec2494]

I’m stoked for JWST. My hearts going to be beating so fast on launch day

[@mangalover0149]

@belly tripper I think it will.

[@MrEd-qg8td]

It's been delayed a few days. Yes another delay. Possibly Mid November now.

[@trashyhobo4957]

Do you want it done right or rushed for a deadline?

[@ajstevens1652]

@@trashyhobo4957 depends if it's ever actually launched or just perpetually delayed...

[@boneyardrendezvous]

Mid November. 2024.

[@ricomotions5416]

@@trashyhobo4957 not if you could build 2 in the time they take to launch 1

[@kapwns]

bad news everyone, it's never actually going to launch.

[@StrobeFireStudios]

Simon's banter is hands down some of the best on KZbin

[@sbcwinn]

I really enjoyed this video. Simon makes informative and entertaining videos across his various channels, and this one did not fail to disappoint!

[@stevengeorges9046]

One thing is for sure . . . we will learn everything JWT has to teaches us, we will wind up with more questions than we ever had before. ;-)

[@kapwns]

questions like, "how did nasa end up getting away with wasting so much money on a satellite that will never leave the surface of the Earth?"

[@niggacockball7995]

@@kapwns because goverment is retarded and just bankrolling them

[@paddor]

* teach

[@Mayor-McCheese]

Simon I’m still waiting on an episode about the Apollo missions

[@andrea6637]

Yes! So glad to see this finally!

[@brendakrieger7000]

Thank you for covering this topic🔭🌠🪐

[@Viper-dn8ix]

Still hoping to see you cover Denver International Airport, the second largest in the world by land and one of the busiest in the world. It's surrounded by conspiracy theories, budget overruns, and well... Mass. So I think it would be a perfect topic for Mega Projects!

[@ObservationofLimits]

Busiest in the world? Pretty sure the one running UPS in… Kentucky? (I forget) absolutely shits on air traffic anywhere else.

[@Viper-dn8ix]

@@ObservationofLimits Note: "One of the busiest." And last I checked the actual order was ATL, LAX, ORD (O'Hare), DFW. KY doesn't even make the top ten. If you're talking cargo only, then Louisville is #3, behind Memphis and Ted Stevens (Alaska of all places). It's the combination of size, location, and passenger volume that makes DIA more interesting than the others. I mean have you seen the terminal building? Can't really compete with that view of the Rockies.

[@netopir3804]

As expanding space also stretches light, infrared detection will be important to see objects red-shifted by the ever accelerating expansion of space beyond light speed. Only this will enable to detect light or electromagnetic radiation, also that formed by the earliest stars. I am a biologist, not an astrophysicist, though.

[@Chris-hx3om]

And you are 100% correct. The first light from the young universe is now the CMB, microwave frequency.

[@prioris55555]

The discovery that will be made is that mainstream conventional astronomy/astrophysics is a monumental lie. It will hasten the end of the big bang theory. Plasma cosmology / electric universe is the future. By 1937, even Edwin Hubble realized the big bang was wrong based on empirical observation.

[@Chris-hx3om]

@@prioris55555 Errr, Wrong! Plasma cosmology was thoroughly debunked *30 YEARS AGO!*

[@prioris55555]

@@Chris-hx3om Big Bang cosmology was debunked by the 1970s. Even edwin hubble didn't buy into it. Hey, what happened to your - comets are a dirty snowball - it sank into oblivion once they took a close up picture of a comet - it was debunked many decades ago by all the data from the space probes once the big bang theory sinks, where are you going to run to next

[@netopir3804]

@@prioris55555 Well, whatever it will discover, it will expand our knowledge. I would love if JWT detected suns or galaxies well beyond the estimated age of the universe. Anyways, we don’t understand all of physics yet, especially gravity, the graviton is still a predicted particle.

[@user-pu4wj3iy7d]

Great job S. Educational video.

[@23601]

Love the video's! What about a video of Space X's Falcon 9/Heavy?

[@0x0404]

It has been hyped for so long and delayed for so long as well I can't imagine it will actually ever make it to space. I'd expect nothing less than some great launch disaster.

[@mattb2382]

I'd buy that for a dollar.

[@FirestormX9]

Hubble went through delays and even post launch issues as well. This one is designed to run perfectly, like literally no manual repairs available. It will make it, the delays aren't an indication of failure.

[@gamingcreatesworlddd2425]

@@FirestormX9 they want to make sure everything goes 100% so no kind of mistake possible😱hope it launches perfectly

[@FirestormX9]

@@gamingcreatesworlddd2425 yes you're correct and it will, bro. This is another masterpiece of a scientific tool for astronomical research.

[@mangalover0149]

@@FirestormX9 It's an indication of success, I think. They're making sure they fix all issues they can. The most recent delay isn't even because of the telescope itself, it's because of the rocket.

[@zafarsyed6437]

So thinking like a layman, I thought "Why can't they just take the plans for Hubble and upgrade it?" My friend who now works for Boeing explained that when he was at NGC, he learned that "JWT is like taking the original blueprint of Hubble looks like they took a circle (wheel) and invented a bicycle wheel; now take the blueprint of a bicycle wheel and extrapolate and build the lovechild from Bugatti and McLaren from the year 2025" Me: "... Oh..." 🤯

[@nastybedazzler]

Awesome video. I've been following the construction of this one for years and I'm really excited for it to finally launch. Hopefully all goes well, it seems with so many moving parts there's just so much that could go wrong, I'll be completely blown away if this thing goes off without a hitch, although I obviously hope it does.

[@arcburn3364]

Thank you so much. This video had to be a lot of work.

[@deltacx1059]

Would be nice to have a visible light camera on the thing.

[@Chris-hx3om]

Why? Most of the things in the visible light spectrum have already been imaged. The things JWST is looking for have been so far red-shifted that their light is no longer in the visible spectrum. Take the CMB for example. It's the first visible light emitted after this universe cooled sufficiently to no longer be opaque. Prior (the first ~300,000years) the gasses were so hot they were just a dense plasma. Once the plasma cooled, the photons could then escape and travel outwards. As our universe expands those photons get longer and longer in wavelength, hence the term 'red-shift', and are now so long they are in the microwave range. There is no visible light from that far back anymore, so no point in JWST having anything that works in visible light.

[@deltacx1059]

@@Chris-hx3om I know what the primary mission is but a system for visible light would be great because it could get way more detailed images of things in visible light that might be worth a closer look.

[@Chris-hx3om]

@@deltacx1059 And add unnecessary weight and more complexity to an already overburden system.

[@aggonzalezdc]

@@deltacx1059 I get where youre coming from. Thanks to technology we can image a lot of those same things, often even better than we could have otherwise, and then we can translate that image into something our puny ocular nuggets are capable of seeing. I know it sucks that we're not "seeing" what we would see if we could just look at that object directly with our eyes but, fact is our eyes kinda suck (at least compared to electromagnetic sensors on telescopes). Better to take advantage of the entire electromagnetic spectrum, rather than one tiny little range that we give way too much importance to because it happens to be what we can see. That said, there are other telescopes going up, nothing to the level of JWST but still, which will be able to image things in other areas of the spectrum, including visible up through UV and I think partly into the Xray spectrum. We will not be short of awesome things to look at, especially when we can just shift those images back into the spectrum we CAN see.

[@mattfrost628]

I'd like to see an episode about the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri.

[@goldenageofdinosaurs7192]

I’ve been up in that bad boy. It was 1969 & I was a tiny baby, so I don’t remember it. I did go back a couple times, when I was older, but I never went up in it again.

[@mattfrost628]

@@goldenageofdinosaurs7192 I've been up there too! It's cool that on the ground you can see it swaying a little bit but I couldn't tell at all once I was at the top

[@bobwx1987]

Loved this. Mission impossible to see what has never been seen. Very exciting.

[@USS-SNAKE-ISLAND]

Yep! Much more relevant / current than most other subject matter. Thank you!

[@avatarofpapermagic]

It's been 84 years, when is Simon doing a mega projects on Simon Whistlers KZbin channels?

[@megaprojects9649]

When they achieve true mega project status. There's work to be done.

[@johnsuffill6520]

Sorry Simon, but it's JWST. Just hoping the thing works after all this time.

[@nyrahl593]

I feel like JWT is okay until it actually makes it to space, then we can upgrade it to the JWST. :D

[@remi_gio]

Absolutely agree, it’s like not knowing the name of the person you are interviewing. He just decided it’s ok but it’s actually not because it’s not the name of the telescope.

[@brkbtjunkie]

There is an observatory 20 minutes from me, the first time I saw a galaxy far far away, it really was hard to comprehend as a 8 year old

[@mikeredrugger]

We would love to see a video on the James Webb Space Telescope!!!!

[@twocvbloke]

Whether coincidence or yet another Trekkie in the midst, the name "MIRI" for one of the parts of the JWT is a nice callback to the Star Trek TOS Episode of the same name, "Miri"... :P

[@jamesmyers5703]

Suggestion for an episode, The Transcontinental Railroad.

[@ObservationofLimits]

Pretty sure he’s done that

[@TYPcaster]

Glad the title is correct as the James Webb SPACE Telescope, and not just JWT… never heard it as anything but JWST, and I’ve worked on it. So excited to hopefully get this out there and take another scientific leap forward. I give presentations on this to local schools, and it’s excited to consider what new things (and new fields of science) will come about from the discoveries that JWST allows. Keep up the good work guys!

[@user-ts6ew7eu2x]

T•H•A•N•K•S F•O•R W•A•T•C•H•I•N•G F•O•R M•O•R•E P•R•O•F•I•T A•N•D I•N•V•E•S•T•M•E•N•T G•U•I•D•E W•H•A•T•S•A•P•P +•1•6•2•8•2•6•8•7•0•0•3.

[@robpatty6062]

I do enjoy a good voyage through space...... nice one Simon 😁

[@DarkGlass824]

"I am going to look at the stars. They are so far away and it takes so long for their light to reach us. All we ever see of the stars are their faded photographs. " - Alan Moore, Watchmen

[@Chris-hx3om]

Love that. But here's something to really blow your mind. Although the light has taken many many years to reach us (time reference, Earth), because the light is traveling at well, the speed of light, and according to Einstein, as an object's velocity approaches the speed of light, time (for it) slows, then at the speed of light, time must stop. Those photons that have been traveling for hundreds, thousands of year just so you (and only you) could see them, for the photon, the travel time was 0, instant, immediate. They were no sooner created by a fusion event than they smashed into your retina.

[@TKA322]

The 5-10yrs lifespan was disappointing to me, I would hope after that mush time and money that they allowed a refuel port, so Elan can refuel it for us.

[@joshuaupham5993]

I hope they made 2 of every part just incase!

[@alexmontgomery255]

Great video as always. This may not be worthy of a Megaprojects video, but now do one on the first significant telescope, the one that Galileo used to make many of his discoveries. It now resides in the Museo Galileo in Florence, Italy.

[@shannonrhoads7099]

These are the voyages of the James Webb. It's 5 year mission: To explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations; to boldly look where no man has looked before. It's 15+ year mission - making it through NASA's reviews and actually launching...

[@andyhu9542]

Great comment

[@PK-lz4ho]

9:45 what's the Attitude Control Subsystem? Is that for when the telescope get's in a mood?

[@robertgarrett5009]

It's for fine adjustment of the direction the entire thing is pointed, it's the big flap under the sunshine.

[@prioris55555]

@@robertgarrett5009 if JWST gets pis sed off then the attitude control kicks in

[@steveshoemaker6347]

Thanks....This something l have been wanted to know a very long time now....An thanks again....Excellent...!

[@Sishqabob]

Hey Simon! I would love to see a comparison series about the Falcon 9 and the Atlas V rockets. Could even add in the Ariane 5 rocket (the one JWT will go up on) into the series.

[@lastword8783]

Just got back from the future, The launch failed and the telescope exploded on the launch pad, then the backup scope remained grounded because of the whole World War 3 side quest. After that an asteroid strike directly on the launchpad of the backup delayed the 2nd launch, we finally launched years later in the year 2632.

[@ayevince8857]

*throws tomato

[@thomasfholland]

The James Webb Telescope: The telescope that ate astronomy

[@ch4.hayabusa]

2023: SpaceX turns it's 40,000 internet satellites into an inter planetary radar telescope. Discovers aliens mining the Oort cloud, and Sandra Bullock's step brother.

[@nickthomas6923]

Best Christmas day for years! Yeah. Good luck Webb. xxx

[@Beryllahawk]

I do so much enjoy when Simon geeks out about space topics. I do. I'm geeking out too!! SO MUCH ANTICIPATION!!!

[@ronperkins1687]

I hope this isn’t a trick, because I’m really looking forward to this treat!!

[@gtaocinematics]

Would be the most expensive trick ever

[@TheAutisticOwl]

Simon, can you do a Megaprojects on ISRO'S Mars Orbiter Mission?

[@jameswebb8162]

Sweet video!! Thanks for sharing! Can’t wait to see the data derived from the JWST. Being an amateur astronomer and Astrophotographer the prospect of seeing imagines further back in time to the moment of the Big Bang is awe-inspiring!! James Webb USAF Retired

[@TyTy-fq3mh]

Heck yeah! Finally a modern space telescope video!

[@Flubberbutter]

You gotta remember the thing about the latest delays are because of the rocket fairing, not the telescope itself.

[@phantasmagoria8228]

"Tyranny of the Fairing" they call it

[@niggacockball7995]

after fairings im sure the painting, then arrangment of cables, then the fuel and it will go on

[@Outland9000]

$10 billion sounds like a lot but that would barely get you one and a bit aircraft carriers... The USA has 11 such nuclear powered aircraft carriers at last count.

[@nitroboltz8632]

I'm really excited and i really cannot wait to finally see the results

[@1986krazy]

Another great video, Simon and team! Can you guys please do the Peterborough Lift Locks (the world's tallest hydraulic lift lock)?

[@winstonsmith478]

The extremely complex deployment required to fit the telescope within the largest fairing available makes me worry about something going wrong during that deployment sequence once it is at its not easily reached intended operational location. IMO, it should have been built in two or more sections merged in Earth orbit, deployed and tested in Earth orbit, and then gently pushed to it's operational location.

[@norman_sage2528]

JWST, the most expensive ground based telescope ever built

[@darringreen8630]

Simon, this is the 256th time I've requested this....PLEASE keep making videos.

[@tauaru]

I really thought we'd get a container shipping episode by now. A side project about nautical "flag" laws would be informative as well! Thanks for the great content!