James Webb Space Telescope, information, updates and discussion Options

[Redstone]

The manufacture of the JWST mirror blanks has now been completed.

Despite this milestone, the fate of JWST is still somewhat precarious, because although the scientific bang from the telescope is expected to be huge, the bucks required have increased to a staggering $4.5 billion. A Space.com article on the squeeze in NASA's space-based astronomy plans gives some background.

The JWST home page can be found here.

The Space Telescope Science Institute, which runs Hubble, also has a site here. As does ESA.

[ollopa]

NASA, ESA and the CSA are holding a technical review of the JWST in Dublin, Ireland, next month. Approximately 300 people will attend the meeting, which will be held in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham from Monday June 11th – Thursday June 14th. In addition to NASA, ESA and CSA personnel, representatives from a large number of US and European space technology companies will be present.

The JWST Chief Project Scientist John Mather will give two public lectures while in Dublin, one will be in association with the Royal Irish Academy.

We are currently transporting a full-scale model of the James Webb Space Telescope to Dublin (it will be placed in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Kilmainham and National Museum of Modern Art) for at least 6 weeks.

The School of Cosmic Physics at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies is directly involved in developing one of the four main instruments on board JWST - the MIRI - and is hosting next month's meeting.

As this is a technical event, there are limited public events associated with it, but I will post more precise details shortly.