Is Nasa James Webb Space Telescope Worth The Risks
BloombergDec 23, 2021
On Mon., NASA released new images of Jupiter, taken by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).
The infrared images show detailed views of the gas giant's turbulent atmosphere, capturing its Great Red Spot - a storm that has been raging for centuries and is big enough to swallow Earth. Jupiter's auroras, rings, and two of its moons, Amalthea and Adrastea, can also be seen.
This is a massive achievement, but also a massive risk. A $10B investment into a single platform is a tremendous gamble - if anything should ever happen to the JWST it could set astronomy back by a generation. NASA needs to find more cost-effective, safe, and innovative ways to spur future innovation in the astrophysics field.
While admittedly the stakes of developing and using the JSWT are high, everyone involved in the project has approached it with caution, and it has clearly paid off. From effective cooperation to groundbreaking discovery, this telescope has seen tremendous success on all fronts, and this is only the beginning.