JWST Launch Delay

When I first started teaching, in grad school way back in 2001, I would briefly share the basics of the James Webb Space Telescope with my students.  I don't think it had an official name at that time and each year the launch date was pushed further and further into the future.  The past several years, however, the launch date as remained the same, with a projected launch next year, 2018.  I just finished our unit on telescopes in my astronomy class this year when the news broke that the launch of the JWST is delayed once again. 

Model of the James Webb Space Telescope

The launch, scheduled for October 2018, has been pushed back to March-June 2019.  Not a full year, so not too bad.  Still a bit disappointing as this is the next great space based telescope to be launched.  The science this telescope will produce will be absolutely amazing!  The reason for the delay is to build in more time to complete the spacecraft that will carry the JWST.  The JWST is ready to go, but the craft that it travels in needs more time.

Delays suck, but the mission is still planned, so fans of the JWST just need to wait a few more months.