The planned James Webb Space Telescope is one of the National Aeronatics and Space Administration's top priorities, but it is currently in a precarious situation. The JWST, which is the successor to the Hubble Telescope and is currently funded by NASA's science division, will have a 21.3-foot diameter mirror and a large sunshield about the size of a tennis court. The infrared-optimized telescope is a major technological feat which will allow scientists to detect light from the first stars in the Universe.
The project is facing financial difficulties, however. NASA estimates the costs of the JWST to total more than $8 billion by its projected 2018 launch date and is now asking for the cost to be split with the rest of the agency. Some politicians and commentators are concerned by the rising cost of the project, anxious that continued delays will further increase costs. As a result, the House Appropriations Committee voted in July to cancel funding for the observatory, and the Senate will vote on the issue in September.
Canceling the JWST is not simply a case between the advancement of science and U.S. economic recovery. Europe and Canada are also invested in the project, with Europe contributing two of the telescope's four instruments as well as the rocket in exchange for observing time on the observatory.
-compiled by Amanda Gellett
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