I know the modified fairing has been tested on another flight. Has the new vehicle attitude program also been tried out for real?
JWST passes launch reviewby Jeff Foust — July 6, 2021WASHINGTON — The James Webb Space Telescope is one step closer to launch after a review of its Ariane launch vehicle […]The European Space Agency announced July 1 that it, along with Arianespace, had successfully completed the final mission analysis review for the launch of JWST on an Ariane 5.
https://spacenews.com/jwst-passes-launch-review/QuoteJWST passes launch reviewby Jeff Foust — July 6, 2021WASHINGTON — The James Webb Space Telescope is one step closer to launch after a review of its Ariane launch vehicle […]The European Space Agency announced July 1 that it, along with Arianespace, had successfully completed the final mission analysis review for the launch of JWST on an Ariane 5.
https://spacenews.com/jwst-passes-launch-review/
One open item has nothing to do with the spacecraft itself, but rather its name. NASA renamed what was originally known as the Next Generation Space Telescope in 2002 after James Webb, who was NASA administrator from 1961 and 1968 and is credited for guiding the agency through the development of the Apollo program while also supporting science missions.That choice has come under scrutiny in recent years given allegations that Webb, while at NASA and, earlier, the State Department, supported discrimination against LGBTQ people. That includes one case, cited in a recent online petition that has garnered more than 1,200 signatures, of the arrest, interrogation and firing of a NASA employee for being homosexual in 1963, when Webb was administrator.NASA historians are conducting a review of historical records about Webb and his role in such events, but neither Smith nor Paul Hertz, director of NASA’s astrophysics division, offered many details about the progress of that review at the meeting of experts.
Quote from: FutureSpaceTourist on 07/06/2021 07:15 pmhttps://spacenews.com/jwst-passes-launch-review/QuoteOne open item has nothing to do with the spacecraft itself, but rather its name. NASA renamed what was originally known as the Next Generation Space Telescope in 2002 after James Webb, who was NASA administrator from 1961 and 1968 and is credited for guiding the agency through the development of the Apollo program while also supporting science missions.That choice has come under scrutiny in recent years given allegations that Webb, while at NASA and, earlier, the State Department, supported discrimination against LGBTQ people. That includes one case, cited in a recent online petition that has garnered more than 1,200 signatures, of the arrest, interrogation and firing of a NASA employee for being homosexual in 1963, when Webb was administrator.NASA historians are conducting a review of historical records about Webb and his role in such events, but neither Smith nor Paul Hertz, director of NASA’s astrophysics division, offered many details about the progress of that review at the meeting of experts.
Quote from: su27k on 07/10/2021 02:44 amQuote from: FutureSpaceTourist on 07/06/2021 07:15 pmhttps://spacenews.com/jwst-passes-launch-review/QuoteOne open item has nothing to do with the spacecraft itself, but rather its name. NASA renamed what was originally known as the Next Generation Space Telescope in 2002 after James Webb, who was NASA administrator from 1961 and 1968 and is credited for guiding the agency through the development of the Apollo program while also supporting science missions.That choice has come under scrutiny in recent years given allegations that Webb, while at NASA and, earlier, the State Department, supported discrimination against LGBTQ people. That includes one case, cited in a recent online petition that has garnered more than 1,200 signatures, of the arrest, interrogation and firing of a NASA employee for being homosexual in 1963, when Webb was administrator.NASA historians are conducting a review of historical records about Webb and his role in such events, but neither Smith nor Paul Hertz, director of NASA’s astrophysics division, offered many details about the progress of that review at the meeting of experts.Oh good grief. Lunacy in pursuit of a shibboleth....
But that correction changes nothing. Webb was in leadership as the lavender scare unfolded. Additional archival evidence, easily found by Columbia University astronomer Adrian Lucy, underlines Webb's role as a facilitator of homophobic policy discussions with members of the Senate. In particular, in 1950 assistant secretary of state Carlisle Humelsine submitted a set of memos to Webb that included “objectives and methods of operation of the Senate Committee established to look into the problem,” which Webb then shared during a meeting with Senator Clyde Hoey of North Carolina. The records clearly show that Webb planned and participated in meetings during which he handed over homophobic material. There is no record of him choosing to stand up for the humanity of those being persecuted.As someone in management, Webb bore responsibility for policies enacted under his leadership, including homophobic ones that were in place when he became NASA administrator. Some argue that if Webb was complicit, so was everyone working in the agency's administration at the time. We agree. But NASA is not launching a telescope named after its entire administration.
Not to the individual fired for loving the wrong person. Being on the wrong side of history has consequences. I never liked naming the telescope after a bureaucrat anyway, it should be named for a scientist.
The way it is phrased is a) not convincing at all and b) seems like a witch hunt / stalinian process - in the sense that the conclusion is foregone, no chance for defense. Just - "burn the witch" - period.
. One of the proposals that was circulating before NGST was dubbed Edison, who it turns out was pretty much the first to do infrared astronomy.
Quote from: Dizzy_RHESSI on 07/10/2021 04:07 pm. One of the proposals that was circulating before NGST was dubbed Edison, who it turns out was pretty much the first to do infrared astronomy.Edison was a great man but also a horrible person. Way more problematic than Webb imho.
Quote from: Dizzy_RHESSI on 07/10/2021 04:07 pm. One of the proposals that was circulating before NGST was dubbed Edison, who it turns out was pretty much the first to do infrared astronomy.Edison was a great man but also a horrible person. Way more problematic than Webb imho.The problem is that once we start cancelling historical figures for not living up to currently fashionable moral standards (and we have… or this conversation wouldn’t be happening) we will eventually cancel our entire history.
I curious how many of you whining about "cancelling" Webb were so up in arms when Dryden's legacy got shunting aside merely so we could add another laurel on the head of Neil Armstrong. (Ignoring that Armstrong himself admired Dryden.)It's weird that we only object to "cancelling" when there's actually a good cause behind it.[And the lack of self-awareness of those using terms like "witch-hunt" and "Stalinist" to describe those complaining about a historical government-wide purge of anyone suspected of being the "wrong sort"...]
