It’s an exciting moment. Presumably it may end up gathering data which forces us to view things differently to how we do now.
J Bryant
2 years ago
I love these space exploration projects. I’m still enjoying the images from the Mars Perseverance rover. Incredible to think I’m looking at high-res pictures (ok, computer-enhanced pictures) of the Martian surface.
I hope all goes well for the JWST.
Kiat Huang
2 years ago
I have a scientific bent, but I do wonder at times of a big ticket item, how much more profitable it would have been for the human race to properly explore our own planet, to fully understand how it works and to help the earth and it’s protective atmosphere truly thrive for us all.
The near earth orbit technology is certainly useful, but do we really need to know what happened at the big bang (and much inbetween)? How about all that skill and inventiveness put towards power generation & storage, water desalination and purification, leaps ahead in plant husbandry. Perhaps solving the perennial destabilisation by warrior governments, where the UN has proven impotent.
Perhaps it is not just about knowing different things, but that there are expensive areas we simply do not need to know about yet. So we should try do other things that benefit people here on earth, far more directly.
Perhaps a bit short sighted, because many of the technological developments that needed to be made will benefit more mundane pursuits on earth.
Ferrusian Gambit
2 years ago
Let’s see if it successfully deploys first. The result could be world changing if it works but I suspect there is a significant probability of its failing to deploy given all its moving parts and the possibility of vacuum fusing, malfunctioning callibration, shaking during launch damaging the optics etc. It’s enough to make any engineer break out in a cold sweat.
All true, but the same was also said of the spectacular and technically challenging Mars rover missions.
Although the fact that NASA is left helpless should anything go wrong this time only adds to the tension and excitement.
Last edited 2 years ago by Eddie Johnson
Steve Brown
2 years ago
I just can’t comprehend all this; can someone please explain?
The Big Bang was c.14 billion years ago. Earth came into existence c.4.5bn years ago. We’re now sending up a telescope to capture light/radio signals from the Big Bang, So, in an instant (?) the universe grew from a speck to something spanning hundreds or thousands of light years from end to end. Lots of variables.
How do we know how old the light we catch is? Do we really know all this stuff? How do we know how big the universe was when this light which we’re looking for started out, and where we are/were when it started out. I’ve read the Stephen Hawkins books, and regularly fell off the page when it got difficult. How hard is it to understand at least the basis of this project?
Good for you for showing an interest. How do we know? Well, in the same kind of way that you know the bridge you’re driving over is not about to collapse or the plane you’re flying in is not going to fall out of the sky. Because a lot of people have spent a lot of time and effort making sure that the bridge/aeroplane is as safe as it can be.Nothing is perfect. Same for the Big Bang theory. Science and engineering are much more about perspiration than inspiration. Everything is checked and double checked … and most importantly when things do go wrong – because we didn’t understand something – diligently investigated to find out the cause. In this way science inches its way towards the truth.
It’s an exciting moment. Presumably it may end up gathering data which forces us to view things differently to how we do now.
I love these space exploration projects. I’m still enjoying the images from the Mars Perseverance rover. Incredible to think I’m looking at high-res pictures (ok, computer-enhanced pictures) of the Martian surface.
I hope all goes well for the JWST.
I have a scientific bent, but I do wonder at times of a big ticket item, how much more profitable it would have been for the human race to properly explore our own planet, to fully understand how it works and to help the earth and it’s protective atmosphere truly thrive for us all.
The near earth orbit technology is certainly useful, but do we really need to know what happened at the big bang (and much inbetween)? How about all that skill and inventiveness put towards power generation & storage, water desalination and purification, leaps ahead in plant husbandry. Perhaps solving the perennial destabilisation by warrior governments, where the UN has proven impotent.
Perhaps it is not just about knowing different things, but that there are expensive areas we simply do not need to know about yet. So we should try do other things that benefit people here on earth, far more directly.
Perhaps a bit short sighted, because many of the technological developments that needed to be made will benefit more mundane pursuits on earth.
Let’s see if it successfully deploys first. The result could be world changing if it works but I suspect there is a significant probability of its failing to deploy given all its moving parts and the possibility of vacuum fusing, malfunctioning callibration, shaking during launch damaging the optics etc. It’s enough to make any engineer break out in a cold sweat.
All true, but the same was also said of the spectacular and technically challenging Mars rover missions.
Although the fact that NASA is left helpless should anything go wrong this time only adds to the tension and excitement.
I just can’t comprehend all this; can someone please explain?
The Big Bang was c.14 billion years ago. Earth came into existence c.4.5bn years ago. We’re now sending up a telescope to capture light/radio signals from the Big Bang, So, in an instant (?) the universe grew from a speck to something spanning hundreds or thousands of light years from end to end. Lots of variables.
How do we know how old the light we catch is? Do we really know all this stuff? How do we know how big the universe was when this light which we’re looking for started out, and where we are/were when it started out. I’ve read the Stephen Hawkins books, and regularly fell off the page when it got difficult. How hard is it to understand at least the basis of this project?
Good for you for showing an interest. How do we know? Well, in the same kind of way that you know the bridge you’re driving over is not about to collapse or the plane you’re flying in is not going to fall out of the sky. Because a lot of people have spent a lot of time and effort making sure that the bridge/aeroplane is as safe as it can be.Nothing is perfect. Same for the Big Bang theory. Science and engineering are much more about perspiration than inspiration. Everything is checked and double checked … and most importantly when things do go wrong – because we didn’t understand something – diligently investigated to find out the cause. In this way science inches its way towards the truth.