Space Exploration: New Lens to Mankind's Eyes

 

It has been in development for 20 years, at a staggering cost of $8.7 billion. And it is now set to launch in October 2018.

In fact, it had been originally proposed in mid-1990s, at a basic cost of $500 million, and was expected to be launched by 2007.

But, it is now 11 years overdue, and 17 times over the budget.

It is the James Webb Space Telescope, or JWST.

As I read a fascinating article about it, titled ‘Eyes in the Sky’ by Jeffrey Kluger (TIME, 3 July 2017), I began to wonder how far this new telescope can help us to look, into the immensity of space and time.

Space telescopes, we know, are different and better than those on earth’s observatories.

As they are launched into, and placed in, outer space (to observe distant planets, galaxies and other astronomical objects) they overcome many problems which ground-based observatories face.

Light pollution and distortion of electromagnetic radiation (scintillation) prevents better views from our planet’s surface. Also, the ultraviolet frequencies, X-rays and gamma rays are blocked by the Earth's atmosphere.

But, only space telescopes can help us overcome the visual defects of terrestrial instruments. And with the latest technology now available, ground observatories can smoothly record high definition data being streamed from space telescopes.

A few years ago, my daughter and I had watched ‘Hubble 3D’, a fascinating documentary on, not only the making and the launch of NASA’s ‘Hubble Space Telescope’ (HST) in 1990, but also on the repairs undertaken by astronauts flown to it, in a space shuttle.

We had watched it at an Omnimax dome theatre - much greater in size than an IMAX theatre, and in the shape of a dome (like a planetarium) - at the Ontario Science Center, in Toronto.

When NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) of United States discovered that their Hubble Space Telescope’s vision is blurry, because of a faulty mirror, they had to quickly work on it. Or all those millions, spent on it, would go down the drain; or let’s just say, down a black hole.

They sent the first repair team (called Service Mission 1) aboard the space shuttle ‘Endeavour’ in December 1993, and the team installed several instruments and other equipment over ten days.

And, in January 1994, when HST began to show sharper images, NASA declared the mission - one of the most complex missions performed till date - a complete success.

Watching those repairs being done, on the majestic Omnimax screen was an experience I shall never forget; mainly because I realized I was watching a real problem in outer space, being solved by real people. Not a scene from some sci-fi movie, in some make-shift studio of Hollywood.

So, as I read about JWST, I could not help think of HST’s problems and of its service missions.

Unlike HST which is orbiting at a mere 353 miles (569 km) distance from earth, JWST would be placed 1 million miles (1,609,344 km) away!

I am therefore unable to easily shrug off an area of concern.

I could be called a cynic. But I know it would be absolutely impossible for any service team to go 1.6 million kilometres into space to do any repairs if, God forbid, something happens to this $8.7 billion project.

But then, the plus point is this. If all goes well, it will be, once again, a giant leap for mankind.

And, through James Webb Space Telescope, we would be able to boldly see what no man has ever seen before.