Nasa’s Golden Surfer is almost ready – The Independent

Birthing a new space telescope takes a long time and a lot of money and inspiration. Astronomers first began pestering Nasa for the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope even before that telescope was launched into orbit in 1990. Back then they thought it could cost less than $1 billion (£730m) and be ready in the first decade of the 21st century.
Thirty years, $8.8 billion, multiple mishaps and budget crises, and a threatened congressional cancellation later, the James Webb Space Telescope appears…

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