NASA's James Webb Space Telescope is getting very expensive

NASA has been working on its new deep-space observatory, the James Webb Space Telescope, since 1996. Envisioned as a successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, the project is intended to peer even deeper into the farthest reaches of space, and "make the next giant leap" for us to understand how the universe works, Scientific American reported.
Such a large project has, of course, run into its fair share of hurdles over the decades. Its proposed launch date has been pushed back twice in just the past year — previously slated for October 2018, it was first delayed to spring 2019 last September, and then to May 2020 on Tuesday, Space reported. And it's running into an even scarier problem: It's quickly outgrowing its budget estimations.
At the turn of the century, NASA expected the observatory to cost about $1 billion, The Verge reported. By 2010, it had already spent $4.5 billion, stemming from similar delays in its launch time. In 2011, the project was reorganized, with a new launch date in 2018, and Congress allotted a budget of $8.8 billion to get there. But with these new delays, the program is likely to exceed its budget again, which would require Congress to reauthorize the project.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Even with all these setbacks, astronomers are optimistic about the eventual success of the James Webb Space Telescope. Because of the massive amounts of money already invested in the project, it's "too big to fail," Scientific American reported. NASA has pledged to take as much time as necessary to get JWST up and running — hopefully with no more delays or setbacks.
Read more about the program at The Verge.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Shivani is the editorial assistant at TheWeek.com and has previously written for StreetEasy and Mic.com. A graduate of the physics and journalism departments at NYU, Shivani currently lives in Brooklyn and spends free time cooking, watching TV, and taking too many selfies.
-
June 1 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons include Donald Trump's golden comb-over, brain drain in America, and a new TACO presidential seal.
-
5 cartoons about the TACO trade
Cartoons Political cartoonists take on America's tariffs, Vladimir Putin waiting for taco Tuesday, and a new presidential seal
-
A city of culture in the high Andes
The Week Recommends Cuenca is a must-visit for those keen to see the 'real Ecuador'
-
Crypto firm Coinbase hacked, faces SEC scrutiny
Speed Read The Securities and Exchange Commission has also been investigating whether Coinbase misstated its user numbers in past disclosures
-
Starbucks baristas strike over dress code
speed read The new uniform 'puts the burden on baristas' to buy new clothes, said a Starbucks Workers United union delegate
-
Warren Buffet announces surprise retirement
speed read At the annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway, the billionaire investor named Vice Chairman Greg Abel his replacement
-
Trump calls Amazon's Bezos over tariff display
Speed Read The president was not happy with reports that Amazon would list the added cost from tariffs alongside product prices
-
Markets notch worst quarter in years as new tariffs loom
Speed Read The S&P 500 is on track for its worst month since 2022 as investors brace for Trump's tariffs
-
Tesla Cybertrucks recalled over dislodging panels
Speed Read Almost every Cybertruck in the US has been recalled over a stainless steel panel that could fall off
-
Crafting emporium Joann is going out of business
Speed Read The 82-year-old fabric and crafts store will be closing all 800 of its stores
-
Trump's China tariffs start after Canada, Mexico pauses
Speed Read The president paused his tariffs on America's closest neighbors after speaking to their leaders, but his import tax on Chinese goods has taken effect