Management Shake Up on Webb Space Telescope
NASA Announces Senior Leadership Changes to Refocus Launch Readiness Efforts for Webb Telescope
“NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) is taking essential steps to refocus efforts to ensure a successful mission for the agency’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) after an independent assessment of remaining tasks revealed more time is needed for testing and integration to meet a new launch window of approximately May 2020. Webb is SMD’s highest priority project and the largest international space science project in U.S. history. All of the observatory’s flight hardware is now complete. To best assure launch readiness, SMD has made the following personnel changes:”
Guess NASA figures they have to offer the Congress Critters a few sacrifices to get it reapproved 🙂
I just hope the new staff has a track record of getting things done, that is what is needed.
Agreed, let’s just get the thing flying. Seeing it fully constructed and in integration…moving toward launch but not quite there yet…during all of this political upheaval is stressful.
Seems kinda late.
I mean, why now?
Very Smart People run these programs. Folks who surely knew a year ago that the right hand margin was getting awfully tight. So why now? (Guesses: congressional hearings? or?)
Congressional hearings are a possibility. But I’d put it more in terms of visibility. One way or another, someone will have to say NASA is serious about keeping things on track from here on out. It helps your credibility if you can point to a visible change while saying that.
Something about biting off more than one can chew…