The James Webb Space Telescope

The James Webb Space Telescope

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August 3, 2018
The James Webb Space Telescope
Introduction
Academy of Sciences 2001 decadal survey of astronomy
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration
and astrophysics.
(NASA) reported in March 2018 that it expects to breach
the $8 billion cost cap established by Congress for
Among the new technologies developed for JWST is a
formulation and development of the James Webb Space
multilayer sunshield (the large flat structure in Figure 1)
Telescope (JWST). If that occurs, NASA would have to
that is designed to fold up for launch and unfold in orbit to
stop work on the project unless Congress enacts legislation
approximately the size of a tennis court. The sunshield is
authorizing it to continue. In addition, an independent
needed to protect the telescope optics and instruments from
review of JWST in May 2018 identified a number of
the heat of the sun, which would otherwise prevent
technical and management challenges.
effective infrared observations.
This CRS In Focus provides information on JWST, the cost
NASA plans to launch JWST in March 2021 on an Ariane 5
cap, and the independent review. It concludes with a brief
rocket, provided by the European Space Agency as an in-
discussion of issues that Congress may face as it considers
kind contribution to the project. The launch date has slipped
the future of JWST.
several times. As recently as September 2017, the launch
was expected to occur in October 2018.
Figure 1. The James Webb Space Telescope.
The Cost Cap
When the National Academy of Sciences endorsed the
project in 2001, it estimated that the total cost would be $1
billion. After several years of project formulation work,
NASA designated JWST as a development project in 2006.
In FY2009, it formally committed to a baseline JWST
budget and schedule with an estimated life-cycle cost of
$4.964 billion (including $4.381 billion for formulation and
development and $582 million for operations) and a launch
date in June 2014.
In October 2010, an independent review (known as the
Casani report after its chair, John Casani of the Jet
Propulsion Laboratory) concluded that these estimates were
unachievable. In July 2011, the House Committee on
Appropriations recommended cancelling JWST. NASA
developed a revised plan for the project, with a life-cycle
Source: NASA.
cost of $8.835 billion and a launch date in FY2018. In
Note: Artist’s impression. Not yet launched.
November 2011, in the conference agreement on FY2012
appropriations, Congress approved continued funding,
What Is JWST?
subject to a cap of $8 billion on the cost of JWST
NASA and its prime contractor, Northrop Grumman, are
formulation and development.
developing JWST as a successor to the Hubble Space
Telescope, which has been operating since 1990. The main
The cost cap appeared in the Consolidated and Further
scientific goals of JWST are to study the formation of
Continuing Appropriations Act, 2012 (P.L. 112-55) and has
galaxies, stars, and planets. Unlike Hubble, which orbits the
been repeated in annual appropriations acts ever since. The
Earth at an altitude of 353 miles, JWST is designed to
statutory language ties the $8 billion cap to existing cost
operate in deep space, about 1 million miles from Earth. Its
control requirements and procedures in 51 U.S.C. §30104.
primary mirror (the gold structure in Figure 1) is larger
If the responsible NASA official determines that JWST’s
than Hubble’s, and its instruments are optimized for
development cost is likely to exceed the cap, he or she must
infrared rather than visible light. This is expected to allow it
immediately notify the NASA Administrator; the
to observe galaxies and other objects that are farther away
Administrator must notify Congress within 15 days; and
and further back in time, as well as relatively cool objects
starting 18 months after Congress is notified, NASA must
such as protostars and protoplanetary disks. The likelihood
cease spending funds on the program, other than for
of important scientific discoveries made JWST the highest-
termination costs, unless Congress enacts legislation that
priority large project recommended by the National
authorizes the program to continue.
https://crsreports.congress.gov

The James Webb Space Telescope
The FY2012 appropriations conference report (H.Rept.
In June 2018, NASA responded to the IRB, indicating that
112-284) also mandated ongoing oversight of the JWST
it agreed with most of the IRB’s recommendations and
project by the Government Accountability Office (GAO),
“agreed with the intent” of the remainder. NASA has
including annual reports on “key issues relating to program
established March 2021 as the new launch date and now
and risk management; achievement of cost and schedule
estimates a life-cycle cost of $9.663 billion, including
goals; and program technical status.” As recently as
$8.803 billion ($803 million more than the cap) for
December 2016, GAO found that “JWST is meeting its cost
formulation and development.
commitments despite technical and workforce challenges.”
In December 2017, however, GAO testified that “funding
Issues for Congress
available under the $8 billion congressional cost cap …
As Congress considers the future of the JWST project, it
may be inadequate,” and in February 2018 it reported that
may face the following issues.
“JWST is still resolving technical challenges and work
continues to take longer than planned to complete. As a
Authorize or Terminate?
result, the project is at risk of exceeding its $8 billion
If Congress decides that NASA should complete the
formulation and development cost cap.”
development, launch, and operation of JWST, it would need
to enact legislation authorizing the continuation of the
On March 26, 2018, NASA notified Congress that JWST is
project despite the breach of the cost cap. To avoid
likely to breach the cost cap.
suspension of the project, this legislation would need to be
enacted within 18 months of March 26, 2018, when NASA
The Independent Review Board
officially notified Congress about the likelihood of the cap
In early April 2018, the agency convened an Independent
being breached. Alternatively, if Congress decides to
Review Board (IRB) to review the JWST project and
terminate the project, it may wish to make that decision
evaluate factors influencing the likelihood of JWST’s
before the 18 months expire, to minimize the further
mission success. The IRB was chaired by Tom Young, a
expenditure of funds on the project (although most of the $8
leading aerospace executive, former president and chief
billion capped amount has already been spent).
operating officer of Martin Marietta, and former director of
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.
Recover Costs?
At a House hearing on July 25-26, 2018, Members and
The IRB issued its report at the end of May 2018. It noted a
witnesses discussed the possibility of recovering some of
number of JWST’s accomplishments, including the delivery
JWST’s cost increases from the project’s prime contractor,
of all flight hardware and the successful integration and
Northrop Grumman. The JWST contract is a cost-plus
testing of the optical telescope and science instrument
contract, in which Northrop Grumman is reimbursed for the
module. It cited the development of the sunshield as a
costs it incurs and receives award fees (its profit) based on
noteworthy “first” with no significant technological
performance. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine
precedent. On the other hand, it identified serious risks in
testified that the JWST award fees have already been
two phases of the project that are yet to be completed: the
reduced based on the contractor’s performance to date.
remainder of the integration and test phase before launch
Some Members suggested going further, such as asking
and the commissioning phase after launch, in which the
Northrop Grumman to pay all costs in excess of the cap.
spacecraft and sunshield are to be deployed.
Oversight of IRB Recommendations
The IRB recommended a launch date in March 2021 and
If Congress decides to allow NASA to complete JWST, it
identified five factors that have led to the delays since the
would likely wish to assess the ongoing implementation of
2011 re-plan:
the IRB’s recommendations by NASA and its contractors.
In addition to hearings and other direct congressional
 human errors, such as using an incorrect voltage during
oversight, this process could include continuing the regular
an electrical wiring test;
monitoring of the project by GAO.
 embedded problems, i.e., problems with completed
Effect on Other NASA Programs
hardware that are not discovered until much later (for
If JWST is continued, the additional cost may result in less
example, improperly installed fasteners inside the
funding being available for other NASA activities,
sunshield that came loose several months later during a
especially in FY2020 and FY2021. Which activities would
vibration test);
be affected would ultimately depend on Congress’s
decisions in appropriations legislation, but the NASA
 lack of experience with unique technologies such as the
Administrator and others have suggested that slowing down
sunshield;
work on the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope
(WFIRST), another large space telescope, would be a likely
 excessive optimism; and
option. WFIRST was the highest-priority large project of
the 2010 decadal survey. Its status was already a matter of
 systems complexity.
debate before it was linked to the continuation of JWST.
The Administration’s FY2019 budget proposed terminating
The IRB made 32 recommendations to address the
WFIRST “due to its significant cost and higher priorities
challenges it identified. Despite those challenges, it
within NASA,” but the House and Senate appropriations
advocated continuing the project to completion.
bills for FY2019 would both continue funding it.
https://crsreports.congress.gov

The James Webb Space Telescope

Daniel Morgan, Specialist in Science and Technology
Policy
IF10940

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