Finally, the stuff we put into space is starting to look good! I was so embaressed about the junk yard challange inspired contraptions floating around, representing the combined tastelessness of our world...

Hmmm, looks kinda like the Yamato. I hope that before I stop sucking air I get to see NASA use some of it's money for spiffy design.

Yes, NASA, where are all those Varitech Valkyrie VF1S?

I want one.

"...the JWST is using new technologies that hopefully will also affect us beyond answering some of those pesky science and philosophical questions..."

Well, most likely yes. For example, the Hubble has made MAJOR contributions to mammography. First, digital processing filters designed to sharpen images (before the lens correction was installed) turned out to be useful in isolating new cancerous growth. Also, CCDs originally developed for the Hubble improved the resolution of mammography machines to the extent that doctors could use the less invasive needle biopsy as opposed to a surgical scalpel biopsy.

http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/1994/94-107.txt

Man that's cool.

One failed segment during deployment though and that party is over.
So many moving parts just to get it deployed, wow.
(Not entirely uncommon, but still fascinating to see.)

I hope it goes off flawlessly.
We've gotten so much great science out of the Hubble that astronauts volunteered to risk fixing it.
More advanced orbital platforms like these will help us collect the information we need to make our baby steps "out there".

Sweet Merciful Crap! But does it get free HBO?

I'm guessing the one in the pictures is a scale-model prototype or something? Pretty sure that the delicate/sensitive stuff we send to space is kept in clean rooms, and not just out on the lawn where dust, spiders, birds, squirrels and bears can climb inside.

So, what are you guys thinkin... Decepticon or Autobot?

bet it doesnt have an ipod dock either

What are you talking about?! Of course it has an ipod dock. Everything seems to have an ipod dock now.

I mean come on, if fireplaces have ipod docks this definitely would have one right? Though - unless I have missed something - I still haven't seen a toilet with an ipod dock.

@EQC:
If you can make it all the way down to the fifth line of the post your question will be answered.

I know it's alot of reading.

I it just me or does anyone else just get a sudden craving for Honey Comb cereal?

That is pretty sweet! @strider_mt2k: I'm sure that if something did go wrong, they'd throw a space mission at it to resolve the problem. It appears they're putting it out there pretty far. It would make for a long space mission.

Will it blend?

bivicarious: That made my day. There were lots of snide/humorous comments in this thread, but that was just priceless.

@Amsterdam: Autobots have to be ground vehicles...I don't see any wheels.

strider_mt2k:

Thanks. I'm a total idiot sometimes. I did actually read the whole post...somehow missed that "subtlety" and felt the need to blurt out a response real quick. Words don't stick in my brain as well as they used to....I remember reading all the numbers before (size, distance), but somehow I missed that part. Maybe the Gizmodo editors should put big giant labels on pictures (a big arrow with the text "Scale Model, not real" in this case) for people like me in the future....

strider: P.S. Even after you pointed out the "5th line" part, I re-read the post like 4 times before I was able to key-in on the right phrase. So sad, my brain is going away.

"going" EQC? Some would claim it's already gone. ;)

Viva NASA!
Long live space borne telescopes!

"Now witness the firepower of this fully ARMED and OPERATIONAL battle station!"

Just so that you guys have any ideia of how far this thing is gonna be, is almost 3 times the distance between the earth and the moon, now just so that you can imagine, the apollo astronauts took about to days to travel this distance, and that was after a few days of going around earth to gain speed.
This is just for curiosity, if the happen to send a crew to this telescope, i will be the farther a human has ever been from earth (that we know of LOL).

My Firt Comment!!!!

@vagrant - yeah, I was just thinking you could point that sucker at Alderaan.

@Maheidem

1st: Check your spelling before posting, I had trouble reading that...

2nd: It's pretty unlikely they would send a crew out to fix that sucker, they'd just build a new one as a second one would be cheaper than sending a crew out there to loosen some bolts.

Those big mirrors make me nervous, all it would take is a tiny pebble going at mach 34 or so to ruin a lot of engineers' day.

I give NASA about a 20% chance of this working without a hitch. Otherwise it should have a built in command to origami itself into a giant swan of humanity's failure.

I thought we all could just use a PS3? :P

Don't answer that.

Good news.....it can fit one man and two to four robots and a theater.