The Near Miss: How the James Webb Telescope Almost Didn't Launch

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) faced numerous challenges before its successful launch, including budget overruns, technical errors, and delays exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Initially capped at $8 billion, the project required additional funding due to "stupid mistakes" like miswirings and inappropriate solvent use. Despite these setbacks, the telescope was finally launched on December 25, 2021, overcoming significant hurdles and "unknown unknowns" to reach its operational phase.