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FEDERALhearing transcript

High Impact

Congressional Hearing on James Webb Space Telescope Delays and Cost Overruns

Original title: JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE: PROGRAM BREACH AND ITS IMPLICATIONS

January 1, 2018

NASA James Webb Space Telescope Space Exploration Government Oversight Budget Aerospace Industry

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The Frame

What this does

The hearing addresses the management and financial accountability of a major federal science project, specifically investigating why the JWST program exceeded its original budget and schedule commitments.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

NASA

The agency is responsible for the management and oversight of the JWST program and must address the identified cost and schedule breaches.

Northrop Grumman

As the primary contractor for the JWST, the company was required to explain its performance regarding project delivery and budget adherence.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2018.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

The House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held a two-day hearing in July 2018 to investigate significant budget and schedule failures regarding the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The committee heard testimony from NASA leadership, the , and Northrop Grumman to understand why the project missed its delivery targets.

Key Facts

The House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held hearings on July 25 and July 26, 2018, regarding the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).
The hearings were prompted by NASA's notification to the committee on March 26, 2018, regarding cost and schedule breaches for the JWST program.
The committee investigated why the primary contractor, Northrop Grumman, failed to deliver the telescope on budget and on schedule.
The hearing included testimony from NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine and JWST Independent Review Board Chairman Tom Young.
Northrop Grumman CEO Wes Bush provided testimony on the second day of the hearing regarding project management issues.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why was this hearing held?

The hearing was held to investigate why the James Webb Space Telescope project exceeded its budget and missed its scheduled delivery dates.

Who testified at the hearing?

Witnesses included NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, JWST Chairman Tom Young, and Northrop Grumman CEO Wes Bush.

Why It Matters

News Coverage

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Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift80% confidence

Increased Oversight of NASA Contractors

The hearing highlights a shift toward more rigorous congressional oversight of NASA's management of large-scale aerospace contractors following budget breaches.

NASA Northrop Grumman

Connected Entities

personLamar S. Smith“Chairman of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology”Map →

organizationNASA“Federal agency overseeing the JWST project”Map →

personTom Young“Chairman of the JWST Independent Review Board”Map →

personJim Bridenstine“NASA Administrator”Map →

organizationNorthrop Grumman“Primary contractor for the JWST project”Map →

personWes Bush“CEO of Northrop Grumman”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance85
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy60
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment30
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz20
Current news / social attention level

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