NASA Scaling Back Space Programs

The coronavirus pandemic is beginning to affect NASA's space programs. Work has been halted on the James Webb Space Telescope, scheduled to be launched next year, and on the Space Launch System (no loss there, frankly). More details in this article from The Register.

Lockdown measures are in place across California, as well various other US states and countries, and that’s not a problem for NASA folks who just need a computer and internet access to work on projects. But for engineers told to stay home for their own safety, and who need to be on-site to manufacture parts or run physical tests on equipment, their work has been put on ice for the time being, and that could push back programs.

Case in point: scientists working on the James Webb Space Telescope are predominantly based in California, where Governor Gavin Newsom has ordered all of its residents – nearly 40 million total – to stay home as much as possible for the foreseeable future. As such work on the project has been paused. A deadline for experimental proposals for the observatory has been pushed back to the end of May.

Update: It's not just NASA, the ESA is postponing missions too.