NASA Administrator Charles Bolden testified before Congress this week, arguing for funding for both a new heavy-lift vehicle and the James Webb Space Telescope. Given the state of federal finances, Bolden has a couple tough sells.
Congress has in fact ordered NASA to build a new heavy-lift launcher, but, with the cancellation of the Constellation Moonbase program, critics contend there is no need on the horizon for such a big rocket. To the extent that argument is seen as credible, it could be used to save money in these tough times.
The same holds for JWST. Bolden argued the follow-on to the Hubble Space Telescope could produce discoveries even more profound than the ones Hubble enabled. First, that's a tall order, however well supported the statement may seem. Second, the JWST program has been plagued by slipping schedules and cost overruns. In a period of extremely tight money, that wouldn't seem the type of program likely to win support.
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