NASA's James Webb Space Telescope is designed to show the first stars and galaxies, pushing our detailed knowledge of the universe back ever closer to the Big Bang itself. The project is also far behind schedule and way over budget, however-- so much so that Congress is on the verge of cancelling it. If a budget overrun is so bad that even Congress might not be able to stomach it, you know it's bad.
So, JWST supporters are now taking a different tack. Not only can it do this big stuff, they say, but it will also be able to directly image Earth-like worlds orbiting in the habitable zones of nearby stars. Having found such worlds, JWST will be able to detect the overall color of the world, which can tell us whether it's covered in water or rock, for example. It will also be able to detect planetary atmospheres, determine their composition, and see any change of season.
Finding other Earths-- and therefore possibly finding other life-- is, of course, a NASA priority, and JWST could no doubt aid in that. Whether emphasizing this new role for the telescope can help save it, however, is unclear.
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