The celebration was supposed to be a big deal.
We can't overstate how important it was when NASA showed off the first set of images from its James Webb Space Telescope.
We wish we could say the same thing about the livestream.
In true NASA fashion, the space agency's announcement was a hot mess with the host struggling to keep the show going.
wouldn't be a NASA announcement without some major tech issues
— Victor Tangermann (@vtanger) July 12, 2022
The irony caught on quickly.
The deployment of a giant space telescope is easy. It's not so easy to coordinate multiple video feeds around the world.
Thaller had trouble transitioning from one part of the presentation to the next, often interrupted by swelling music.
On more than one occasion, audio feeds from NASA HQ didn't cut out, giving us a glimpse of panicked technicians trying to keep the show going.
Until the presentation began, audio feeds from remote teams around the world were not available. Thaller was left to awkwardly breathe into her microphone while we watched some of the best minds in astronomy look into the camera.
NASA's solution was to have a backup crew of experts ready to run Thaller through the images in the studio. Even this backup plan was a challenge.
Thaller referred to NASA's "superstar media producers" at the end of the stream and they should probably return to the drawing board.
It's a good thing scientists don't have to rely on NASA to do their work because if they did they'd probably be a wreck on the launchpad.
NASA officially unveiled the first set of JAMES WEBB images.
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