How NASA's James Webb Space Telescope project chief used Jimmy Buffett quotes to thank mission team

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope separates from its Ariane 5 rocket with the bright blue Earth in the background in this view captured after its launch on Dec. 25, 2021.

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope separates from its Ariane 5 rocket with the bright blue Earth in the background in this view captured after its launch on Dec. 25, 2021.(Image credit: NASA TV)

Turns out that NASA's James Webb Space Telescope project manager is a parrot head.

The term is a reference to the fans of Jimmy Buffet. After seeing several at a concert with parrots on their heads, he called his fans "parrot heads." The term stuck.

The $10 billion observatory lifted off in December after years of delays and budget overruns. During its six-month space deployment so far, there have been only minor issues to report. The observing point of the space telescope was 1 million miles from Earth.

The only reason the deployment looked easy was the years of preparation, according to a post by NASA.

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope mission is live.

He said he heard the song "Book on the Shelf" while in the car. The song was released in 2020 and is a very recent entry in the career of the man.

WhileBuffett is better known for tunes such asMargaritaville, he is also known for his resilience. Sample lines quoted include: "I'm so damn lucky to have an all-star crew, some crazy, some just passing through."

It has been about a month since launch, and it has been an unbelievable ride. He said he was filled with pride for the team.

As the observatory continues to align its mirrors and get ready to perform operational science work sometime in June, the latest stage of its commissioning was turning on its science instruments.

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