The mirror settled into place gently and the crane was silent for a moment while we torque the restraining plates into place.  I removed the pin from the lifting plate and it moved up and out of sight gently revealing the gold coated JWST Primary Mirror Segment we were loading into the environment shipping container. 
It was the last one.

JWST is a scientific inspiration.  It is the most incredible and complex, optical instrument we can feasibly put into space with the technology we have today.   It will capture the most detailed …

It hit me I’m here, working on JWST, helping to build the greatest space-based observatory ever created. I know this already, but sometimes among all the test procedures, quality assurance signoffs, spreadsheets, backwards progress, long  days, security lines, I forget.  It is good to remember that I am helping the human race look into the darkness, find inspiration. 
It is one of the grandest quests we have, to understand, inspire, and keep opening up the universe of possibilities.  It keeps our inner wonder alive and thriving, as well as clearly shows …

I spent the week at Marshall Space Flight Center, as I often do, but this time, rather than testing mirrors I helped unload them from the cryo-vac test chamber.  This concludes test number 4, and leaves us just over a year left until Primary Mirror Testing is complete on the James Webb Space Telescope. 
I see these mirrors almost every day, but still every time deal with these mirrors it blow me away how awesome JWST is; how great the team is, and how much careful thought went into the science …

Tonight, the day after Thanksgiving, I sit in my living room and listen to the world going to sleep thinking over the past couple wonderful days to those things I am most thankful for, and I begin to write.
 
My family. You are amazing. I tell you this whenever I can, but truly, you are the most amazing people, and the fact that I get to call you family makes my heart sing. You taught me all my first lessons, nurtured my first curiosities, and showed me how to quest for …