James Webb Space Telescope: The engineering behind a 'first light machine' that is not allowed to fail James Webb Space Telescope: The scientific mysteries no other observatory could unravel NASA's $10 billion James Webb Space Telescope launches on epic mission to study early universe The huge observatory will arrive at its destination slightly more than two weeks later, conducting another engine burn 29 days after launch to slip into orbit around L2, where a different set of ramp-up procedures will begin. Twelve to 13 days after launch, the mirror's two side "wings" will extend and lock into place, giving the surface its full size.Īt that point, Webb will be in its final configuration. That mirror, which is composed of 18 hexagonal segments, launched folded up, as the sunshield did. ![]() ![]() It will then be time for Webb's 21.3-foot-wide (6.5 m) primary mirror to shine. Sunshield deployment should be complete by eight days after liftoff, at which point team members will start shifting their focus to the optics.Īt around 10 days after launch, Webb will extend its 2.4-foot-wide (0.74 meters) secondary mirror, which is so named because it's the second surface that deep-space photons will hit on their way to the scope's instruments. The protective cover will come off the sunshield at five days after launch, and its booms will extend a day later. The sunshield structure has 140 release mechanisms, 70 hinge assemblies, 400 pulleys, 90 cables and eight deployment motors, all of which have to work properly for the five layers to deploy as planned, NASA officials said in the video. So the sunshield launched in a compact configuration and must be unfurled. And three days after launch, the pallet holding Webb's huge sunshield - a five-layer structure designed to keep the infrared telescope and its instruments cool - will be lowered.Įach of the shield's five sheets is about the size of a tennis court when fully extended, far too wide to fit inside the payload fairing of any currently operational rocket. A day after that, the spacecraft will perform another engine burn to refine its trajectory toward L2. One day after launch, Webb will rotate its high-gain antenna toward Earth to further facilitate communications with its handlers. (For more detail, see NASA's Webb deployment site.) The timelines given are approximate Webb team members have stressed that the deployment schedule is flexible, so don't panic if the times and dates shift a bit, or if some things occur out of order. The following is a brief rundown of the big steps yet to come. And last night, the big telescope performed a crucial 65-minute engine burn that put it on course for L2. About half an hour after liftoff, for example, it deployed its solar panels and started soaking up energy from the sun. ![]() Webb has notched a few major milestones already. "Unfolding Webb is hands-down the most complicated spacecraft activity we’ve ever done." "Every single one of them must work," Menzel said.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |