Posts: 47979 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 01-08-2022 08:27 AM
NASA live video
Watch James Webb Space Telescope experts give real-time updates on the final step in the observatory’s deployment: the unfolding of the second of Webb’s two primary mirror wings. Engineers in mission control will send commands to deploy the wing and latch it into place, a process that takes several hours. The deployment will complete the mirror's golden honeycomb-like structure, and will mark the end of an unprecedented 14-day unfolding process.
Scott Member
Posts: 3328 From: Houston, TX Registered: May 2001
posted 01-10-2022 06:41 AM
Wonderful!
Blackarrow Member
Posts: 3423 From: Belfast, United Kingdom Registered: Feb 2002
posted 01-10-2022 10:23 AM
After painful memories of the Skylab micrometeoroid shield and the Galileo high-gain antenna, I confess to feelings of trepidation before the unfolding of the Webb sunshield and mirror-assembly. But it looks like they did it! Well done to NASA and to all the individuals involved!
David C Member
Posts: 1325 From: Lausanne Registered: Apr 2012
posted 01-10-2022 01:24 PM
A big relief.
Jim Behling Member
Posts: 1708 From: Cape Canaveral, FL Registered: Mar 2010
posted 01-13-2022 08:56 AM
Ye of little faith.
Blackarrow Member
Posts: 3423 From: Belfast, United Kingdom Registered: Feb 2002
posted 01-13-2022 05:59 PM
There is blind faith and there is legitimate concern.
Headshot Member
Posts: 1054 From: Vancouver, WA, USA Registered: Feb 2012
posted 01-21-2022 12:42 PM
I read that that Webb's MCC2 burn is now scheduled for 24 Jan and not 23 Jan. Does this mean Webb is going slower than originally planned? If so, will that change the amount of propellant needed to kick it into its L2 halo orbit?
Common sense tells me that less fuel will be required, which will extend Webb's useful operational life. Am I correct?
SpaceAholic Member
Posts: 5030 From: Sierra Vista, Arizona Registered: Nov 1999
posted 01-21-2022 12:58 PM
Traveling slower than a cruising jet liner now (490 MPH)... must be poor tailwinds.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 47979 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 01-24-2022 02:08 PM
The James Webb Space Telescope is now in orbit at Lagrange Point 2 (L2).
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 47979 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 01-24-2022 03:17 PM
quote:Originally posted by Headshot: Does this mean Webb is going slower than originally planned?
Keith Parrish, the observatory manager at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, said today that the move of the orbit insertion burn by one day was a product of the performance of the first two burns and the logistics of bringing together the entire international team.
Monday just worked better for everyone and came at no fuel penalty.
SkyMan1958 Member
Posts: 1177 From: CA. Registered: Jan 2011
posted 01-25-2022 09:48 PM
According to Gizmodo, a robotic telescope in Italy has caught a faint glimpse of JWST. There is a picture of JWST at L2. It looks like a dot.
damnyankee36 Member
Posts: 47 From: Alamogordo, NM USA Registered: Aug 2017
posted 01-26-2022 12:56 PM
I saw that story and was wondering how much better Hubble could do? I know there have been questions if, and the reasons why, Hubble can't see the Apollo landing sights.
Are we looking at the same limitations with Hubble observing JWST as well?
Jim Behling Member
Posts: 1708 From: Cape Canaveral, FL Registered: Mar 2010
posted 01-26-2022 01:18 PM
Yes.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 47979 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 01-26-2022 01:25 PM
Also keep in mind that the only thing any telescope (however powerful) could see would be the sunshield. By design, the sunshield blocks the rest of the Webb from Earth, the moon and the sun.
SpaceAholic Member
Posts: 5030 From: Sierra Vista, Arizona Registered: Nov 1999
posted 01-26-2022 01:34 PM
The spacecraft bus, solar panels and high gain antenna array would not be obstructed by the sunshield.
oly Member
Posts: 1355 From: Perth, Western Australia Registered: Apr 2015
posted 03-03-2022 07:25 PM
Here is an interesting behind the scenes look at the JWST sun shield done by the Smarter Every Day YouTube channel:
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 47979 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 03-16-2022 10:56 AM
NASA video
Following the completion of critical mirror alignment steps, the James Webb Space Telescope team has great confidence that the observatory's optical performance will meet or exceed the science goals it was built to achieve.
On March 11, the Webb team completed the stage of alignment known as "fine phasing" – and at this key stage in the commissioning of Webb's Optical Telescope Element, every optical parameter that has been checked and tested is performing at, or above, expectations. The team found no critical issues and no measurable contamination or blockages to Webb's optical path. The observatory is able to successfully gather light from distant objects and deliver it to its instruments without issue.
Although there are months to go before Webb ultimately delivers its new view of the cosmos, achieving this milestone means the team is confident that Webb's first-of-its-kind optical system is working as well as possible.
posted 01-08-2022 08:27 AM
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