Engineers have begun the final stage of Webb's major structural deployments: the unfolding of its two primary mirror wings. These side panels, which were folded back for launch, each hold three of the observatory's 18 hexagonal, gold-coated mirror segments. The team is beginning today with the mirror wing on the port (left) side of the …
As NASA's James Webb Space Telescope makes its way out to its intended orbit, ground teams monitor its vitals using a comprehensive set of sensors located throughout the entire spacecraft. Mechanical, thermal, and electrical sensors provide a wide array of critical information on the current state and performance of Webb while it is in space. …
At about 8:48 a.m. EST, a specialized radiator assembly necessary for Webb's science instruments to reach their required low and stable operating temperatures deployed successfully. The Aft Deployable Instrument Radiator, or ADIR, is a large, rectangular, 4 by 8-foot panel, consisting of high-purity aluminum subpanels covered in painted honeycomb cells to create an ultra-black surface. …
Today, Webb teams successfully deployed the observatory's secondary mirror support structure. When light from the distant universe hits Webb's iconic 18 gold primary mirrors, it will reflect off and hit the smaller, 2.4-foot (.74-meter) secondary mirror, which will direct the light into its instruments. The secondary mirror is supported by three lightweight deployable struts that …
While the Webb team was tensioning the sunshield, other activities were also taking place among the instruments. One milestone: unlocking the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) Contamination Control Cover. We've asked Gillian Wright, European principal investigator for MIRI, to tell us about it. "MIRI has a Contamination Control Cover, because the constraints of its extra-cold operating temperature …
As expected, the Webb original deployments timeline has changed over time. Sunshield tensioning was completed today, on the 10th day after launch. The secondary mirror deployment is now planned for tomorrow morning. Live coverage of the deployment, from the Webb Mission Operations Center at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland, will stream on …
At approximately 11:59 am EST, the fifth and final layer of Webb's sunshield was fully tensioned, marking the completion of sunshield deployment. Read more about this key milestone in preparing Webb for science operations.
With three layers of Webb's sunshield fully deployed, the team commenced tensioning – that is, pulling each layer fully taut – of the final two layers this morning. We will have live coverage of the fifth layer tensioning at nasa.gov/live beginning at about 9:30 am EST.
The Webb team has completed tensioning for the first three layers of the observatory's kite-shaped sunshield, 47 feet across and 70 feet long. The first layer – pulled fully taut into its final configuration – was completed mid-afternoon. The team began the second layer at 4:09 pm EST today, and the process took 74 minutes. …
Today, at 3:48 pm EST, the Webb team finished tensioning the first layer of the observatory's sunshield– that is, tightening it into its final, completely taut position. This is the first of five layers that will each be tightened in turn over the next two to three days, until the observatory's sunshield is fully deployed. …
