If You're Interested
(and even if you're not)
You can follow the progress here:
https://jwst.nasa.gov/content/webbLaunch/whereIsWebb.html?units=metric
There is also a youtube channel...
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The primary mirror is fully deployed
In another day, they begin testing the mirror segment actuators — and that continues for 12 more days and ends just prior to its final positioning manoeuvre.
https://jwst.nasa.gov/content/webbLaunch/whereIsWebb.html?units=metric <
That good to know. So enough action and it seems halfway now based on the link you have posted.
About halfway in time, but about 80% in distance.
Assuming it doesn't hit anything of course: https://futurism.com/the-byte/nasa-space-debris-james-webb-space-telescope
The next 12 days are for testing.
Originally posted by SDK1987
It's interesting. Hopefully the testing will work out as well.
NO KIDDING
The think cost billions, and will be parked in orbit around a Lagrange point, where space debris tends to collect.
There were somewhat more than 300 deployment steps that all had to work or their $3 billion toy is useless.
Apparently, the thing can withstand considerable damage once it's working but until then...
I didn't realize that each segment of the primary mirror required individual calibration
https://jwst.nasa.gov/content/webbLaunch/whereIsWebb.html?units=metric <
Originally posted by VorpalF2F
Originally posted by SDK1987
It's interesting. Hopefully the testing will work out as well.NO KIDDING
The think cost billions, and will be parked in orbit around a Lagrange point, where space debris tends to collect.
There were somewhat more than 300 deployment steps that all had to work or their $3 billion toy is useless.Apparently, the thing can withstand considerable damage once it's working but until then...
That's a lot of money.
Primary Mirror Segment Deployment complete
From
https://jwst.nasa.gov/content/webbLaunch/whereIsWebb.html?units=metric
Next up in the wavefront process will be moving mirrors in the micron and nanometer ranges to reach the final optical positions for an aligned telescope. The process of telescope alignment will take approximately three months.
Three Months! Wow
A couple of days to go before the L2 Insertion burn.
https://jwst.nasa.gov/content/webbLaunch/deploymentExplorer.html#28
L2 Insertion burn now less than a day away.
https://jwst.nasa.gov/content/webbLaunch/deploymentExplorer.html#28br >
a bunch o' rocket scientists will have trouble sleeping tonight...
The L2 insertion burn is set to start at 19:00 GMT — there is a live video feed that is available now at
Note: this is a live link, so after the event, the youtube link will be broken
There is a discussion of why this is necessary here:
https://blogs.nasa.gov/webb/2022/01/21/webbs-journey-to-l2-is-nearly-complete/
and some information about the orbit here:
https://www.webb.nasa.gov/content/about/orbit.html
And now we wait...
The JWST is now in it's orbit around the L2 point, but needs to cool considerably further, and in the meantime, the main mirror will be fine-tuned.
This process will take 5 months or so, and we'll the first observations in June.
YouTube link is still available, but I expect it's not to interested to watch it now. Hopefully this adventure will be a success with nice pictures in the end.
Yeah, that live link is to a hobbyist's stream, so no idea how long it will be up.
The "Where is Webb" page has been updated to track the next six months of action.
from
https://jwst.nasa.gov/content/webbLaunch/whereIsWebb.html?units=metric <
The telescope and scientific instruments started to cool rapidly in the shade of the sunshield once it was deployed, but it will take several weeks for them to cool all the way down to stable operational temperatures. This cooldown will be carefully controlled with strategically-placed electric heater strips. The remaining five months of commissioning will be all about aligning the optics and calibrating the scientific instruments.
I find it interesting that they need heating strips to do the cooldown. I suspect that it is so it cools evenly
Nifty new addition to the web page — click the "Webb in 3d Solar System" link on this page
https://jwst.nasa.gov/content/webbLaunch/whereIsWebb.html?units=metric
I haven't spent much time with it, but it is cool