James Webb Space Telescope News

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[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

James Webb Space Telescope has completed its nearly 100-day testing series in the cryogenic vacuum chamber, where temperatures dip hundreds of degrees below the freezing point.

The team unsealed the 40-ton door of Chamber A on Saturday, marking the end of a critical test stage ahead of the telescope’s launch.

The vault-like door was closed off on July 10, allowing researchers to assess the telescope’s optics and instruments all together in conditions simulating deep space

Inside the chamber, the telescope was cooled with liquid nitrogen and cold gaseous helium.

To detect infrared light from faraway objects, the telescope must be kept very cold, according to NASA.

The James Webb Telescope and most of its instruments have an operating temperature of roughly 40 Kelvin – about minus 387 Fahrenheit (minus 233 Celsius).

But, the mid-infrared instrument (MIRI) must be kept even colder.

This instrument uses a cryocooler to keep it below 7 Kelvin, or minus 447 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 266 degrees Celsius).

This summer’s tests were designed to see how the optical telescope and integrated science instrument module (OTIS) operated in the cold vacuum environment.

The 18 gold primary mirror segments were tested as well, to ensure they act as a single mirror.

The engineers began cooling the chamber on July 20 after removing the air. The process that took roughly 30 days; then the telescope remained in a cryo-stable state for another 30 days. The team began to warm the chamber back up on September 27, before pumping air back in.

Then, on November 18, they unsealed the door.

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

The $8.8 billion (£6.5bn) telescope has been successfully tested in a giant vacuum chamber at the Johnson Space Centre - proving it will function in deep space.

Engineers are now confident it will be able to capture starlight in focus and track astronomical targets describing the completion of tests as a 'significant milestone'

The James Webb Telescope and most of its instruments have an operating temperature of roughly 40 Kelvin – about minus 387 Fahrenheit (minus 233 Celsius).
the mid-infrared instrument (MIRI) must be kept even colder. This instrument uses a cryocooler to keep it below 7 Kelvin, or minus 447 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 266 degrees Celsius).


Inside the chamber, the team monitored the telescope using thermal sensors and specialised cameras, to track the temperature and the physical position as each component moved.

‘After 15 years of planning, chamber refurbishment, hundreds of hours of risk-reduction testing, the dedication of more than 100 individuals through more than 90 days of testing, and surviving Hurricane Harvey, the OTIS cryogenic test has been an outstanding success,’ said Dr Ochs.

The engineers began cooling the chamber on July 20 after removing the air.

The process that took roughly 30 days; then the telescope remained in a cryo-stable state for another 30 days.

 

[W1zzard]

successfully tested in a giant vacuum chamber at the Johnson Space Centre

Yeah that was right during Hurricane Harvey. Engineers staid behind to ensure the cooldown process wasn't interrupted

 

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[Divide Overflow]

Still over a year to launch. Eagerly waiting for the engineers to get this into space and handover a fully operational device. The wait has been painfully long.

 

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New videos:

 

[Divide Overflow]

In another potential setback to the James Webb Space Telescope program, engineers found some parts that came off the spacecraft after recent environmental testing. The parts were “screws and washers” but they apparently came from the main bus and complex sun shield. NASA is assessing to determine if there will be any further change to the current launch target of approximately May 2020.

http://spacenews.com/jwst-suffers-new-problem-during-spacecraft-testing/

 

[Space Lynx]

In another potential setback to the James Webb Space Telescope program, engineers found some parts that came off the spacecraft after recent environmental testing. The parts were “screws and washers” but they apparently came from the main bus and complex sun shield. NASA is assessing to determine if there will be any further change to the current launch target of approximately May 2020.

http://spacenews.com/jwst-suffers-new-problem-during-spacecraft-testing/

Why are there screws and washers... shouldn't vast majority of all this be welded together at fine levels of detail...

 

[Final_Fighter]

Why are there screws and washers... shouldn't vast majority of all this be welded together at fine levels of detail...

i believe its because welds are more susceptible to cracking in this case because of the design.

 

[Divide Overflow]

The launch estimate for the James Webb space telescope has been pushed back from May 2020 to March 2021 and the development costs have increased by another 800 million. "Better, faster, cheaper" went out the window a long time ago.

https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/...escope-review-commits-to-launch-in-early-2021

 

[W1zzard]

The launch estimate for the James Webb space telescope has been pushed back from May 2020 to March 2021 and the development costs have increased by another 800 million. "Better, faster, cheaper" went out the window a long time ago.

https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/...escope-review-commits-to-launch-in-early-2021

Indeed, very sad. I've followed a lot of JWST related lectures over the years and everybody seemed to confident.

 

[ARF]

JWST has to happen. Years of delays but let's hope once it's in position, it has all the cutting edge 2021 technology and maximum sensitivity.

Screws and washers, really? If not welding, any glue to help and fit them in place?

 

[dont whant to set it"']

Somethings are not as simple by just ductapeing some together.

 

[Bones]

Somethings are not as simple by just ductapeing some together.

This is true - Just ask the guys that had to fix the Hubble Telescope.
Cheaper and easier to do it here if possible.

 

[ARF]

Are there any projections, expectations or a forecast about how many percentage points the launch will be successful?

Somethings are not as simple by just ductapeing some together.

Yeah, and this is why screws and washers fly out of the device, and some membranes tear apart...
You know when you make statements like the above one, you first make sure that everything you do is perfect.

 

[W1zzard]

had to fix the Hubble Telescope.

JWST won't be in LEO, but at L2, so no way to service it

 

[ARF]

JWST won't be in LEO, but at L2, so no way to service it

Is it really the distance a problem for potential astronauts journey to fix it? Or maybe the telescope itself is not subject to any kind of repair?

There is no plan B.
But given the expenses, there should be both plan B and plan C.

Why didn't they think about an idea to make it operational closer to Earth and then use some type of spacecraft or rocket to move it wherever they would like?

 

[Bones]

Is it really the distance a problem for potential astronauts journey to fix it? Or maybe the telescope itself is not subject to any kind of repair?

There is no plan B.
But given the expenses, there should be both plan B and plan C.

Why didn't they think about an idea to make it operational closer to Earth and then use some type of spacecraft or rocket to move it wherever they would like?

Thats the thing - Once it's up there, it's up there.
Only thing they can hope for is for it all to be right once in place so there is no need to worry about it. Unfortunately Murphy's Law has a hand in it too and is present all too often with.... Everything, like it or not.
I recall one of the NASA guys saying something along the lines of "All you can do is what you can do and hope for the best once it's done".
That's the premise of any endeavor like it - esp on the latter part of it.

Chances are they'll get it right and all will be fine but still.....
Nevermind plans B and C - Mr. Murphy is out there, waiting for his chance to strike and he'll take it if he can which constitutes a plan F no one wants.

 

[ARF]

Thats the thing - Once it's up there, it's up there.
Only thing they can hope for is for it all to be right once in place so there is no need to worry about it. Unfortunately Murphy's Law has a hand in it too and is present all too often with.... Everything, like it or not.
I recall one of the NASA guys saying something along the lines of "All you can do is what you can do and hope for the best once it's done".
That's the premise of any endeavor like it - esp on the latter part of it.

Chances are they'll get it right and all will be fine but still.....
Nevermind plans B and C - Mr. Murphy is out there, waiting for his chance to strike and he'll take it if he can which constitutes a plan F no one wants.

This is so unprofessional. After all, it's all our taxpayers' money which are thrown out of the window for the luck sake.

Look at how well the New Horizons space probe dealt with the greatest distance to Pluto and beyond, and despite everything, it's still working.

 

[Bones]

This is so unprofessional. After all, it's all our taxpayers' money which are thrown out of the window for the luck sake.

Look at how well the New Horizons space probe dealt with the greatest distance to Pluto and beyond, and despite everything, it's still working.

I don't know why you think it's so easy to just go up to the space garage, pull the telescope in, pop the hood and fix it.
It's nowhere near that simple to do, extremely expensive AND risky each time you do it too.

Best to work out any problems down here IF you can before it goes up.

New Horizons was an example of how things go when it's all going right but even then, there was no and still is no plan B or C to bring it in for it's 1,000,000,000,000,000 mile service. Wherever it goes from here it's on it's own like the Voyager probes which, BTW both are still working to this day.

The Voyager probes are what I'd call "Done Right".

 

[xrobwx71]

#1. The Hubble from conception to launch took 50 years. https://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/hubble-history-timeline

#2 Perhaps use the screws and washers from these devices? https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/frequently-asked-questions/fast-facts/

 

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Tower Extension Test a Success for NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope

Following augmented personal safety procedures due to COVID-19, the James Webb Space Telescope’s Northrop Grumman team in California continued integration and testing work with significantly reduced on-site personnel and shifts. The NASA/Northrop Grumman team recently resumed near-full operations. NASA is evaluating potential impacts on the March 2021 launch date, and will continually assess the schedule and adjust decisions as the situation unfolds.

Tower Extension Test a Success for NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope - NASA

To test the James Webb Space Telescope’s readiness for its journey in space, technicians successfully commanded it to deploy and extend a critical part of the

www.nasa.gov

 

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JWST is Folded for Final Testing