James Webb Space Telescope News

[Space Lynx]

I am wondering how the mirrors will withstand micro-meteorites.

its probably same as with regular sized meteors, they are just crossing their fingers the odds are in their favor it won't be hit with anything. gravity tends to gather everything, between the planets and the moons and their unique orbits, the odds are good JWST will be ok

if not, I'll volunteer to go on a one way trip to my death to clean them if they train me. small sacrifice to pay for the last Light of our failed species.

my life is pretty **** anyway, been alone my entire life. would be one hell of a ride.

 

[lexluthermiester]

I am wondering how the mirrors will withstand micro-meteorites.

At that part of the orbit, micro-meteorites are an extreme rarity. This is one of the reasons that orbital location was chosen.

 

[Steevo]

The heat shield is one source of protection, and I'm sure that a few minor chips in a mirror won't affect the images as they will only make up a small percent of the total photon reflecting ability.

Hubble would have suffered the same by now if earth orbit were that detrimental, the sun and our own moon and earth have acted as a huge vacuum to space debris locally in the last few billion years as well. After watching the video it will be orbiting the earths "shadow" for more solar protection (Dustin from Smarter every day did some great interviews and his father worked on the solar shield) and is already at -240F on the cold side without the shield in place. The -370F they are looking for isn't that far off when you consider the 5 layers of aluminized and siliconized kapton material that is angled to disperse heat from solar radiation.

I just hope the whole contraption unfolds in the extreme cold and temperature differential so it functions without another launch to fix.

 

[Divide Overflow]

The heat shield is one source of protection

The heat shield offers zero protection from micro-meteorites. It offers thermal, not ballistic protection.
As @lynx29 and @lexluthermiester have already said, the area the observatory operates and luck are the only real defense available.

 

[Shrek]

I wonder if there is a way to 'blank out' contributions from damaged parts of a mirror.

 

[ExcuseMeWtf]

More info from wonderful Anton

 

[birdie]

How the JWT unfolded:

 

[Space Lynx]

Can someone show me a visual representation of how close JWST will be to Mars when it is in its stable orbit at day 29?

if not thats cool, just thought it would be interesting to see.

 

[ARF]

Can someone show me a visual representation of how close JWST will be to Mars when it is in its stable orbit at day 29?

if not thats cool, just thought it would be interesting to see.

You can follow the positions of the Planets using a website:
The Planets Today : A live view of the solar system

The JWST won't be anywhere near Mars in the close future.

 

[Space Lynx]

You can follow the positions of the Planets using a website:
The Planets Today : A live view of the solar system

The JWST won't be anywhere near Mars in the close future.

View attachment 230910

this still doesn't help me. i just want a simple picture like NASA has here, this makes it easier for me to visualize, I just want this bigger, and Mars on it so I can get a better picture in my head:

 

[authorized]

I don't know if you can find such a picture...
Next opposition of Earth and Mars is in December 2022 and the distance between the planets will be over 80 million km, so Mars will be about 55x farther away than L2 at that moment.

 

[ARF]

I guess their idea is to stare with the telescope at Mars?! But what would the point of such an exercise be?!

 

[R-T-B]

my life is pretty **** anyway, been alone my entire life. would be one hell of a ride.

OT: but so have I. Don't make the mistake of linking your self worth to your social success. I am sure you have more to offer than that.

 

[ARF]

this still doesn't help me. i just want a simple picture like NASA has here, this makes it easier for me to visualize, I just want this bigger, and Mars on it so I can get a better picture in my head:

Well, I try to visualise it:

 

[Shrek]

Confused, the diagram seems to suggest that JWST and Mars could get very close.

 

[ARF]

Confused, the diagram seems to suggest that JWST and Mars could get very close.

They will when the Earth on our orbit and Mars on its orbit are closest, that will be the so called "opposition" in December.

 

[TheoneandonlyMrK]

I don't know if you can find such a picture...
Next opposition of Earth and Mars is in December 2022 and the distance between the planets will be over 80 million km, so Mars will be about 55x farther away than L2 at that moment.

I agree with this mars isn't getting near to JWst

 

[lexluthermiester]

Confused, the diagram seems to suggest that JWST and Mars could get very close.

JWT will only be 1.5millionish KM away. Mars, even at closest approach, is another 53million KM further on. So not even close..

 

[Space Lynx]

well thanks for trying everyone... also lex I know Mars isn't even close. i just was asking about a linear visual representation because i thought it would be neat.

i suppose i will leave my imagination to it.

 

[ARF]

The distance between the Sun and Earth is 147 million km.

The minimum distance from Earth to Mars is about 54.6 million kilometers.
Current distance according to Google is 350 million km.

 

[Wirko]

well thanks for trying everyone... also lex I know Mars isn't even close. i just was asking about a linear visual representation because i thought it would be neat.

i suppose i will leave my imagination to it.

The telescope won't even be able to observe Mars when it's closest. "JWST's thermal design only allows Solar System targets to be observed near quadrature; observations at opposition are not feasible."

JWST Moving Target Observations - JWST User Documentation

JWST can track and observe planets, satellites, and nearly all comets and asteroids more than 1 AU from the Sun. On this page JWST offers the capabilities nec

jwst-docs.stsci.edu

Also, interestingly, the JWST doesn't seem to have any additional cameras to monitor the very complex sequence of its deployment, and maybe later assess damage done by micrometeorites.

Does the JWST have a camera to monitor its deployment progress?

The James Webb Space Telescope has a complicated deployment sequence. Beyond data from sensors aboard the spacecraft, does it have any cameras to take pictures of the process?

space.stackexchange.com

Current distance according to Google is 350 million km.

Don't know why but I overlook the word "according" every time I read that.

 

[ARF]

Don't know why but I overlook the word "according" every time I read that.

Why? Because there can be a mistake. Google doesn't give the correct answers in some cases.

 

[Wirko]

Why? Because there can be a mistake. Google doesn't give the correct answers in some cases.

I meant something else - I misread the last sentence of your previous post as "Current distance to Google is 350 million km."

 

[Divide Overflow]

Webb Team Moving Forward With Sunshield Tensioning​

The Webb mission operations team began the first steps in the process of tensioning the first layer of Webb’s sunshield this morning around 10 a.m. EST.
It will take the team two to three days to tension the five-layer sunshield. The plan for today is to focus on the first layer, the largest and the one closest to the Sun.

Upon completion of sunshield tensioning, JWST will be passed about 75% of the single point failures in it's deployment.

 

[Wirko]

At that part of the orbit, micro-meteorites are an extreme rarity. This is one of the reasons that orbital location was chosen.

What part of the orbit do you mean? The path of L2 around the Sun specifically? The L2 point can catch slower dust particles from comets etc. in a temporary orbit but it doesn't necessarily reduce their speed relative to JWST, and it affects faster ones even less, so I don't see how if could reduce the danger of something hitting the telescope at high speed.