Primary Mirror is now fully deployed. Latching and locking in progress.
Webb Telescope Rescheduled To Launch Christmas Morning
- Thread starter jvett77
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Five to six months. Each of the 18 individual mirrors has to be configured to operate as one.
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Cant wait. Should be mind blowing.
Surprisingly I heard one of the voyager telescopes is still out there and sending pictures from the outer rim of the solar system 45 years later.
It has been amazing how this instrument has well outlived its shelf life. I think the biggest thing it’s taught us (besides longevity) is how to figure out better ways to have connection and communication at such a distance.
They are only able to pick up blips from it at points….but the fact it’s still live gives them great learning and practice on how to do it.
Where the cool pictures of never before seen shit from light years away?
You're right. After over 40 years, both Voyager I and II are chugging along at 35,000 mph in interstellar space and still communicating with the Deep Space Network. Voyagers 1 and 2 are currently about 13 billion and 10 billion miles from Earth (Pluto is about 4 billion miles out). I read that to save power they shut the cameras off in 1990. Nothing to take pictures of anyway.
Voyager I fired its hydrazine thrusters in 2017 to change its orientation for the first time since 1980. Great reliability! They say that its radio isotope generator will run out in 2025 or so. Similar prospect for Voyager II.
Have to wait till June for that.
The Mirror Segment Deployments step has been completed. The 18 primary mirror segments and the secondary mirror are now out of their launch configuration restraints, and each segment now has enough space for further adjustments to be made during the upcoming 3-month wavefront alignment process. This will put the primary mirror in its final parabolic shape.
The Webb is now only 27,000 miles from the L2 point and has slowed to 450 mph at day 28. Lowest temp on the cold side has dropped to -344 deg. F, headed for its operational -390 deg. F. In two days, three mid-course correction burns will take place to insert Webb into the correct L2 orbit.
The Webb is now only 27,000 miles from the L2 point and has slowed to 450 mph at day 28. Lowest temp on the cold side has dropped to -344 deg. F, headed for its operational -390 deg. F. In two days, three mid-course correction burns will take place to insert Webb into the correct L2 orbit.
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Very certain it could be serviced. Too big of an investment not to.
Apollo Missions made it to the Moon and back in just over a week.
That’s fair points. I haven’t looked into back up contingencies….so I’m really speculating. This is far out from Hubble. The shuttle was at the max of its envelope to reach it to service it.
Of course, we have been developing much farther reaching space craft these days. I’m sure Elon and NASA could figure something out (after Bezos’ obligatory bullshit lawsuit plays out of course) that they could whip up a mission to reach it.
I just haven’t got the sense such a contingency is planned for at this point.
I should research more…..
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Going to Webb would be less taxing than going to Mars.
Incredibly so from a distance stand point.
Going to Webb would be less taxing than going to Mars.
But, putting aside the giant list of things Starship would need to complete before even trying Mars at this point, that platform really isn’t geared for this mission. I’m not sure what current developing platform would be the best fit.
Bottom line though….as long as they get it in a stable orbit any issue can be addressed with a mission built to it. Maybe.
I just asked my family member who is a Director with NASA about this. Take it for what’s it worth or call me Rock….but this was the immediate reply I got….”no possible way”.
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I’d hope they just ask someone else.
Because “no possible way” isn’t an acceptable answer with this much investment.
I agree. It sounds crazy as fuck. But this is how I’ve read about it too. It has to work.
I’m imagining that is just the position of the agency at this time. If pushed than maybe they can come up with something. But it would likely leave a dead satellite out there for a good while until they could do it.
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Oh, I don’t doubt it would have to just sit there for awhile. Years maybe.
Shut er down and wait. And take whatever fuel it runs on with the maintenance crew. The lifespan of this thing on account of fuel seems as unacceptable as not being able to service it.
Webb is only 5,600 miles from the L2 point at 450 mph, about 12 hours away. Will be firing its thrusters for the insertion burns today.
The JWST was not designed to be serviced. Webb was not designed to be refueled, repaired, or upgraded in any way; whatever is on board at the time it’s launched is what we’ll be stuck with for as long as it remains operational. Webb was only designed for a primary 5-year mission, with hopes that it might wind up lasting for 10-years or more.
Plus, when Webb runs out of fuel, it will no longer be able to maintain its orbit and it will no longer be able to point, with the requisite precision, at its astronomical targets of interest. When its fuel is gone the mission is over.
Webb is now less than 2,000 miles from the L2 point at 450 mph. It will fire its thrusters at 2 PM EST today for the insertion burns. Let's hope they don't get a sticky thruster.
Depiction of fully deployed JWST completing its final burn to reach orbit around L2.
Depiction of fully deployed JWST completing its final burn to reach orbit around L2.