beecee Posted October 23, 2021 Posted October 23, 2021 https://www.space.com/james-webb-space-telescope-deployments-video NASA's James Webb Space Telescope will face '29 days on the edge' after launch (video) The observatory will have to make about 50 major deployments after liftoff. NASA's newest space telescope will face 29 "harrowing" days after launch as it makes its way to a deep-space destination nearly 1 million miles (1.6 million km) from Earth, the agency says in a new YouTube video. The video, called "29 Days on the Edge," was released Monday (Oct. 18). It focuses on the journey and 50 expected deployments the James Webb Space Telescope will undergo after its expected launch on Dec. 18. The telescope has been much delayed over the years due to technology challenges, the coronavirus pandemic and other issues. And there will be significant hurdles to overcome after launch as well. more at link...... extract: One of the biggest things Webb will have to unfold is a complex, tennis court-sized sunshield array, which has 140 release mechanisms, 70 hinge assemblies, 400 pulleys, 90 cables and 8 deployment motors, bearing springs and gears, NASA says in the video. All of these items will need to work correctly to get the sunshield unfolded so Webb can do its science work. https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-58960575
beecee Posted October 25, 2021 Author Posted October 25, 2021 (edited) On 10/24/2021 at 7:04 AM, beecee said: extract: One of the biggest things Webb will have to unfold is a complex, tennis court-sized sunshield array, which has 140 release mechanisms, 70 hinge assemblies, 400 pulleys, 90 cables and 8 deployment motors, bearing springs and gears, NASA says in the video. All of these items will need to work correctly to get the sunshield unfolded so Webb can do its science work. https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-58960575 All the above interestingly enough happens in its transfer orbit between when it is in LEO and its final destination at L2. No chance of a fix if anything should malfunction. Let's hope no simple error was or is made as happened with the HST! Edited October 25, 2021 by beecee
Peterkin Posted October 25, 2021 Posted October 25, 2021 I guess they have the Imperial/metric conversion under control by now. It'll be fine! We'll all be glued to our little screens watching it go through its paces, just like we did with the Voyagers.
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