James Webb Information Thread!

[Marc_G]

After all these years the pucker factor is pretty high:

Ars Technica: The James Webb telescope has a bona fide launch date.
https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/09/the-james-webb-telescope-has-a-bona-fide-launch-date/

 

[aerostadt]

Finally!

 

[Funkworks]

I was quite intrigued by Lagrange Points when I first heard about them: 5 places in space where gravity from the Sun and Earth balance out, allowing a satellite to park.

https://phys.org/news/2010-06-l2-james-webb-space-telescope.html
https://jwst.nasa.gov/content/about/orbit.html

 

[jmuck78]

I have worked on this program for, well, a long time and we are very excited to see it launch.

 

[Huxter]

Pucker factor indeed! It'll last, at least, until it enters L2 safely. There will be no servicing missions - at least manned - maybe an AI drone?!

Fingers crossed for a successful mission.

I sure have been jealous of "Jason"s recently! I like your tag line: "I consume RocketPoxy faster than E9's consume rockets."

 

[cvanc]

Jason if you can please tell us what your involvement is. And best wishes!

 

[jmuck78]

Jason if you can please tell us what your involvement is. And best wishes!

I’m a System Engineer, focusing primarily on the spacecraft and the sunshield.

 

[KennB]

I’m a System Engineer, focusing primarily on the spacecraft and the sunshield.

My company has some actuators on the JWST. Got a peek at a bit of it in the high bay (from the enclosed balcony) while at NG a couple of years back. Glad it's finally going to be on its way.

 

[boomtube-mk2]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/james-webb-super-telescope-arrives-155203081.html

It's a good thing the James Webb didn't have to ship out via. the Los Angeles Intermodal Port.
Otherwise it might not reach French Guiana until sometime in March 2022.

 

[jmuck78]

Everybody is very excited, and a little tired. Looking forward to December 18th!

 

[Peartree]

Pucker factor indeed after two recent Vega rocket failures.

 

[dhbarr]

Everybody is very excited, and a little tired. Looking forward to December 18th!

Hopefully the merriest of Christmases.

 

[Funkworks]

 

[Blast it Tom!]

Very, very cool! Here's hoping for a perfect trip to L2 and perfect deployment - not much recourse if things go sideways... boy, those mirrors, the perfection of that polish is unreal.

 

[OverTheTop]

boy, those mirrors, the perfection of that polish is unreal.

They have a sample mirror at NASA GSFC in the visitor center if you are in the area. Very nice. Isogrid backing for weight loss as well. I visited there a couple of years back.

 

[jmuck78]

They have a sample mirror at NASA GSFC in the visitor center if you are in the area. Very nice. Isogrid backing for weight loss as well. I visited there a couple of years back.

We had one of those mirrors in the lobby of the building I worked at. The mirror faced the entry door to the building. At the time, I was coming in to work very early - while it was still dark outside - and I was half awake. The way the mirror is constructed, if you position yourself in the right place, it can look like it's projecting a reflection in front of the mirror. I walked in and saw a black dot about face height and instinctively ducked to avoid the spider that had dropped from the ceiling right in front of my face. I don't know if that happened to anyone else, but it happened twice to me.

 

[boomtube-mk2]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/10bn-james-webb-space-telescope-164433125.html

Now they are unpacking the James Webb, and each and every one of the 918,273,645,564,738 individually numbered Styrofoam Packing Peanuts has to be accounted for and checked-off.

 

[boomtube-mk2]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/peering-edge-universe-095509002.html
One of the questions asked in the article is; "What will it see".

(Spoiler Alert)

In Jack McDevitt's novel The Hercules Text a powerful space telescope is deployed and it views to the edge of the universe where it observes a Quasar.
Turned the other way, it observes that same Quasar, the telescope being capable of "Seeing" around the entire curvature of the universe.

Wouldn't that be a hoot?

 

[boomtube-mk2]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/perfect-james-webb-telescope-track-233510711.html

So they have begun assembling the rocket that will launch the James Webb into space.

The assembly was delayed a bit due to a shortage of Elmer's Wood Glue and 5-minute epoxy.

 

[Antares JS]

Moved to NET the 22nd because ESA went and dropped it.

I could swear the thing is cursed.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/webb/2021/11/22/nasa-provides-update-on-webb-telescope-launch/

 

[Sandy H.]

Yuk. Sorry to hear about the most recent issue. I hope 100% of manned flights always succeed and this one is the current second I hope to succeed, as it has been such a big project and can provide such cool science. I wish it were flown on an American rocket, but understand that sometimes things don't go the way I wish they did.

Looking forward to a perfect launch and entry into service!

Sandy.

 

[Grog6]

Cursed would be finding it's ground exactly wrong, like the hubble.

 

[Antares JS]

I wish it were flown on an American rocket, (...)

There are two big reasons for using the Ariane 5:

1. The massive fairing is one of the few that can physically fit the JWST.

2. ESA is providing the launch basically for free in exchange for their scientists getting time on the telescope.

 

[Grog6]

I had the most awesome daydream today, while Cooking some long duration dishes. My sis's have my oven scheduled thru thursday morning. lol.
So how much trouble would you get in for c

 

[Daddyisabar]

Hopefully no more snafus and it can shed the "telescope that ate astronomy" moniker. A huge number of pucker factors, especially when breaking the Carl Sagan rule of always have a backup. Looking forward to some good science.

 

[boomtube-mk2]

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/james-webb-space-telescope-launch-delay-215323872.html

Well---Poopy.

View attachment 775b45b5-a4cc-42b3-8f62-d3d025be9370.mp4

 

[Hobie1dog]

Dec 22nd now, but time flies.

 

[boomtube-mk2]

Dec 22nd . . . FOR NOW.

 

[Marc_G]

Telescope is healthy, undamaged from the event:

https://spacenews.com/jwst-undamaged-from-payload-processing-incident/

 

[user 35280]

Telescope is healthy, undamaged from the event:

https://spacenews.com/jwst-undamaged-from-payload-processing-incident/

I was just reading about that.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/webb/2021/11...elescope-on-track-for-targeted-dec-22-launch/