On the 8th of January, NASA's James Webb Space Telescope deployed its colossal 21-foot, gold-coated primary mirror. This marks the successful conclusion of Webb's deployment, setting the stage for its groundbreaking mission.
The telescope is a collaboration between three space agencies: NASA, the European Space Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency. Webb was launched on Ariane 5 rocket's nose cone. Its primary mirror consisting of hexagonal segments, embarked on a meticulous unfurling process that took several days. The first side extended on January 7, with the second successfully following on January 8.
“Today, NASA achieved another engineering milestone decades in the making. While the journey is not complete, I join the Webb team in breathing a little easier and imagining the future breakthroughs bound to inspire the world,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “The James Webb Space Telescope is an unprecedented mission that is on the precipice of seeing the light from the first galaxies and discovering the mysteries of our universe. Each feat already achieved and future accomplishment is a testament to the thousands of innovators who poured their life’s passion into this mission.”
Mission Operations Center ground control, headquartered at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, secured the telescope's position at 1:17 p.m. EST. With this, the series of deployment procedures were concluded. Now, the telescope will embark on aligning its 18 primary mirrors segments, a process spanning months and involving 126 actuators. Subsequently, the science instruments will be calibrated, paving the way for Webb's inaugural images, anticipated later this summer. Webb endeavours to observe and unravel the mysteries of our universe, spanning from our solar system to the earliest galaxies in cosmic history.
Webb's final orbital destination is the L2 Lagrange point, a million miles away from the Earth, Here, Webb will utilize its sunshield to prevent disruptive light from the Sun, Earth, and Moon, from interfering with its near-infrared camera. Webb's mission spans 13.5 billion years, promising to offer humanity an unparalleled view of the cosmos while also delving into the mysteries of our own solar system.
Source: NASA. "NASA’s Webb Telescope Reaches Major Milestone as Mirror Unfolds". https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-s-webb-telescope-reaches-major-milestone-as-mirror-unfolds. Jan 8, 2022. [Accessed: Jan 10, 2022].
Edited by Yash Pincha
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