JWST thread

congrats everyone on not getting the telescope blowed up

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All we gotta do is wait 6 months…

No pressure guyz!

Whichever people who convinced the government not to scrap the project deserves the Nobel Prize for people skills imo.

Initial burn by ESA’s Ariane launcher was very good, resulting in more fuel than expected left after JWST made first 2 of 3 planned course adjustments. More fuel left than expected means JWST will be able to use it for more station-keeping (staying in place at L2), lengthening the useful life of the telescope (yay!).

First layer of sunscreen tensioned, four more to go, will take next 2 or three days. When the tensioning of the layers is complete, about 70-75% of the 340ish “1 point of failure” tasks will be complete.

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You go, telescope!!! :telescope: :+1:

Layer 4 done, layer 5 (last layer) starting. Might take about 1:30.

Other upcoming steps are extending radiator flaps on various devices and moving mirrors. Mirror movement will be a long process, possibly taking 24 hrs time over 10 days.

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Jat’s What She Thread!!

This is what I think every time I see the thread title.

Not Jaskent66 Was Such a Tool?

Sunshield tensioning complete, Secondary mirror deployed and locked in place.

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When do I get my aliens!

SyFy has that show returning for its second season.

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Port wing of primary mirror in place and locked. Starboard wing tomorrow, which is last major step. Over the next two weeks, the mirror segments will be adjusted to focus.

Starboard mirror moved, latching in place beginning.

Deployment (big moves) complete, commissioning (precision alignment and stuff) under way.

NASA has added mirror segment progress to its tracker. They are in the process of moving from stowed position to start of alignment, moving 1 mm a day. The motors that fine tune to focus all mirror segments into a single image have precision down to 10 nanometers.

Gross mirror movements done, next up, L2 insertion burn.

EWWWWWWW!!!

L2 insertion burn complete, JWST in intended orbit.

:popcorn:

Mirror alignment proceeding

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