7/12/2023 0 Comments Nasa telescope![]() Rajiv Kohli, Senior Project Leader in Aerospace’s Human Exploration and Spaceflight Division. “Over a decade ago, there was an assessment done on facilities that could be suitable for thermal vacuum testing of the telescope,” said Dr. Identifying locations that could test an observatory of this size safely and in the right environment was crucial, and Aerospace lent its technical expertise to this matter. Aerospace had a key part in this program-directly supporting our defense customers and indirectly helping all of the organizations.”īecause a mirror of this size has never been in space before, Webb’s development faced certain challenges. “Defense and intelligence organizations and NASA came together to create the Advanced Mirror System Demonstrator program. Eric Hall, General Manager in Aerospace’s Vehicle Systems Division. “In the late 1990s, there was a multi-organizational need for significantly lighter-weight optical mirrors,” said Dr. Designing lighter mirror technology hearkens back to earlier conversations among Aerospace’s customers that ultimately fueled the creation of the Webb mission. ![]() Each hexagonal segment weighs approximately 46 pounds, light and durable in comparison to Hubble’s mirror. Perhaps Webb’s most recognizable and iconic features are the 18 gold-coated mirror segments that resemble a honeycomb when fully unfolded. Webb has 18 gold-coated mirror segments that resemble a honeycomb when fully unfolded. Webb’s characteristics will make it possible for the telescope to see faint light from distant star-forming regions that are over 13 billion light years away. In addition, Webb’s primary mirror is more than two times larger in diameter than Hubble’s, allowing the observatory to have over six times more collecting area than its predecessor. “The Hubble Space Telescope has re-written the astronomy textbooks of its day, and now Webb – with its infrared sight and much larger aperture to capture heavenly light – will provide the next great leap in understanding the inner workings of the outer universe.” “The James Webb Space Telescope’s infrared eyes will be able to peer through the dust and debris to see the heat signature of creation at the planetary, stellar and galactic levels in unprecedented clarity,” said Jeff Hanley, General Manager of Aerospace’s Human Exploration and Spaceflight Division. While Hubble has mainly viewed the universe through optical and ultraviolet wavelengths, Webb’s infrared ability will help scientists see more of the universe. The Webb mission’s scientific objectives are inspired by Hubble’s observations. NASA's James Webb Space Telescope could advance humankind’s current knowledge of the universe’s story beyond the capability of any other telescope in history.
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