NASA’s large new space observatory has entered its most perilous phase but because it begins the cautious strategy of unfurling its delicate sunshield.
The James Webb Space Telescope launched on Sunday (Dec. 25) and will probably be a revolutionary new observatory centered on learning the universe in infrared mild. But first, it has to outlive a monthlong trek out to its closing submit and a fastidiously choreographed deployment course of.
On Tuesday (Dec. 28), the spacecraft notched one other key step in that deployment because it unfolded the Forward Unitized Pallet Structure (UPS) of its huge sunshield, in response to a NASA statement. The course of took 4 hours and concluded at 1:21 p.m. EST (1821 GMT), in response to the company. Webb will now mimic that course of with the Aft UPS.
Live updates: NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope mission
In images: The Christmas launch of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope
Unfolding the ahead UPS included dozens of particular person steps, NASA officers wrote. The profitable maneuver marks step one within the five-day-long strategy of making ready the sunshield, which can defend Webb’s delicate devices from the sun’s radiation.
The course of will probably end round Jan. 3, though every stage of the deployment sequence is managed from the bottom and the timeline will be adjusted as NASA and its companions see match.
After unfolding the 2 UPS buildings, Webb’s subsequent key steps will probably be to unfold the Deployable Tower Assembly, launch the sunshield cowl and start unfurling the sunshield itself.
If all goes in response to plan, the observatory will probably be in its closing configuration and orbit inside one month of launch. The spacecraft will orbit Earth-sun Lagrange point 2, or L2, some extent situated almost about 930,000 miles (1.5 million kilometers) away from Earth on the facet reverse the sun. Like the fragile sunshield, this location is essential for permitting the devices to assemble infrared observations.
Email Meghan Bartels at mbartels@space.com or comply with her on Twitter @meghanbartels. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.
