Where do you get this information? I sometimes see things in this thread that are ahead of the data on the https://jwst.nasa.gov/content/webbLaunch/whereIsWebb.html site.
According to that, it is still in “ongoing” status.
Not disbelieving you, just looking to see where you can get more up to date info on the progress.
If you click the watch live link, you can see it “happening” live. (ie scientists watching screens
and a 3d model updated by real time telemetry from the JWST).
Have all the primary mirror latches operated successfully now? I saw the starboard wing deployment live a little while ago, which was great, but they were just starting on the first latch when I tuned out. I think there were 20 of them to do?
Just heard on the live feed they are working on latch 9 out of 20.
Final latch just went into place. The Webb Space Telescope is now pretty much fully deployed! There won’t be much to see from now on. In a few days, fine-tuning of the individual mirror segments will begin.
I see the headline at https://jwst.nasa.gov/content/webbLaunch/whereIsWebb.html:
The largest, most complex telescope ever launched into space is fully deployed.
Nominal Event Time: Launch + 14 days (Saturday 1/8/22)
Do we really consider it fully deployed before the mirror segments are aligned? I’m a bit surprised.
Also: are they going to do some science or some public eye candy during the several months things are cooling down? Not everything the telescope does needs fully cold parts, does it? I mean, it can see visible red light!
I think they use “deployed” to mean literally the assembly of all the major parts, as distinct from “commissioned” which means ready to turn over to the science team.
Somewhere I got a feed from NASA that started at 9 AM EST and watched the simulation of what was happening. When the last segment went in place, I posted that. I just looked for it now and couldn’t find it; probably that program has ended. But I did find this: Where Is Webb? NASA/Webb
which certainly confirms it.
I thought the primary mirror wouldn’t be deployed fully until it had had 100 days to cool off. It has been only two weeks since launch. I guess the only significant thing left is insertion into the permanent oribt.
I dunno, I still don’t think this should count. Literally, the major parts are assembled in nearly their proper places, but they’re not actually in their proper places yet. I’d consider it fully deployed if the telescope should work other than calibrations and maybe cooling down, but it’s not workable yet.
There are different phases in the primary mirror deployment and then adjustments. The major deployments are done. The first adjustment phase probably will start tomorrow, and that’s the “mirror segment movements” phase, where the six perimeter actuators on each hex mirror segment and the central curvature actuator will align the 18 segments as accurately as possible.
My understanding is that complete cooldown will not take 100 days, but as I previously posted, will be mostly achieved by the time of L2 orbital insertion. Shortly after that, the next phase of mirror adjustment, the final fine-tuning, will occur. After that it’s mostly checkout and calibration for about five more months.
Frustrating we won’t even get test images until next summer
A lot less frustrating than if the thing had blown up at launch, or gone off course, or if a critical major deployment had failed! The operational philosophy so far – slow, easy, and patient – has really paid off. Watching the starboard wing deployment earlier today, I was amazed by all the telemetry verification that went on with each of the 20 latch activations before permission was finally given to send the command for the next one. It took five minutes for the motors to swing out the mirror wing because it was a single command/operation, and half a day to painstakingly engage the latches.
Here’s another link noting the cool-down time:
It also mentions that various aspects of mirror alignment are in progress during that time. But final precise alignment surely can happen only when everything is thermally stable at operating temperature.
I don’t know which of those versions of the cool-down story is accurate, or if they’re both accurate but talking about different things. Doesn’t matter – bottom line is still that (a) initial mirror segment alignment will happen sometime over the next week or so, and (b) it will likely be nearly six months before JWST becomes operational. It was years before Hubble returned some of its most spectacular images. The next few weeks until the L2 orbit burn will be pretty boring, and then quite a few boring months afterwards. But I really believe it will be exciting once the science starts.
Ok, we’ve hear that due to how well the launch went, there was more fuel that could be used for station keeping. Now there is an estimate for how much fuel there is:
Brian
Is the extra fuel just used for maintaining L2 orbit ?
Do we know what powers the mechanical cryocooler ?
What parts are powered by solar energy (and why isn’t the solar panel bigger ?!)
ie, Will everything else still be working in 20 years ?
All of the fuel is used for maneuvering, maintaining orbit, positioning the telescope, etc. All of the electrical power is provided by the solar panels. The cryocooler requires electrical power to operate, so it is powered by solar.
Generally, lifetime is determined by 1) fuel, 2) solar panel/battery degradation, 3) electronics, in that order.
The extra fuel will be used to maintain orbit. The non-extra fuel will be used to get it there in the first place.
The initial launch necessarily didn’t give it quite the thrust it needs to reach L2. If there was too much thrust, the telescope would go past L2 with no way to turn it around. So they leave it a little short and use some fuel to make the fine adjustments. They did an exceptionally good job with the initial thrust, thus the extra fuel.
Excellent ! so an extra 10 years of useful life then !
Plus I think they need fuel to just point the telescope at things.