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NASA and its partners are working on James Webb Space Telescope You’ve completed their final tests of the giant observatory, and are now preparing for a trip to a South American spaceport for launch later this year.
Designed over 30 years ago to succeed the new The Hubble Space TelescopeJames Webb will be the largest orbiting observatory ever. He is designed to use his infrared eyes to delve into the history of the universe like never before. With its gold-plated mirror 6.5 meters in diameter, the telescope will attempt to answer questions about the formation of the first stars and galaxies from the darkness of the early universe.
At 44 feet (13.2 meters) long and 14 feet (4.2 meters) wide, the telescope is about the size of a large semi-trailer truck, with intricate sun shades that once open, can cover a tennis court.
The program has experienced numerous delays, not only due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it finally appears to be on track to start producing groundbreaking astronomical observations. Tests carried out in the premises of the project manager Northrop Grumman In California, make sure all is well with the $ 10 billion plus spacecraft during launch and once in space.
“NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has reached a major turning point on its way to launch with the completion of integration and final testing of the observatory,” said Gregory Robinson, Webb program manager at headquarters, Gregory Robinson. in a report. “We have a very dedicated workforce that has brought us to the finish line, and we are very happy to see that Webb is ready to go and will be on this scientific journey soon.”
To belong to: Construction of the James Webb Space Telescope (photos)
Engineering teams must now ensure that the 7.2 ton (6.5 metric ton) telescope safely reaches european spaceport In Kourou, French Guiana. In the statement, NASA said preparations for the expedition would be completed in September. James Webb will then make the trip from California by sea, locked in a 30-meter secure container. It will cross the Panama Canal and reach Kourou at least 55 days before the launch date, according to Permit speak European Space Agency (European Space Agency). The European Space Agency, NASA’s partner in the James Webb Space Telescope project, ensures the launch on board Ariane 5 The missile, which is considered one of the most reliable launchers currently available.
In addition to transportation, teams at the Web Mission Operations Center (MOC) at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore will continue to test the complex communications network that will ensure that commands can be sent to the valuable telescope quickly, efficiently, and transparently.
Once in Kourou, the telescope will undergo further pre-launch checks before refueling and then docking at the top of Ariane 5.
“After completing the final stages of the James Webb Space Telescope test program, I can’t help but see the reflections of the thousands of individuals who have dedicated so much of their lives to Webb, every time I see this magnificent golden mirror. NASA Goddard Webb Project Leader Bill Ochs said in the statement.
The telescope will monitor the universe unperturbed by terrestrial influences from the point of view of the so-called Pointe de Lagrange 2 (L2). Located 900,000 miles (1.5 million kilometers) from Earth, L2 is one of five points around the Sun and Earth where the gravitational forces of the two bodies are in equilibrium. A spacecraft located at one of these points orbits the Sun with the Earth and maintains a fixed position relative to the planet. For comparison, the famous Hubble orbits the Earth at an altitude of just 330 miles (545 km).
However, one question still blocked the mission of the Great Telescope: its name, in honor of NASA administrator in the 1960s, James Webb. Webb, who is widely credited with the success of the agency’s lunar exploration program, Apollo, has been a big supporter of the science. But according to the allegations, it also created another legacy – the legacy of homosexuality and the persecution of LGBT experts. Newspaper I mentioned nature recently NASA is investigating Webb’s past to see if there is enough Earth to have the honor of owning the largest astronomical observatory ever named after him.
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