Author Topic: NASA - James Webb Space Telescope - Updates Thread  (Read 203937 times)

Offline Lee Jay

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Re: NASA - James Webb Space Telescope - Updates Thread
« Reply #20 on: 12/31/2021 05:56 pm »
Bill slipped a digit there (or three) - 435 THOUSAND miles, not million.

Offline centaurinasa

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Offline centaurinasa

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Online Perchlorate

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Re: NASA - James Webb Space Telescope - Updates Thread
« Reply #23 on: 12/31/2021 10:35 pm »
Halfway!!!

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Offline Mongo62

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Re: NASA - James Webb Space Telescope - Updates Thread
« Reply #24 on: 12/31/2021 10:56 pm »
The sunshield covers were retracted over a day ago. By now, according to this schedule, both port and starboard sunshade booms should have been deployed.

I am not saying that there are any problems, but today's activities appear to have been a lot slower than expected.
« Last Edit: 12/31/2021 10:56 pm by Mongo62 »

Offline Lee Jay

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Re: NASA - James Webb Space Telescope - Updates Thread
« Reply #25 on: 12/31/2021 11:21 pm »
The sunshield covers were retracted over a day ago. By now, according to this schedule, both port and starboard sunshade booms should have been deployed.

I am not saying that there are any problems, but today's activities appear to have been a lot slower than expected.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/webb/2021/12/31/first-of-two-sunshield-mid-booms-deploys/

"The Webb mission operations team has extended the first of the sunshield’s two “arms” – the port (left side) mid-boom."
« Last Edit: 12/31/2021 11:23 pm by Lee Jay »

Online Perchlorate

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Re: NASA - James Webb Space Telescope - Updates Thread
« Reply #26 on: 01/01/2022 02:53 am »
From the blog:  https://blogs.nasa.gov/webb/2021/12/31/with-webbs-mid-booms-extended-sunshield-takes-shape/


"With the successful extension of Webb’s second sunshield mid-boom, the observatory has passed another critical deployment milestone. Webb’s sunshield now resembles its full, kite-shaped form in space.

Engineers began to deploy the second (starboard) mid-boom at 6:31 p.m. EST and completed the process at about 10:13 p.m. EST."
« Last Edit: 01/01/2022 02:54 am by Perchlorate »
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Offline Gregster

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Re: NASA - James Webb Space Telescope - Updates Thread
« Reply #27 on: 01/01/2022 12:08 pm »
According to the NASA press release: https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/update-nasa-plans-coverage-of-webb-space-telescope-deployments
 
*NASA TV will host live broadcast coverage to mark the following milestones, with specific times and dates updated as they approach:

Sunshield tensioning: The full deployment of the sunshield, the most challenging element for Webb, will mark a critical milestone for the mission. This step is scheduled for completion about eight days after launch, no earlier than Sunday, Jan. 2. Update: Sunday Jan. 2 @ 2pm Eastern per https://www.nasa.gov/nasalive.
 
Secondary mirror support structure deployment: The support structure that holds the secondary mirror in position to focus light collected by the primary mirror is set for deployment about 10 days after launch, no earlier than Tuesday, Jan. 4.
 
Webb deployments complete: With the unfolding of the second of Webb’s primary mirror wings, the Webb team will have completed all observatory deployments. This is scheduled to take place about 13 days after launch, no earlier than Friday, Jan. 7.
« Last Edit: 01/01/2022 02:02 pm by Gregster »

Offline dmgaba

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Re: NASA - James Webb Space Telescope - Updates Thread
« Reply #28 on: 01/01/2022 05:03 pm »
From this morning's JWST blog:   https://blogs.nasa.gov/webb/2022/01/01/webb-sunshield-tensioning-to-begin-tomorrow/
   
"Work on the deployment of Webb’s sunshield mid-booms went late into the night yesterday. Webb mission management decided this morning to pause deployment activities for today and allow the team to rest and prepare to begin Webb’s sunshield tensioning tomorrow, Sunday, Jan. 2. That deployment is still expected to take place over at least two days.

This will likely affect the full timeline for Webb’s deployment. The timeline will be updated as major deployments resume."

Online dsmillman

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Re: NASA - James Webb Space Telescope - Updates Thread
« Reply #29 on: 01/02/2022 05:30 pm »
The latest:

Deployment Timeline Adjusted as Team Focuses on Observatory Operations

Taking advantage of its flexible commissioning schedule, the Webb team has decided to focus today on optimizing Webb’s power systems while learning more about how the observatory behaves in space. As a result, the Webb mission operations team has moved the beginning of sunshield tensioning activities to no earlier than tomorrow, Monday, Jan. 3. This will ensure Webb is in prime condition to begin the next major deployment step in its unfolding process. 

Specifically, the team is analyzing how the power subsystem is operating now that several of the major deployments have been completed. Simultaneously, the deployments team is working to make sure motors that are key to the tensioning process are at the optimal temperatures prior to beginning that operation.

Using an approach to keep mission operations focused on as few activities as necessary at a time, mission managers have chosen to wait to resume sunshield deployment steps after better understanding the details of how Webb is functioning in its new environment.

“Nothing we can learn from simulations on the ground is as good as analyzing the observatory when it’s up and running,” said Bill Ochs, Webb project manager, based at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. “Now is the time to take the opportunity to learn everything we can about its baseline operations. Then we will take the next steps.” 

Webb’s deployment was designed so that the team could pause deployments if necessary. In this case, Ochs said, they are relying on that flexibility in order to properly address how the massive and complex observatory is responding to the environment of space.

“We’ve spent 20 years on the ground with Webb, designing, developing, and testing,” said Mike Menzel, of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Webb’s lead systems engineer. “We’ve had a week to see how the observatory actually behaves in space. It’s not uncommon to learn certain characteristics of your spacecraft once you’re in flight. That’s what we’re doing right now. So far, the major deployments we’ve executed have gone about as smoothly as we could have hoped for. But we want to take our time and understand everything we can about the observatory before moving forward.” 

The timeline for deployments and NASA coverage will be updated as major deployments resume.

 

Offline Gregster

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Re: NASA - James Webb Space Telescope - Updates Thread
« Reply #30 on: 01/03/2022 02:45 pm »

Offline jmjawors

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Re: NASA - James Webb Space Telescope - Updates Thread
« Reply #31 on: 01/03/2022 03:37 pm »
Thanks for the link.

Just heard on the feed - tensioning is underway. 

Edit - Clarification.  PREPARATION for tensioning is underway.  Actual tensioning will occur later today.
« Last Edit: 01/03/2022 04:02 pm by jmjawors »
.:: Matt ::.

Offline tleski

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Re: NASA - James Webb Space Telescope - Updates Thread
« Reply #32 on: 01/03/2022 03:42 pm »
Another tidbit from the teleconference:
Layer one is being tensioned today and the remaining ones will be tensioned Tuesday and Wednesday depending on how it goes.
« Last Edit: 01/03/2022 03:44 pm by tleski »

Offline tleski

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Re: NASA - James Webb Space Telescope - Updates Thread
« Reply #33 on: 01/03/2022 03:45 pm »
After the tensioning is successful, 70-75% of single points of failure will be retired.

Offline jmjawors

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Re: NASA - James Webb Space Telescope - Updates Thread
« Reply #34 on: 01/03/2022 03:54 pm »
The efficiency of the Ariane rocket will allow JWST to operate "a lot more than" the initial ten years. 
.:: Matt ::.

Offline tleski

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Re: NASA - James Webb Space Telescope - Updates Thread
« Reply #35 on: 01/03/2022 04:04 pm »
From the teleconference:
They started preparations for tensioning operations of the 1st layer around 9am (eastern) today which will take ~3hours. Then they will start actual tensioning and finish the first layer this evening.

Offline tleski

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Re: NASA - James Webb Space Telescope - Updates Thread
« Reply #36 on: 01/03/2022 04:06 pm »
From the teleconference:
They have 6 motors used for tensioning. They monitor their temperatures and will stop any time they reach a temperature limit. They can pause any time and even backtrack if needed.

Offline Blackstar

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Re: NASA - James Webb Space Telescope - Updates Thread
« Reply #37 on: 01/03/2022 04:10 pm »
From the teleconference:
They have 6 motors used for tensioning. They monitor their temperatures and will stop any time they reach a temperature limit. They can pause any time and even backtrack if needed.

And just to add to that, if they stop because they reach a temperature limit with one motor or motors, they can then work on another part of the sunshield using different motors. So they don't have to completely stop the tensioning.

Offline Blackstar

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Re: NASA - James Webb Space Telescope - Updates Thread
« Reply #38 on: 01/03/2022 04:12 pm »
The efficiency of the Ariane rocket will allow JWST to operate "a lot more than" the initial ten years. 

He added a follow up, saying that he wouldn't give out a number now because it would be way high and also not include some of the maneuvers that they will probably have to do in the next five months that they don't know about yet. It sounded like he was essentially saying that they won't have a reliable number to give out for about five months.

Offline Jim

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Re: NASA - James Webb Space Telescope - Updates Thread
« Reply #39 on: 01/03/2022 04:55 pm »
The efficiency of the Ariane rocket will allow JWST to operate "a lot more than" the initial ten years. 

It is initial five years.

 

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