Author Topic: NASA - James Webb Space Telescope - Discussion and Updates  (Read 518318 times)

Online jacqmans

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RELEASE: 07-64

NASA'S JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE GETS "SPACEWIRED"

GREENBELT, Md. -NASA's James Webb Space Telescope will use a new advanced
technology network interface called "SpaceWire" that enables the components on
the telescope to work more efficiently and more reliably with each other.

SpaceWire is a standard for high-speed communication links between satellite
components. Originally developed by the European Space Agency, SpaceWire has
been adopted and improved by a team at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in
Greenbelt, Md. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Integrated Science
Instrument Module (ISIM) and Command and Data Handling (ICDH) engineering team
has developed a small and very low power microchip that sends and receives
SpaceWire signals at speeds of over 200 mega-bits per second.

The new higher bandwidth from SpaceWire enables the JWST ISIM to support the
mission's science instruments which employ 66 million detector pixels. This is
the largest number of pixels ever used on a space telescope, and it will allow
JWST to study more of the universe. Handling the large volume of data from
these detectors presented a unique challenge for the JWST ICDH team. The
development of this new network interface enables the JWST science instruments
to realize their full scientific discovery potential, and will permit future
NASA mission planners to consider use of more detectors with an even larger
number of pixels to see even more of the universe.

"Infusing the SpaceWire-based network interface into the JWST mission enables
scientific discovery by allowing the JWST science instruments to operate at
very high data collection rates," said Pam Sullivan, Manager of the JWST ISIM.

SpaceWire is a standard for high-speed links and networks for use onboard a
spacecraft, easing the interconnection of sensors, mass-memories and processing
units. The SpaceWire standard provides many benefits. It helps facilitate the
construction of high-performance onboard data handling systems, reduces system
integration costs, increases compatibility between data handling equipment and
subsystems, and encourages re-use of data handling equipment across several
different missions.

To understand the benefit of SpaceWire, you can compare the speed of a dial-up
modem to a high-speed broadband Internet connection.  SpaceWire connects
multiple spacecraft components on super-fast links to get a quicker result.

Goddard's version of the SpaceWire technology has also dramatically accelerated
the development of the JWST instrument electronics. The JWST ICDH team
delivered the SpaceWire technology - which is packaged in a digital, low power
(1.5W), high speed (66Mbps) Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) computer chip
- to JWST partners including prime contractor Northrop Grumman, Lockheed, Jet
Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and the Canadian Space Agency.

As a result of this JWST technology development, other missions are considering
SpaceWire include the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and the Geostationary
Operational Environmental Satellite-R (GOES-R). SpaceWire is also being used
for technology development at other NASA centers including the NASA Glenn
Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio; JPL, Pasadena, Calif.; Langley Research
Center, Hampton, Va. and the Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.

The benefit to other missions from using SpaceWire is a lower cost for
development, a reduction of development time, better reliability, and an
increase in the amount of scientific work that can be achieved within a limited
budget.

Commercially, nearly every major aerospace company in the U.S. has been provided
with Goddard's technology either for projects with NASA or other government labs
or for evaluation via a 90-day license. Now Goddard's technology is being
distributed free via Software Usage Agreements.

The James Webb Space Telescope is a 21st century space observatory that will
peer back more than 13 billion years in time to understand the formation of
galaxies, stars and planets and the evolution of our own solar system. It is
expected to launch in 2013. The telescope is a joint project of NASA, the
European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency.

For related images and more information, please visit on the Web:

http://www.nasa.gov/vision/universe/watchtheskies/jwst_spacewired.html

For more information about Spacewire, please visit on the Web:

http://www.spacewire.esa.int/tech/spacewire/

For more information about licensing SpaceWire, please visit on the web:

http://ipp.gsfc.nasa.gov/SS-spacewire.html

For more information about the James Webb Space Telescope, please visit on the
web:

http://jwst.gsfc.nasa.gov
« Last Edit: 04/03/2015 12:00 am by Chris Bergin »
Jacques :-)

Offline meiza

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Re: NASA - James Webb Space Telescope - updates
« Reply #1 on: 10/25/2007 04:24 pm »
It'd be nice to hear from some guys actually working on spacecraft electronics, is the Spacewire as good as claimed?
It seems to make a lot of sense for someone who reads the press releases, but many things tend to be like that. :)

Offline Crispy

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Re: NASA - James Webb Space Telescope - updates
« Reply #2 on: 10/25/2007 04:59 pm »
and what sort of storage are they going to use to hold such large amounts of data? Do hard drives fly on satellites, or are we just talking about phenomenal amounts of flash?

Offline MKremer

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Re: NASA - James Webb Space Telescope - updates
« Reply #3 on: 10/25/2007 05:49 pm »
Quote
Crispy - 25/10/2007  11:59 AM

and what sort of storage are they going to use to hold such large amounts of data? Do hard drives fly on satellites, or are we just talking about phenomenal amounts of flash?

471 Gb (gigabit) "solid state storage", designed to hold up to 48hrs of instrument observations. Downlink is Ka band up to 28 Mbs.

Haven't read the details of the type of chips used, may be RAM or flash-based, but either will likely have built in parity checking and correction.

Offline A_M_Swallow

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Re: NASA - James Webb Space Telescope - updates
« Reply #4 on: 10/26/2007 06:14 am »
A maximum of 224 logical addresses is low.  This may be sufficient for a small satellite but I suspect that manned spaceships and space stations will need more.

The message protocol is designed to work over wires.  Even in space wires have low error rates so the lack of automatic retransmission and forward error correction may be OK.  Add protection if the packets are sent over a radio link.

The rival X.25 packet switching standard contains several pages of error detection and recovery, I had to add lots more when getting X.25 to work over military radio links.

The website did not give the maximum length of the wires.  The length may be in the IEEE standards referenced.  Since there are significant power saving from using medium range line drivers there may be length problems.  The different parts of payload should be able to communicate.  However a computer in the nose cone could need to use a booster or a different design of line drivers to control the rocket nozzles.

Telescopes are big, individual units should be OK but the router to router distances in the James Webb Space Telescopes need checking.  Wire length problems are easy to fix at the planning stage, but post implementation redesigning units is expensive and slips the completion date.

Online jacqmans

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RE: NASA - James Webb Space Telescope - updates
« Reply #5 on: 12/03/2007 06:25 pm »
RELEASE NO. 07-74


James Webb Space Telescope Marks Successful Completion
of Optical Telescope Element Design Review                                                                                    

                                                                                                 
GREENBELT, Md. – A preliminary design review has concluded and verified the integrated performance of all subsystems in the Optical Telescope Element on NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope.

The Optical Telescope Element or OTE is the "eye" of the Webb Observatory. The telescope consists of a 6.5-meter (21.3 foot) primary mirror; secondary, tertiary and fine steering mirrors; and supporting structures, deployable tower and control electronics.

"The successful completion of the Optical Telescope Element Preliminary Design Review is a significant milestone in the telescope development which demonstrates it's full feasibility and which allows the team to move on to final, detailed designs," said Lee Feinberg, James Webb Space Telescope Optical Telescope Element Manager at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.

"Meeting rigorous technology development requirements and successfully completing component design reviews earlier this year have given us confidence that the telescope will perform its mission within our cost and schedule commitments," said Martin Mohan, JWST program manager for Northrop Grumman’s Space Technology sector. Northrop Grumman is NASA’s prime contactor for the Webb Telescope, leading the design and development effort under contract to NASA Goddard.

Last January, before a team of experts assembled by NASA, the Northrop Grumman the telescope team demonstrated that the technology ready to move into the detailed engineering phase. Technology Readiness Level 6 was achieved for all critical telescope components, meaning prototypes had been successfully tested in a thermal vacuum chamber. The thermal vacuum simulates the very cold temperatures and vacuum of space.

At the review, the team also presented a plan for the final assembly and verification of the telescope. This includes all subsystems, backplane, thermal controls and hardware for sub-assemblies as well as simulated space environment testing at Johnson Space Center, Houston.

Significant progress is being made on key portions of the telescope. Machining of the 18 primary mirror flight segments was completed earlier this year and currently the backplane, which supports the primary mirror, is being fabricated.

The Webb Telescope will be the premier space observatory of the next decade, serving thousands of astronomers worldwide. It will study every phase in the history of our universe, from the first galaxies assembled in the universe, to the formation of solar systems potentially capable of supporting life, to the evolution of our own Solar System.    

For related images on this story, please visit on the Web:

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/news/topstory/2007/jwst_optical.html

For more information on the James Webb Space Telescope, visit:

http://jwst.gsfc.nasa.gov

Jacques :-)

Online jacqmans

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RE: NASA - James Webb Space Telescope - updates
« Reply #6 on: 12/06/2007 07:03 pm »
RELEASE NO. 07- 77


James Webb Space Telescope Testing to Find Infrared Light for Christmas

GREENBELT, Md. - A model of the James Webb Space Telescope's Mid-InfraRed Instrument will be tested before Christmas at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire, England to ensure the final instrument can see infrared light.

Observing the universe in the infrared light portion of the spectrum is important because many objects scientists want to observe in space are far too cold to radiate at shorter wavelengths that can be seen as visible light, but they radiate strongly in infrared light.

The Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI) is one of four sophisticated instruments onboard the Webb telescope which will study the early universe and properties of materials forming around new born stars in unprecedented detail. It will also be able to image directly massive planets orbiting other stars.

Speaking at the 3rd Appleton Space Conference on Dec. 6, European Consortium Lead for MIRI, Dr. Gillian Wright from the U.K. Astronomy Technology Centre (ATC) in Edinburgh said, "It is extremely exciting, after working on the project since 1998, to begin to test a complete instrument. This will provide scientists with real data which they can use to understand the best ways of making discoveries with the instrument."

MIRI's development is an effort between NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA). NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena (JPL), Calif, leads the NASA effort and is responsible for the development of MIRI's detectors, its cryocooler, and flight software.

MIRI has already undergone alignment checks with a piece of test equipment simulating the Integrated Science Instrument Module, the part of the spacecraft where the MIRI will be attached. This test equipment was supplied by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. who is leading the development of the Webb observatory.

MIRI is the first of the Webb telescope instruments to reach this phase of cryogenic performance testing and marks a significant milestone for this international team.

"The testing is being undertaken at the STFC’s Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire where all MIRI’s subsystems from collaborators in Europe and NASA’s JPL are integrated and tested in full," says Matt Greenhouse, Integrated Science Instrument Module scientist on the Webb Telescope project at NASA Goddard. This involves thermal and electromagnetic calibration and scientific and environmental testing.

Dr. Tanya Lim, who leads the international MIRI testing team explains, "Given the international nature of this project it is essential to bring together both instrument and test equipment components from around the world to ensure that they work together." She adds, "We will also be using the instrument flight software which will need to work with the spacecraft and ground software systems in order to command the instrument, simulate telemetry to the ground and generate images from the test environment."

The MIRI testing team are working around the clock until the completion of the first tests just before Christmas. Paul Eccleston, MIRI Assembly, Integration and Test Lead adds, "MIRI is the largest individual flight instrument that has been built at RAL, and has presented unusual challenges particularly with regard to cooling and thermal control. The instrument will operate at temperatures much lower than the rest of the spacecraft. As a result, the first two weeks of testing involved cooling the instrument down to its operational temperature of -267ºC, only 6.2K above absolute zero."

During spring 2008, further testing will take place using the MIRI Telescope Simulator – a special facility being built in Spain. This simulator is unique to MIRI and will be able to simulate the stars that will be seen.

The James Webb Space Telescope is a 21st century space observatory that will peer back more than 13 billion years in time to understand the formation of galaxies, stars and planets and the evolution of our own solar system. It is expected to launch in 2013. The telescope is a joint project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency.

For related images and more information, please visit on the Web:
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/news/topstory/2007/jwst_infrared.html

For the U.K. ATC MIRI Web page, please visit:
http://www.roe.ac.uk/ukatc/projects/miri/index.html

For the MIRI website at the Space Telescope Science Institute:

http://www.stsci.edu/jwst/instruments/miri/
Jacques :-)

Offline Big Al

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Re: NASA - James Webb Space Telescope - updates
« Reply #7 on: 12/10/2007 01:22 am »
whats the launch vehicle for this telescope?

Offline Bubbinski

Re: NASA - James Webb Space Telescope - updates
« Reply #8 on: 12/10/2007 01:40 am »
An Ariane 5, last time I heard.
I'll even excitedly look forward to "flags and footprints" and suborbital missions. Just fly...somewhere.

Offline jimvela

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Re: NASA - James Webb Space Telescope - updates
« Reply #9 on: 12/10/2007 03:46 am »
Quote
Bubbinski - 9/12/2007  7:40 PM

An Ariane 5, last time I heard.

Yep.
http://jwst.gsfc.nasa.gov/launch.html

Offline Skyrocket

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Re: NASA - James Webb Space Telescope - updates
« Reply #10 on: 12/10/2007 08:31 am »
More detailed: a Ariane-5ECA with long fairing


Offline perian

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Re: NASA - James Webb Space Telescope - updates
« Reply #11 on: 12/10/2007 07:04 pm »
Quote
Skyrocket - 10/12/2007  10:31 AM

More detailed: a Ariane-5ECA with long fairing


Maybe Ariane 5ECB will be available in 2013 ;) Who knows ;)

Offline simonbp

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Re: NASA - James Webb Space Telescope - updates
« Reply #12 on: 12/10/2007 10:43 pm »
Quote
Bubbinski - 9/12/2007  7:40 PM

An Ariane 5, last time I heard.

Which was originally meant to save costs, but coordination has such that it cost nearly as much (NASA is not used to launching on someone else's rocket). On the other hand, it's made JWST pretty darn cancel-proof, which is good, because it's set to be next big "Ph.D. factory" (to quote a friend on the project)...

Simon ;)

Online jacqmans

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RE: NASA - James Webb Space Telescope - updates
« Reply #13 on: 03/20/2008 09:27 pm »
RELEASE: 08-25                                          

NASA'S WEBB TELESCOPE SUNSHIELD PRELIMINARY DESIGN REVIEW COMPLETE

GREENBELT, Md. - The tennis court-sized sunshield built by Northrop Grumman for NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has completed its preliminary design review at the company’s Space Technology facility.

The Webb Telescope is the next-generation space observatory, designed to explore phenomena from distant galaxies to nearby planets and stars. From the origins of the universe to the formation of star systems capable of supporting life on planets such as Earth, the Webb telescope will give scientists unprecedented access to unexplored regions of space.

"The sunshield is absolutely critical to the Webb telescope mission" says Keith Parrish, JWST Sunshield Manager at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. "It will be folded up around the telescope when the telescope is aboard its rocket during launch. The sunshield will then deploy in space to shade the sensitive, precision telescope optics and science instruments from the Sun and enable the observatory to reach its proper operating temperature and environment. Without it, the telescope and instruments can’t work. Northrop Grumman is leveraging their experience in large deployable structures in space to come up with a design that will do the job for the Webb telescope."

The five-layer sunshield consists of extremely thin, specially coated reflective membranes and a supporting structure. The sunshield blocks solar heat, keeping the telescope’s science instruments operating at cryogenic temperatures so astronomers can study distant galaxies, young stars and planetary systems at near- and mid-infrared wavelengths.

"The completion of the preliminary design review allows the detailed engineering design to move forward and maintains the delivery schedule for the Observatory," said Martin Mohan, Program Manager for the Webb Telescope.

Completion of the preliminary sunshield design is the latest in a series of significant accomplishments. One year ago, the Northrop Grumman engineers developing sunshield membrane materials demonstrated that the sunshield prototype material had been successfully tested, functioning as predicted, in a relevant environment (simulating space).

Northrop Grumman is prime contactor for the Webb Telescope, leading the design and development effort under contract to NASA Goddard. It is scheduled for launch in 2013.


For related images and more information, please visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/news/topstory/2008/jwst_sunshield.html

For the James Webb Space Telescope Mission Website, visit:

http://jwst.gsfc.nasa.gov

For Northrop Grumman's Website, visit:

http://www.ngc.com

Jacques :-)

Offline eugene

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Re: NASA - James Webb Space Telescope - updates
« Reply #14 on: 03/26/2008 04:46 am »
I just want to note that in the photo of the above press release... All those tables surrounding the engineering model of the sunshield were put together and made high bay "worthy" by yours truly... That's what happens when you get hired out of school and there's nothing for you really to do until the company finds a home for you. I did grunt labor. Nonetheless, it was fun being a part of such a program right from the start.

Online jacqmans

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Re: NASA - James Webb Space Telescope - updates
« Reply #15 on: 07/10/2008 07:10 pm »
RELEASE NO. 08-66

James Webb Space Telescope Full-Scale Model Coming to COSPAR Meeting in Montreal

GREENBELT, Md. - The full-scale model of the James Webb Space Telescope resumes its world tour with a stop in Montreal.  The model will be on display July 13 - 20 in conjunction with the 37th Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) Scientific Assembly. 

The model’s last public appearance was in Dublin, Ireland, where scientists, school children, media and the general public had the rare opportunity to view this tennis court-sized space observatory model up-close and learn about its mission.  Over the last three years, the model has been displayed at similar events in Washington, D.C.; Rochester, N.Y.; Greenbelt, Md.; Paris, France; and Colorado Springs, Colo. 

COSPAR, the Canadian Space Agency, and National Research Council Canada are sponsoring the model’s outdoor display at the Place des Vestiges in conjunction with the conference at le Palais des Congrès de Montréal. The conference will be attended by thousands of space science researchers from around the world, and experts will be on hand to answer questions.

 The tennis-court sized model will be on display at the Place DesVestiges, courtesy of COSPAR, the Canadian Space Agency; the Old Port of Montreal; the Montreal Science Center; and COM DEV International Ltd., a Canadian manufacturer and designer of space hardware subsystems. COM DEV is funded for this work by the Canadian Space Agency .The COSPAR conference nearby at le Palais des Congrès de Montréal will be attended by thousands of space science researchers from around the world, and experts will be on hand to answer questions.

The James Webb Space Telescope is a successor to the Hubble Space Telescope and will be NASA’s premier space observatory following its launch in 2013.  It will orbit 940,000 miles from the Earth at the second Sun-Earth Lagrange point, capturing infrared images of every phase of our cosmic history – from the first luminous objects to assembly of galaxies, the birth of stars, and formation of planetary systems. 

The COM DEV, one of the partners on the Webb Telescope, is providing the fine guidance sensor (FGS), which measures the positions of very faint stars very accurately to achieve the high quality images required by the mission’s scientific objectives. The FGS cameras will measure the position of guide stars with great accuracy, pinpointing stars to one millionth of a degree.  COM DEV is also providing the Tunable Filter Instrument, which will take scientific pictures at specific wavelengths in the near infrared. The tunable filer, adjoining the FGS, will have unique capabilities for detecting the first stars and will search for planets around stars outside our solar system.  Canada is also providing functional support of the science operations for the Webb telescope.

Northrop Grumman is NASA Goddard Space Flight Center’s prime contractor for the James Webb Space Telescope and is leading an industrial team in the design and development of this next-generation space observatory using cutting-edge technology. The mission is a joint project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency.

For more information and images, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/news/topstory/2008/jwst_cospar.html

For more information on the James Webb Space Telescope, visit:
http://jwst.gsfc.nasa.gov

Jacques :-)

Online jacqmans

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Re: NASA - James Webb Space Telescope - updates
« Reply #16 on: 10/08/2008 07:43 pm »
RELEASE:  08-87


THE JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE MODEL IS FLYING TO GERMANY


The model of the James Webb Space Telescope has been making a lot of "orbits" around the world, and is now slated to "land" at the Deutsches Museum in Munich, Germany from October 13-28, 2008.


The actual James Webb Space Telescope is in the process of being built. Once it launches in 2013 it will find the first galaxies and will peer through dusty clouds to see stars forming planetary systems, connecting the Milky Way to our own Solar System. Webb's instruments have been designed to work primarily in the infrared range of the electromagnetic spectrum, with some capability in the visible range.

In the meantime, a life-sized model of the Webb telescope was built by Northrop Grumman to give the viewing public here on Earth a better understanding of the size, scale and complexity of this breakthrough satellite. Northrop Grumman Corporation, Redondo Beach, Calif. and many other U.S. and international partners are working with NASA to build the actual telescope and technologies. 

The Deutsches Museum in Munich, Germany has over 100,000 objects from the fields of science and technology. The exhibits and collections cover all areas of science and technology from mining to atomic physics, to biology. They extend from the Stone Age to the present time. Collecting historically significant objects is still one of the Museum’s central tasks, and the Webb telescope model makes a nice temporary exhibit to showcase the next generation of space telescopes.

“The Deutsches Museum is home to a beautiful telescope collection, including the Fraunhofer Refractor, used to discover Neptune.  It’s wonderful to bring the James Webb Space Telescope model here so that people see both historical and state-of-the-art astronomical instruments,” said Eric Smith, James Webb Space Telescope Program Scientist at NASA Headquarters, Washington. "The timing is perfect because in October, there is a workshop meeting of the Webb telescope scientists and engineers nearby, so people working on the project can get to see the life-sized model."  EADS Astrium, one of the international partners currently working to build Webb, is hosting both the workshop and the display of the model in Munich.

EADS Astrium GmbH, with several locations in Germany, is partnering with NASA to sponsor the model display. They are also building the Near Infrared Spectrograph or NIRSpec instrument for the Webb telescope, one of four science instruments onboard the observatory. The 200kg spectrograph will be able to detect extremely faint radiation from some of the most distant galaxies and observe more than 100 objects simultaneously.

The Webb telescope model has "orbited" the Earth a number of times since 2005. It has "landed" at Colorado Springs, Colo.; Paris, France; Greenbelt, Md.; Rochester, N.Y.; Orlando, Fla.; Washington, D.C.; Dublin, Ireland; and most recently Montreal, Canada.

The model was specifically designed for an environment subject to gravity and weather. It is constructed mainly of aluminum and steel, weighs 12,000 lbs., and is approximately 80 feet long, 40 feet wide and 40 feet tall. The model requires 2 trucks to ship it and assembly takes a crew of 12 approximately four days. Funds used to build the model were provided solely by Northrop Grumman.

The James Webb Space Telescope is a joint project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency.

 

For related images and more information, visit:

 

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/news/topstory/2008/jwst_germany.html

 

For more information about the Webb telescope, visit:

 

http://jwst.gsfc.nasa.gov

 

For information about the Deutsches Museum, visit:

 

http://www.deutsches-museum.de/en/information/

 

Jacques :-)

Online jacqmans

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Re: NASA - James Webb Space Telescope - updates
« Reply #17 on: 12/10/2008 09:30 pm »
NEWS RELEASE: 08-100
       
James Webb Telescope Mirrors Chill Out at

NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center

HUNSTVILLE, Ala. - The first of 18 mirror segments that will fly on NASA's James Webb Space Telescope arrived this week at the Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala. to prepare it to meet the extreme temperatures it will encounter in space.

The X-ray & Cryogenic Facility (XRCF) at the Marshall Center is the world’s largest X-ray telescope test facility and a unique, cryogenic, clean room optical test facility. Cryogenic testing will take place in a 7,600 cubic foot helium cooled vacuum chamber, chilling the Webb flight mirror from room temperature down to frigid -414 degrees Fahrenheit. While the mirrors change temperature, test engineers will precisely measure their structural stability to ensure they will perform as designed once they are operating in the extreme temperatures of space.

"Getting the best performance requires conditioning and testing the mirrors in the XRCF at temperatures just as cold as in space," said Helen Cole, project manager for Webb Telescope mirror activities at XRCF. "Optical measurements of the 18 mirror segments at cold temperatures will be made and used to create mirrors that will focus crisply in space. This will allow us to see new wonders in our Universe." 

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope is a large, infrared-optimized space telescope that will be the premier observatory of the next decade. It will study every phase in the history of our Universe, ranging from the first luminous glows after the Big Bang, to the formation of solar systems capable of supporting life on planets like Earth, to the evolution of our own Solar System. Its instruments will be designed to work primarily in the infrared range of the electromagnetic spectrum, with some capability in the visible range.

The Webb Telescope will have a large mirror, 6.5 meters (21.3 feet) in diameter, made up of 18 segments about 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) in size. The telescope’s home in space will be about one million miles from Earth. The completed primary mirror will be over 2.5 times larger than the diameter of the Hubble Space Telescope's primary mirror, which is 2.4 meters (7.8 feet) in diameter, but will weigh roughly half as much because it is made of beryllium, one of the lightest applicable metals known to man.

The amount of detail a space telescope can see is directly related to the size of the mirror area that collects light from the universe. A larger area collects more light and can see deeper into space and at a much higher resolution than a smaller mirror. That's why the telescope's primary mirror is made up of 18 mirror segments that form a total area of 25 square-meters (almost 30 square yards) when they all come together.

What's unique about the large primary mirror is that each of the 18 mirrors will have the ability to be moved individually, so that they can be aligned together to act as a single large mirror. Scientists and engineers can also correct for imperfections after the telescope opens in space, or if any changes occur in the mirror during the life of the mission. Precision testing, like this test cycle in the X-ray & Cryogenic Facility, provides detailed measurements to fabricate and deliver a high resolution mirror.

"Beginning today, we kick off exclusive testing of the James Webb Space Telescope mirrors which will run though 2011. Our one-of-a-kind facility can provide the environment which allows us to optically measure infinitesimally small changes in the mirrors as they cool," said Jeff Kegley, XRCF testing manager.

The James Webb Space Telescope is expected to launch in 2013. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. is managing the overall development effort for the Webb telescope. The telescope is a joint project of NASA and many U.S. partners, the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency.

For related images to this story, please visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/topics/universe/features/mirror_chill.html

       
For more information about the James Webb Space Telescope, please visit:

http://jwst.gsfc.nasa.gov

« Last Edit: 12/10/2008 09:31 pm by jacqmans »
Jacques :-)

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Re: NASA - James Webb Space Telescope - updates
« Reply #18 on: 04/08/2009 02:23 pm »
RELEASE NO. 09-30

 

James Webb Space Telescope First Flight Mirror Completes Cryogenic Testing

 

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - The first mirror segment that will fly on the James Webb Space Telescope, built by Northrop Grumman Corporation, has completed its first series of cryogenic temperature tests in the X-ray and Cryogenic Facility at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.

 

"We’re excited that we can support the James Webb Space Telescope with our world class cryogenic and x-ray telescope test facility," said Helen Cole, project manager for the Webb Telescope activities at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala. "The test performed here are crucial to the success of the program since they’ll ensure the mirrors and components will be able to withstand the extreme cold temperatures of space."

 

The mirror segment is the first of 18 flight mirror segments that will be joined to make a giant, 6.5-meter diameter (21.3 ft.) hexagonal mirror. The segments will be subject to temperatures of -414 degrees Fahrenheit in a 7,600 cubic-foot helium-cooled vacuum chamber at NASA Marshall.

 

Engineers will measure how the mirror changes shape going from room temperature to cryogenic (frigid) temperatures, as the metal expands and contracts. They can model these changes to some extent, but not perfectly. The mirrors will be polished to about 100 nanometers (a human hair is approximately 60,000 to 120,000 nanometers) accuracy at room temperature, based on the expected changes. Then it will be cooled down to cryogenic temperatures and engineers will measure the mirror's surface, creating a "hit map" of unexpected changes.

 

"This is what we have done so far with the first flight mirror segment," said Jonathan Gardner, Webb Telescope Deputy Project Scientist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. "Now, engineers will warm it up and polish out the "hit map" areas to get the mirror to 20 nanometer accuracy - a process which will take months. The mirrors will then be brought back down to cryogenic temperatures to verify the increased accuracy." In addition to this testing, engineers also did some "cryo cycling." That means going up and down in temperature (without polishing in between) to test the repeatability of the changes.

 

Since there are 18 mirror segments, each measuring about 1.5 meters (4.9 ft.) in diameter, they will be tested in batches of six and chilled to cryogenic temperatures four times in a six-week time span. It takes approximately five days to cool a mirror segment to cryogenic temperatures. All flight mirror tests are expected to be completed in June 2011. The Webb telescope is scheduled for launch in 2013.

 

Northrop Grumman is the prime contractor for the Webb telescope, leading a design and development team under contract to NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.

 

"It has taken years of intense effort for the Webb Telescope team to begin flight mirror cryotesting and we’re gratified that testing was successful," said Martin Mohan, Webb telescope program manager for Northrop Grumman’s Aerospace Systems sector, Redondo Beach, Calif. "Along the way, we’ve had to invent entire manufacturing and measurement processes because no one has ever built a telescope this large that has to operate at temperatures this extreme."

 

The James Webb Space Telescope is the next-generation premier space observatory, exploring deep space phenomena from distant galaxies to nearby planets and stars. The Webb Telescope will give scientists clues about the formation of the universe and the evolution of our own solar system, from the first light after the Big Bang to the formation of star systems capable of supporting life on planets like Earth.

For related images and more information, please visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/topics/technology/features/mirror_cryo.html

For more information about the James Webb Space Telescope, visit:

http://www.jwst.nasa.gov

 

Jacques :-)

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Re: NASA - James Webb Space Telescope - updates
« Reply #19 on: 04/28/2009 08:44 pm »
RELEASE:  09-33

NASA Launches James Webb Space Telescope Educational On-Line Game   


GREENBELT, Md. - NASA has developed a flash on-line game about telescopes, featuring NASA's next-generation spacecraft, the James Webb Space Telescope!  The game, called "Scope it Out!" includes an introduction to telescopes and four matching games where you can compare simple telescopes to both Webb and the Hubble Space Telescope.

"This is a great way to teach children and adults on how simple and complex space telescopes work," said Anita Krishnamurthi, the Education and Public Outreach Lead for Webb at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. The level of the game is for middle school students and above.

The James Webb Space Telescope is a large, infrared space telescope, scheduled for launch in 2013. JWST will find the first galaxies that formed in the early Universe, connecting the Big Bang to our own Milky Way Galaxy. It will peer through dusty clouds to see stars forming planetary systems, connecting the Milky Way to our own Solar System. 

The Webb Telescope may be unusual in appearance but it has a lot in common with simple tube-shaped telescopes. It may have a sunshield the size of a tennis court and an 18-segment mirror that looks like a honeycomb, but Webb is still a reflecting telescope. As such, it has many of the same components as the telescopes used by astronomy enthusiasts here on Earth. The Webb telescope's orbit, however, will be far from Earth, about one million miles away.

There are five levels of gaming in "Scope it Out!" game from Level Zero to Level Four. Most levels present an image of a young woman looking through a telescope, side-by-side with a space telescope. Level Zero gives a basic lesson in telescope optics through animated graphics.  Level One is where the matching game starts, by asking the player to find the seven components in the simple telescope that match with those in the Webb telescope. The game culminates in Level Four where players have to find the components of the Hubble Telescope that match up with the James Webb Space Telescope. 

This game requires FLASH 8 or higher, and there are two versions. One version is for large monitors (1024x768) the other is for smaller (800x600) monitors. Once a monitor size is chosen, the game will pop up in a separate window.  For convenience, there's also a small toggle button in the lower left corner of the game to allow a player to change the quality of the graphics.

The web page also provides a downloadable wallpaper of a cool image from the game, of the Webb Space Telescope in space.

The game was created at NASA Goddard by Maggie Masetti with Dr. Anita Krishnamurthi providing oversight on the project. Programmer Kent deVillafranca and artist Susan Lin, both of Science Systems and Applications, Greenbelt, Md. did the programming and graphics for this project.

To access the Webb Telescope on-line game, visit:


http://www.jwst.nasa.gov/scope.html

 
For related information and images to this story, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/topics/technology/features/jwst_game.html


For more information about the James Webb Space Telescope, visit:

http://www.jwst.nasa.gov

Jacques :-)

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