Author Topic: NASA - James Webb Space Telescope - Discussion Thread 2 (Read 614218 times)

Star One · « **Reply #140 on:** 12/06/2021 08:08 pm »

Webb moved for fuelling #shorts - ESA:

catdlr · « **Reply #141 on:** 12/07/2021 02:18 am »

Webb Journey to Space Part 5: Spacecraft Fueling

Blackstar · « **Reply #142 on:** 12/09/2021 08:59 pm »

Just watched a presentation on Hubble to JWST. He had a bunch of slides, but I grabbed a few that are most relevant.

bolun · « **Reply #143 on:** 12/10/2021 09:34 am »

Webb moved to meet Ariane 5

Quote

The James Webb Space Telescope was transferred to the final assembly building at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana on 7 December 2021, to meet its Ariane 5 launch vehicle.

Stowed inside a special 23-tonne transport container, Webb was protected and monitored throughout the transfer.

Ariane 5 was already moved to the same building on 29 November. Here, adjustable platforms allow engineers to access the launch vehicle and its payload.

The next steps are to hoist Webb to the upper platform which has been prepared so that Webb can be integrated on Ariane 5’s upper stage and then encapsulated inside Ariane 5’s specially adapted fairing.

Image credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace

Eric Hedman · « **Reply #144 on:** 12/14/2021 09:14 pm »

The BBC has an article with pictures of the Webb being lifted and placed on the rocket:

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-59632757

Edit - They didn't drop it.

litton4 · « **Reply #145 on:** 12/15/2021 09:10 am »

In that article there is a comment that JWST launch has been pushed to NET 24th December due to an issue with interfacing the telescope to the launcher....

Confirmed?

eeergo · « **Reply #146 on:** 12/15/2021 09:24 am »

Quote from: litton4 on 12/15/2021 09:10 am

In that article there is a comment that JWST launch has been pushed to NET 24th December due to an issue with interfacing the telescope to the launcher....

Confirmed?

Yes: https://mobile.twitter.com/NASA/status/1470906003168411657

woods170 · « **Reply #147 on:** 12/15/2021 09:24 am »

Quote from: litton4 on 12/15/2021 09:10 am

In that article there is a comment that JWST launch has been pushed to NET 24th December due to an issue with interfacing the telescope to the launcher....

Confirmed?

Yes: https://spaceflightnow.com/2021/12/14/nasa-delays-launch-of-webb-telescope-to-no-earlier-than-dec-24/

Jim · « **Reply #148 on:** 12/15/2021 12:47 pm »

IXPE had a similar problem. This occasionally happens. It usually is masked by the how soon the EGSE racks are allowed on the launch pad/launch platform and timeframe to work the issue. Also how good the spacecraft simulator is plays into it.

Jim · « **Reply #149 on:** 12/15/2021 12:52 pm »

https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=34584.msg1190422#msg1190422

The issue is between the rocket and the comm rack is the pad room

libra · « **Reply #150 on:** 12/15/2021 05:12 pm »

What an awesome Christmas present, it would be.

Incidentally... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ariane_1#Maiden_flight

Blackstar · « **Reply #151 on:** 12/15/2021 07:12 pm »

Quote from: libra on 12/15/2021 05:12 pm

What an awesome Christmas present, it would be.

A lot of the people involved were hoping to launch it and then go home to their families for Christmas. So I doubt they think this is awesome.

etudiant · « **Reply #152 on:** 12/15/2021 07:49 pm »

Quote from: Blackstar on 12/15/2021 07:12 pm

Quote from: libra on 12/15/2021 05:12 pm
What an awesome Christmas present, it would be.

A lot of the people involved were hoping to launch it and then go home to their families for Christmas. So I doubt they think this is awesome.

Guess I'd feel a lot better if the whole thing was put off a couple of weeks.
Let the staff enjoy the holidays and then come back refreshed to do a great job. After a 10 year delay, it is not that the schedule really matters.

Jim · « **Reply #153 on:** 12/15/2021 08:09 pm »

Quote from: etudiant on 12/15/2021 07:49 pm

Quote from: Blackstar on 12/15/2021 07:12 pm
Quote from: libra on 12/15/2021 05:12 pm
What an awesome Christmas present, it would be.

A lot of the people involved were hoping to launch it and then go home to their families for Christmas. So I doubt they think this is awesome.

Guess I'd feel a lot better if the whole thing was put off a couple of weeks.
Let the staff enjoy the holidays and then come back refreshed to do a great job. After a 10 year delay, it is not that the schedule really matters.

The logistics is too great

webdan · « **Reply #154 on:** 12/15/2021 08:51 pm »

Quote from: Jim on 12/15/2021 12:52 pm

https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=34584.msg1190422#msg1190422

The issue is between the rocket and the comm rack is the pad room

What a great thread to read. Thanks Jim!

Hobbes-22 · « **Reply #155 on:** 12/16/2021 06:58 am »

Quote from: Jim on 12/15/2021 12:52 pm

https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=34584.msg1190422#msg1190422

The issue is between the rocket and the comm rack is the pad room

For Ariane 5, the pad room is inside the launch table.

I've attached an old version of the Ariane 5 user guide that has this info - it's been removed from newer versions. The UG also has lots of detail on the interfaces we're talking about, between the spacecraft and the comm rack.

Oersted · « **Reply #156 on:** 12/16/2021 03:51 pm »

A very funny and irreverent movie from some of the scientists working on JWST:

Great outreach, in my opinion.

etudiant · « **Reply #157 on:** 12/16/2021 07:07 pm »

A lovely piece, but I could weep.
No backup at all, on a complex product where the track record for similar deployments is iffy.

frankly, SpaceX's SS can't come soon enough, NASA science spends most of their scarce $$ on product engineering because of launch constraints.
Lift those and the same $$ can do 10x more and better science.

Jim · « **Reply #158 on:** 12/16/2021 07:31 pm »

Quote from: etudiant on 12/16/2021 07:07 pm

A lovely piece, but I could weep.
No backup at all, on a complex product where the track record for similar deployments is iffy.nce.

That is wrong. Also, most spacecraft don't have backups anyways.

Quote from: etudiant on 12/16/2021 07:07 pm

frankly, SpaceX's SS can't come soon enough, NASA science spends most of their scarce $$ on product engineering because of launch constraints.
Lift those and the same $$ can do 10x more and better science.

Not going to change this type of mission

Eric Hedman · « **Reply #159 on:** 12/16/2021 07:34 pm »

Quote from: etudiant on 12/16/2021 07:07 pm

A lovely piece, but I could weep.
No backup at all, on a complex product where the track record for similar deployments is iffy.

frankly, SpaceX's SS can't come soon enough, NASA science spends most of their scarce $$ on product engineering because of launch constraints.
Lift those and the same $$ can do 10x more and better science.

Most of the costs on the Webb had little to do with launch constraints. Most of the costs were associated with building a telescope that has to be so precisely built and maintain its shape with the thermal environment it is operating in. The cost of developing the cameras to operate in this environment has also been a major challenge. Starship would not have changed that. A telescope of that size and capability would have been incredibly expensive even if it didn't have to unfold on the way to its operational location.