James Webb Space Telescope (3 Viewers)

[bonnjer]

Now this is a sweet update site...

Where Is Webb? NASA/Webb

During Webb's launch, deployment and commissioning, 'WhereIsWebb' tracked Webb's 'flight' to L2 orbit, its state and progress during its deployment and commissioning process, and finally the release of its first images. This process is now complete. During this process, the page constantly...

webb.nasa.gov

 

[Merl]

Now this is a sweet update site...

Where Is Webb? NASA/Webb

During Webb's launch, deployment and commissioning, 'WhereIsWebb' tracked Webb's 'flight' to L2 orbit, its state and progress during its deployment and commissioning process, and finally the release of its first images. This process is now complete. During this process, the page constantly...

webb.nasa.gov

nice find

 

[Merl]

I have been monitoring the Nasa sight on the mission. and it seems that everything is going as planned to this point. One thing I was surprised about is that it it slowed down quite a bit in the last day. I read a lot of Sci-Fi and most assume that a ship would accelerate to just short of midway to the destination then "flip" and fire it's engines to slow down. The Webb started out faster the 1 mile per second but is now down to .77 miles per second. while it coast. I am assuming to is do to the earth's gravity effect and this is planned so than it gets to a near zero velocity as it arrives at the L2 point where the Earth and Sun's gravity is equalized.

Tomorrow is when it is to start the deployment of it's heat shield that will take a week to complete, after the mirror will start to unfold which will take 2 weeks. If any of this fails then the mission fails.

 

[bonnjer]

I have been monitoring the Nasa sight on the mission. and it seems that everything is going as planned to this point. One thing I was surprised about is that it it slowed down quite a bit in the last day. I read a lot of Sci-Fi and most assume that a ship would accelerate to just short of midway to the destination then "flip" and fire it's engines to slow down. The Webb started out faster the 1 mile per second but is now down to .77 miles per second. while it coast. I am assuming to is do to the earth's gravity effect and this is planned so than it gets to a near zero velocity as it arrives at the L2 point where the Earth and Sun's gravity is equalized.

Tomorrow is when it is to start the deployment of it's heat shield that will take a week to complete, after the mirror will start to unfold which will take 2 weeks. If any of this fails then the mission fails.

Has to do with not being able to correct for too much thrust. Here's their wording from the blog:

"Webb received an intentional slight under-burn from the Ariane-5 that launched it into space, because it’s not possible to correct for overthrust. If Webb gets too much thrust, it can’t turn around to move back toward Earth because that would directly expose its telescope optics and structure to the Sun, overheating them and aborting the science mission before it can even begin."

 

[Merl]

Has to do with not being able to correct for too much thrust. Here's their wording from the blog:

"Webb received an intentional slight under-burn from the Ariane-5 that launched it into space, because it’s not possible to correct for overthrust. If Webb gets too much thrust, it can’t turn around to move back toward Earth because that would directly expose its telescope optics and structure to the Sun, overheating them and aborting the science mission before it can even begin."

I have read that and there are 2 burns built in early to correct trajectory. the first was yesterday and the 2nd is today at sometime. Neither are to increase it's speed but just to aim it better. There will be a third to insert it on it's final orbit on day 29.

 

[LonghornSaint]

Yep, no flip-and-burn capability on this one.

 

[nolaspe]

Whoops...

 

[Sailorsaint]

Whoops...

OMG!!!

 

[Zack Lee]

Whoops...

that is hysterical right dere!

 

[Merl]

Looks like they have completed the second mid-course burn and the last until it reaches the L2 point. Tomorrow the heat shield will start being deployed. This will take 6 days to complete.

 

[Merl]

Today they successfully completed the first 2 steps in deploying the heat shield. Seven more steps to go over the next 5 days to fully deploy it.

 

[bonnjer]

I imagine there's not too many of the team members getting much sleep lately. My nerves would be shot.

 

[Merl]

They have now raised the central tower that contains the instruments and mirror that clears space for the heat shield and released the covers of the shield. Tomorrow the are supposed to extend the sides of the shield and over the next few days tension the shield. It is closing in on the half way point to the half way point distance wise but 3 weeks in time since it is slowing down on it's speed which was planned. At this point everything is going as planned and I pray it continues.

 

[GrandAdmiral]

I've actually made it a point to check the NASA site a few times a day to see its progress. Wonder if there's a chance it can reach its mark ahead of time without disrupting the window.

 

[bonnjer]

I've actually made it a point to check the NASA site a few times a day to see its progress. Wonder if there's a chance it can reach its mark ahead of time without disrupting the window.

Their blogger does a fantastic job of keeping things up to date. I would imagine that they have the arrival time pretty much pegged right on the nose. They seem to have everything calculated precisely.