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[wetflame]

For people curious about how the James Webb Space Telescope will "transform" or unfold to take its final shape I found this:

You can't fool me, this is clearly footage from Babylon 5.

 

[HStallion]

Can't wait for some new space wallpapers!

One of the late additions was an extendable camera arm to take selfies

 

[killer rin]

I really hope this telescope makes it into orbit with no accidents. It would be a real setback for the space industry if something happened to it.

 

[Herne]

It's going to be a monumental engineering challenge to get it out to the Lagrange point. If something goes wrong, there's no fixing it like we did with Hubble. We're going to get some insane pictures if all goes well, though.

 

[SuperBanana]

God, I can't wait for the photos.

 

[Mr. Giggles]

WTF, 20 years?

I bet Trump could have done it in half the time with a fraction of the costs, no wonder NASA is failing.

Spoiler

/s

 

[LoveCake]

Some info on the James Webb telescope (and others come soon) Telescopes of Tomorrow | PBS Space Time

Looking forward to the images.

 

[Trouble]

If it's at the L2 point, how will the solar panel generate power? Won't it always be in earth's shadow?

 

[LegendofJoe]

Some info on the James Webb telescope (and others come soon) Telescopes of Tomorrow | PBS Space Time

Looking forward to the images.

There is so much cutting edge science and engineering involved in these telescopes. Watching this elicited an emotional response from me. They are stunning in every way.

 

[Messofanego]

I love these kind of threads where I learn so much.

 

[paradise_circus]

If it's at the L2 point, how will the solar panel generate power? Won't it always be in earth's shadow?

JWT will oscillate around the point to stay out of the shadow the moon and the earth casts.
ESA's Gaia is currently oscillating there and is mapping the space.
Here you can find a short explanation how the trajectory looks like for gaia: http://blogs.esa.int/gaia/2013/09/06/gaia-goes-to-l2-whats-an-ell-two/
The major axis is 700000 km long which is almost half the distance from earth to L2.

 

[xkramz]

Lmao is that real? Someone really dropped it?

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0410/04noaanreport/

 

[Trouble]

JWT will oscillate around the point to stay out of the shadow the moon and the earth casts.
ESA's Gaia is currently oscillating there and is mapping the space.
Here you can find a short explanation how the trajectory looks like for gaia: http://blogs.esa.int/gaia/2013/09/06/gaia-goes-to-l2-whats-an-ell-two/
The major axis is 700000 km long which is almost half the distance from earth to L2.

Thanks. Interesting, like a mini orbit around the L2 point.

 

[GeoGonzo]

Thanks. Interesting, like a mini orbit around the L2 point.

Fun additional fact: L2 is actually just outside the Earth's shadow (umbra). So it is actually impossible to be in complete darkness when you are in L2 because the Sun already looks larger than Earth.

 

[SwiftDeath]

I honestly can't wait. $10 billion most likely well spent

 

[heidern]

Ten billion dollars? Could have built a wall for that money.

 

[giant_frying_pan]

Can it observe Crysis?

 

[DJMicLuv]

First MacArthur Park, now this.

God Bless You Mr. Webb!

 

[nelsonroyale]

Magnificent news!

 

[sleverfunk]

Lmao I just had a dream about this telescope.
When it was first used the earth was sent into a panic because it captured cosmic horrors rather than cool space shit.

 

[Freeza Under The Shower]

Lmao I just had a dream about this telescope.
When it was first used the earth was sent into a panic because it captured cosmic horrors rather than cool space shit.

Hopefully nobody named their kid Remina then. At the same time, this is kind of a cool start for a horror short film.

Also, the biggest worry now is getting the damn thing from Earth into space with everything going right. And nobody tipping it over for funsies. Because that would really ruffle a whole bunch of jimmies.

 

[akira28]

Lmao I just had a dream about this telescope.
When it was first used the earth was sent into a panic because it captured cosmic horrors rather than cool space shit.

Well, the previous pope did issue a warning not to look to closely into the origins of the universe, because we wouldn't be able to handle what we saw.

 

[Timedog]

I've got a feeling or hunch that the rocket's gonna blow up, which will cause Trump to get rid of NASA, and leaving SpaceX floundering. People will lose their faith in science--they will no longer believe. I just feel like it's gonna happen.

 

[PushTheButtonMax]

I've got a feeling or hunch that the rocket's gonna blow up, which will cause Trump to get rid of NASA, and leaving SpaceX floundering. People will lose their faith in science--they will no longer believe. I just feel like it's gonna happen.

Cool, if that happens we can blame you.

 

[SonnyBoy]

If something does go wrong, will they send astronauts to fix it anyway? They say it's too far away but they wouldn't just let this $10 billion telescope sit there broken, would they?

I had the privilege of working at a facility that allowed me to speak to a gentleman who was working on this telescope. He told me (at the time) that there would be no way to repair this telescope.

 

[Trouble]

I had the privilege of working at a facility that allowed me to speak to a gentleman who was working on this telescope. He told me (at the time) that there would be no way to repair this telescope.

Yeah, it would require the furthest manned space flight by roughly four times the current record (moon orbit). Also, I'm pretty sure we don't have a suitable vehicle for such a mission.

 

[Hrothgar]

I've got a feeling or hunch that the rocket's gonna blow up, which will cause Trump to get rid of NASA, and leaving SpaceX floundering. People will lose their faith in science--they will no longer believe. I just feel like it's gonna happen.

The prequel to Interstellar.

 

[Subpar Spatula]

 

[WeirdoStalkerJr]

Can it observe Crysis?

Yes it can! From SPACE!

 

[mnannola]

From the FAQ:

Will Webb see planets around other stars?

The Webb will be able to detect the presence of planetary systems around nearby stars from their infrared light (heat). It will be able to see directly the reflected light of large planets - the size of Jupiter - orbiting around nearby stars. It will also be possible to see very young planets in formation, while they are still hot. Webb will have coronagraphic capability, which blocks out the light of the parent star of the planets. This is needed, as the parent star will be millions of times brighter than the planets orbiting it. Webb will not have the resolution to see any details on the planets; it will only be able to detect a faint light speckle next to the bright parent star.
Webb will also study planets that transit across their parent star. When the planet goes between the star and Webb, the total brightness will drop slightly. The amount that the brightness drops tells us the size of the planet. Webb can even see starlight that passes through the planet's atmosphere, measure its constituent gasses and determine whether the planet has liquid water on its surface. When the planet passes behind the star, the total brightness drops, and we can again determine more of the planet's characteristics.

Holy hell this thing can detect if planets in other solar systems have water on the surface. That is amazing!

 

[Wolfe]

Fuck yeah, can't wait till we start getting images/data from this thing, blows hubble out of the solar system.

 

[LoveCake]

I thought todays Google-doodle was rather relevant to this discussion.

]

 

[Insane Metal]

So cute.

BTW the Webb has successfully finished the vibration tests. Now it's moving to a different facility for testing of its optics and other equipment, and preparation for launch, which should happen by October 2018. I'm so excited for this... holy hell.

 

[Freeza Under The Shower]

I thought todays Google-doodle was rather relevant to this discussion.

]

aaawww, that's adorable.

 

[Clefargle]

So happy! My father is a machinist and worked on the mirrors! So proud to know that all the images I will see from it will have been images through mirrors he polished.

 

[boneyjangles]

Why build one when they could have built two for twice the price.

 

[HStallion]

Been wondering what the status of this was so figured I'd bump this thread. Seems launch has been delayed by nearly half a year from October 2018 to Spring 2019.

https://www.space.com/38304-james-webb-space-telescope-launch-delay.html

The successor to NASA's famed Hubble Space Telescope won't get off the ground next year after all.

NASA has pushed the planned launch of the $8.8 billion James Webb Space Telescope from October 2018 to the spring of 2019, citing spacecraft-integration issues.

"The change in launch timing is not indicative of hardware or technical performance concerns," Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate at the agency's headquarters in Washington, D.C., said in a statement. "Rather, the integration of the various spacecraft elements is taking longer than expected."

Some more news is that Hubble and other installations are being used to prep targets to be observed by the James Webb Telescope once its finally set up and ready.

https://phys.org/news/2017-10-hubble-paving-scientific-paths-james.html

NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope is helping identify potential celestial targets for the James Webb Space Telescope through a series of preparatory science observations to be completed before Webb is ready to make observations of its own.

This preparatory science program began in 2016 in response to the desire of astronomers to use Hubble observations to set the stage for Webb. The program marked the first time astronomers were encouraged to submit science proposals for Hubble observations that could pave the way for Webb’s own observations. So far, 40 proposals have been approved.

One of the primary science objectives for Webb is to observe the birth of stars and protoplanetary systems, and Sabbi’s observations promise to catalog hundreds of potential targets on which Webb could follow up. Sabbi and her team are using Hubble to look for binary stars in their earliest stages of development, where they are likely to be surrounded by protoplanetary disks — disks of dense gas and dust that encircle newly formed stars and eventually coalesce into planets.

 

[TemplaerDude]

I was hoping for sooner! Alas!

 

[jett]

Just read that this thing is powered by internal fuel that is projected to last only 10 years.

That is some really disappointing stuff considering Hubble has kept on trucking for nearly 30 years.

 

[GeoGonzo]

While it is ridiculous to pretend to understand the real complexity of a NASA mission from our point of view this seems like their most ambitious and complex endeavor since the landing of Curiosity, doesn’t it? Its best they take as much time as they need.

 

[Transhuman]

Ten billion dollars? Could have built a wall for that money.

 

[XMonkey]

While it is ridiculous to pretend to understand the real complexity of a NASA mission from our point of view this seems like their most ambitious and complex endeavor since the landing of Curiosity, doesn’t it? Its best they take as much time as they need.

IMO it’s the most ambitious and complex thing they’ve attempted since the Space Shuttle. Possibly more difficult than that, even.

 

[Spaced Harrier]

OK so cutting edge technology is difficult, especially if things need to be miniaturised or outright invented in order to work.

But in what possible way is a 20 year times span acceptable?

20 years ago was 1997, the technology available was entirely different. At a certain point with long technological gestations you get lapped.

Now I'm not that familiar with James Webb telescope, was it in active development for the full 20.
Or is this the one that was shelved and had to be redesigned when taken out of cold storage.

 

[Isaac Otherworld]

Does this mean the Hubble will be retired and plummet back to earth disintegrating in the atmosphere? Cause that would be pretty metal.

 

[jett]

OK so cutting edge technology is difficult, especially if things need to be miniaturised or outright invented in order to work.

But in what possible way is a 20 year times span acceptable?

20 years ago was 1997, the technology available was entirely different. At a certain point with long technological gestations you get lapped.

Now I'm not that familiar with James Webb telescope, was it in active development for the full 20.
Or is this the one that was shelved and had to be redesigned when taken out of cold storage.

I sure hope the Webb telescope of today isn't made with 1997 technology.

 

[XMonkey]

OK so cutting edge technology is difficult, especially if things need to be miniaturised or outright invented in order to work.

But in what possible way is a 20 year times span acceptable?

20 years ago was 1997, the technology available was entirely different. At a certain point with long technological gestations you get lapped.

Now I'm not that familiar with James Webb telescope, was it in active development for the full 20.
Or is this the one that was shelved and had to be redesigned when taken out of cold storage.

Not sure where this whole “acceptable” angle is going, but you may want to read up on the history of the project: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Webb_Space_Telescope#History

NASA certainly has it’s fair share of management issues, but they only get one shot at this so I’m ok with them taking their time. No one is going to technologically lap us on this, either.