The James Webb Space Telescope will be the successor to Hubble. Currently undergoing construction the JWST is due for launch in 2013. Unlike Hubble JWST will not be placed in an Earth orbit but it will be place in a region of space known as the Second Lagrange Point (L2). This is a stable point where the gravity of the Earth and Sun cancel each other out.

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Quick Facts

Primary Light-Gathering Mirror
21.3 feet (6.5 m) at its widest point
A total area of 270² feet (25²m)



Wavelength Range
Visible to mid-infrared (0.6 to 27+ micrometers)

Mission Lifetime
5–10 years

Instruments

• Near-infrared camera (0.6 to 5 micrometers)
• Multi-object near-infrared spectrometer (0.8 – 5 micrometers)
• Mid-infrared camera/spectrometer (5 to 27+ micrometers)
• Tunable filter camera (1.25 – 5 micrometers)

Operating Temperature
– 375°Fahrenheit (40 Kelvin; –233.3 °Celsius)

Payload Mass
About 15,000 lbs (6,800 kg)

Launch Vehicle
Ariane 5

Orbit
940,000 miles (1.5 million km) from Earth at the Second Lagrange Point (L2)

Transit Time to Orbit
About 3 months

Source: JWST Site - Facts and Figures

JWST's Vision

Imagine a universe of total, perfect darkness.

The glow of the Big Bang has faded away, leaving a blackness unbroken by even a single star. But in this void matter is gathering, collecting. Eventually, it will become dense enough to give birth to the first stars -- the first light in the universe.

This mysterious period in the universe’s evolution, after matter began to form structure but before the evolution of the galaxies and stars we see today, is called "the Dark Age."

The James Webb Space Telescope will gaze back to the end period of the Dark Age, to the time when the first stars and galaxies began to form.



JWST will study ultraviolet and visible light from this early time. Such emissions have been stretched — or redshifted — by the expansion of the universe until they can only be seen in infrared wavelengths. JWST will use technology similar to that of infrared-sensitive night-vision cameras to make its observations

Source: JWST Site - Facts and Figures

Project History

In 1996, an 18-member committee headed by astronomer Alan Dressler recommended that NASA develop a space telescope to succeed the Hubble Space Telescope. The committee was specific about what the telescope should do. The panel envisioned an observatory that would let us view the heavens in infrared light — the wavelength band that enables us see through dust and gas clouds and extends our vision farther out into space and time — and one that would operate in an orbit well past Earth’s Moon. It would have an aperture with a diameter greater than 4 meters, giving it greater sensitivity to light and the ability to see farther into space than previous telescopes.

In the spring and summer of 1996, three teams made up of scientists and engineers from the private and public sectors met to determine whether NASA could realize the committee’s vision. All three came to the conclusion that the proposed telescope, tentatively named the Next Generation Space Telescope, would be feasible and would far surpass Hubble’s sensitivity.

Buoyed by these findings, NASA agreed in 1997 to fund additional studies to further refine the technical and financial requirements for building the telescope.

In 2002 NASA selected TRW/Ball Aerospace as the main industrial partners to build the telescope. TRW, bought by Northrop Grumman, became Northrop Grumman Space Technology soon afterward. At the same time the name of the telescope was changed from Next Generation Space Telescope to the James Webb Space Telescope. NASA also selected in 2002 the teams to build the instruments and the Science Working Group, a group of astronomers giving guidance in constructing the telescope.

Source: JWST Site - Facts and Figures

Project Timeline

1993 — Space Telescope Institute Council appoints a committee to study 21st century space-astronomy missions.

1995-1996 — The committee recommends, as a successor to Hubble, a significantly larger telescope capable of seeing infrared light. NASA selects Goddard Space Flight Center and the Space Telescope Science Institute to study its feasibility. Three independent government and aerospace teams determine that such an observatory is feasible.

1997 — NASA selects teams from the Goddard Space Flight Center, TRW, and Ball Aerospace to fine-tune the telescope's technical and financial requirements.

1999 — NASA chooses Lockheed Martin and TRW (which in 2002 became Northrop Grumman Space Technology/Ball Aerospace) to conduct "Phase A" mission studies, preliminary analysis of the design and cost.

2002 — Based on two "Phase A" studies, NASA selects the design of TRW/Ball Aerospace to continue in "Phase B" detailed design studies, which examine the performance and cost of the chosen design. The telescope is renamed from the Next Generation Space Telescope to the James Webb Space Telescope. TRW, bought by Northrop Grumman, becomes Northrop Grumman Space Technology. NASA selects the flight science working group and the team responsible for developing the Near Infrared Camera.

2004 — Construction begins on certain telescope parts that require extensive, long-term work -- in particular, JWST's science instruments and the 18 segments of the primary mirror.

2005 — NASA approves the use of the European Space Agency-provided Ariane 5 rocket to launch JWST into its operating orbit. This completes the contributions of the ESA and the Canadian Space Agency in the JWST program.

2007-2008 — NASA will have the mission reviewed by internal and external groups. The internal "preliminary design review" and external "non-advocate review" will take place before NASA commits to phases C and D . Phases C and D entail detailed design, procurement, testing and assembly of telescope components. Construction begins in earnest.

2009 — The primary mirror will be completed. The telescope’s science instruments will be delivered to NASA.

2012 — The assembled telescope and its instruments will be tested in a giant cryogenic vacuum to see if they function properly in the frigid temperatures of space.

2013 — Scheduled launch of the James Webb Space Telescope.

Source: JWST Site - Facts and Figures

The press release is reproduced below:

Jan. 24, 2007

Tabatha Thompson/Grey Hautaluoma
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-3895/0668

Rob Gutro
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
301-286-4044

RELEASE: 07-014

NASA Creates Microscopic Technology for Webb Space Telescope

GREENBELT, Md. - NASA engineers and scientists building the James Webb Space Telescope have created a new telescope technology called "microshutters." Microshutters are tiny doorways the width of a few hairs that will allow the telescope to view the most distant stars and galaxies humans have ever seen.

The microshutters will enable scientists to mask unwanted light from foreground objects so the telescope can focus on the faint light of the first stars and galaxies that formed in the universe. Only the Webb Telescope has this technology. The Webb Telescope will launch in the next decade.

In December 2006, the microshutters passed crucial environmental testing to demonstrate that they can withstand the rigors of launching and placement in deep space. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., designed, tested and built the instrument technology. The microshutters will work in conjunction with the telescope's Near Infrared Spectrograph that is being built by the European Space Agency.

"To build a telescope that can peer farther than the Hubble Space Telescope can, we needed brand new technology," said Murzy Jhabvala, chief engineer of Goddard's Instrument Technology and Systems Division. "We've worked on this design for more than six years, opening and closing the tiny shutters tens of thousands of times to perfect the technology."

Each of the 62,000 shutters measures 100 by 200 microns, or roughly the width of three to six human hairs. The shutters are arranged in four identical grids that have a layout of 171 rows by 365 columns. These shutter grids are in front of an eight million-pixel infrared detector that records the light passing through the open shutters. The detector itself represents a technology breakthrough.

Astronomers using ground-based telescopes first take a picture of the sky and map all the objects in which they are interested. They then create a mask resembling a sieve to place on the telescope so that only the light from areas of interest can reach the telescope's detectors.

In space, the Webb Telescope will have a wide field of view, and its deep, long observation of the sky will contain millions of light sources. Microshutters allow scientists to remotely and systematically block out light that they do not want, allowing the large-format detector to measure infrared spectra optimally. Previously, masks of space telescopes only covered large regions of a field of view at any one time.

"The microshutters provide a conduit for faint light to reach the telescope detectors with very little loss," said Harvey Moseley, the Microshutter Principal Investigator at Goddard. "The shutters allow us to perform spectroscopy on up to 100 targets simultaneously. We will be able to see deeper in less time."

Each shutter grid array is etched from a single piece of silicon, leaving a sculpture of cavities and doorframes with microscopic hinges and moving doors. The tiny shutters are laced with magnetic cobalt-iron strips.

A passing magnet will open all the doors, pulling them down into the cavity. While the doors are opened, engineers can apply a combination of voltages to keep the selected microshutters open. The remainder close when the magnet moves away.

The microshutters must perform at a temperature of minus 388 degrees Fahrenheit (40 Kelvin, -233 degrees Celsius), which is the temperature of the Near Infrared Spectrograph.

The microshutters are needed for observing distant, faint sources. Hubble's Ultra-Deep Field provides the deepest view of the universe, an image containing tens of thousands of light sources. Some of these light sources are relatively close and some are from an era just after galaxies and stars formed. To go deeper, scientists need to mask the brighter, closer sources and focus only on the most distant. The same microshutter technology also will efficiently reveal faint features in relatively nearby star fields, where scientists will analyze multiple sources at once.

"The microshutters are a remarkable engineering feat that will have applications both in space and on the ground, even outside the realm of astronomy in biotechnology, medicine and communications," said Moseley.

For diagrams and images of the microshutters, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/vision/universe/starsgalaxies/microshutters.html

- end -

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Source: NASA Press Release 07-014

NASA engineers and scientists have created something that will give better information about far away galaxies. This new creation, which will be in a future space telescope, is so tiny that it's the width of a few hairs.


Image above: Using a microscope to look at a collection
of Microshutters, called an "array" you can see a hair in the
picture for a size comparison.
Click image to enlarge.
Credit: NASA/Chris Gunn

"Microshutters" are tiny doorways that bring stars and galaxies very far away into better focus. This new technology will go aboard the James Webb Space Telescope, to be launched into space in a decade.

The microshutters will enable scientists to block unwanted light from objects closer to the camera in space, letting the light from faraway objects shine through. To get an idea of how these tiny little "hairlike" shutters work, think about how you try to make something look clearer – you squint. By squinting, your eyelashes block out light closer to you. That's similar to how the microshutters work.



Image above: Dr. Murzy Jhabvala, Chief Engineer of
the Instrument Technology and Systems Division
demonstrates opening & closing a collection of
micro-shutters by using a magnet to form an image.
Click image to view movie
(6.9 Mb - no audio - background sound)
Credit: NASA

These microshutters will allow the telescope to focus on the faint light of stars and galaxies so far away, they formed early in the history of the universe. That's because light travels at 186,000 miles per second, and light is still traveling through space from the time the universe started. No other telescope has this microshutter technology.

The Webb Telescope will take over for the Hubble Space Telescope. It is planned for launch in the next decade.


Image above: Murzy Jhabvala, Chief Engineer of the Instrument
Technology and Systems Division at Goddard standing at a
microscope with a microshutter "array" on it, that is being
magnified and shown on the TV.
Credit: NASA/Chris Gunn

New technology always gets tested and re-tested to make sure it's ready to go on a spacecraft. In December 2006, the microshutters passed important tests that showed they can handle the stresses of being launched and placed in deep space.

The microshutters were designed, built and tested at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. They will work with a camera scheduled to be onboard the telescope called the "Near Infrared Spectrograph," which will be built by the European Space Agency. The spectrograph will break up the light from the galaxies into a rainbow of different colors, allowing scientists to determine the kinds of stars and gasses that make up the galaxies and measure their distances and motions.


Image above: This is an array of microshutters, about the
size of a postage stamp.
Credit: NASA/Chris Gunn

"To build a telescope that can peer farther than Hubble can, we needed brand new technology," said Murzy Jhabvala, chief engineer of Goddard's Instrument Technology and Systems Division. "We've worked on this design for over six years, opening and closing the tiny shutters tens of thousands of times in order to perfect the technology."

Each shutter measures 100 by 200 microns, or about the width of three to six human hairs. These tiny shutters are arranged in a waffle-like grid containing over 62,000 shutters. The telescope will contain four of these waffle-looking grids all put together. They also have to work at the incredibly cold temperature of minus 388 degrees Fahrenheit (-233 degrees Celsius).


Image right: Close-up of the Microshutters
Credit: NASA/Chris Gunn

The big benefit of the microshutters is that they will allow scientists to look at 100 things in space at the same time and see deeper into space in less time.

"The microshutters are a remarkable engineering feat that will have applications both in space and on the ground, even outside of astronomy in biotechnology, medicine and communications," said Harvey Moseley, the Microshutter Principal Investigator.


Rob Gutro
Goddard Space Flight Center

Source: NASA - Exploring the Universe - Stars and Galaxies

The "spine" of the James Webb Space Telescope, called the backplane, is in great health for space, according to scientists and engineers. Recent tests show that the backplane, which supports the big mirrors of the telescope, can handle its trip into space and operate correctly when the observatory launches in 2013.


Image above: Scientists and Engineers at Northrop Grumman working with the Backplane or "Spine" of the JWST.
Credit: Northrop Grumman.
Click on image to enlarge.

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will explore many wonders in space– from distant galaxies to nearby planets and stars. From the first light after the Big Bang to the formation of star systems that can support life on planets like Earth, JWST will give scientists clues about the formation of the universe and the evolution of our own solar system.

The telescope is as big as a two-story house and involves 10 different technologies. Engineers thoroughly test each of them to make sure that it can do what it's intended to do, and that it can survive the trip into space and a life in the harsh space environment. The technologies are both hardware (like the backplane) and computer software.

The backplane endured freezing conditions during the "health tests" at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. It is the largest structure ever tested in freezing temperatures, a necessary step to make sure it won't move in extreme cold.



Image above: This schematic of the James Webb
Space Telescope includes the location of the "backplane"
or "spine" of the observatory.
Credit: NASA.
Click on image to enlarge.

"We need it to hold steady while we're observing," said Dr. John Mather, JWST Senior Project Scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. "These tests show that it will do that," he said. The movements were so small they were measured in nanometers (one nanometer is smaller than a human hair).

The backplane was tested in cold as low as minus 405 degrees Fahrenheit (30 Kelvin) to minus 351 Fahrenheit (60 Kelvin) over periods lasting two to three days. From late June through mid-September, the tests took place in a special vacuum chamber at Marshall's X-Ray Calibration Facility.

All of the JWST technologies have to pass this same test. If they all pass, it means these hardware and software systems can handle their space trip and work in space. Scientists and engineers then "engineer" them, or apply them, to make them work with other technologies on JWST.

Northrop Grumman Corporation leads a team that is designing and building JWST under a contract with NASA.

"These results represent a tremendous achievement for the JWST team," noted Martin Mohan, Northrop Grumman's JWST program manager. "The backplane performed even better than expected and demonstrates the telescope's ability to stay accurately focused."

Rob Gutro
Goddard Space Flight Center

Source: NASA - Exploring the Universe - Stars and Galaxies

The "spine" of the James Webb Space Telescope, called the backplane, is in great health for space, according to scientists and engineers. Recent tests show that the backplane, which supports the big mirrors of the telescope, can handle its trip into space and operate correctly when the observatory launches in 2013.


Image above: When scientists are looking into space, the more
they can see, the easier it is to piece together the puzzle of the
cosmos. The James Webb Space Telescope's mirror blanks have
now been constructed. When polished and assembled, together
they will form a mirror whose area is over seven times larger
than the Hubble Telescope's mirror.
Credit: Axsys

A telescope’s sensitivity, or how much detail it can see, is directly related to the size of the mirror area that collects light from the cosmos. A larger area collects more light to see deeper into space, just like a larger bucket collects more water in a rain shower than a small one. The larger mirror also means the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will have excellent resolution. That's why the telescope's 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.

The challenge was to make the mirrors lightweight for launch, but nearly distortion-free for excellent image quality. That challenge has been met by AXSYS Technologies., Inc., Cullman, Ala. "From the start, AXSYS Technologies has been a key player in the mirror technology development effort," said Kevin Russell, mirror development lead at NASA's Marshall Spaceflight Center, Huntsville, Ala.

If the mirror were assembled completely and fully opened on the ground, there would be no way to fit it into a rocket. Therefore, the Webb Telescope's 18 mirror segments must be set into place when the telescope is in space. Engineers solved this problem by allowing the segmented mirror to fold, like the leaves of a drop-leaf table.


Image above: Engineers at Axsys Technologies work with one of the mirrors
of the JWST.
Credit: Axsys Technologies

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 any imperfections after the telescope opens in space, or if any changes occur in the mirror during the life of the mission. Each segment is made of beryllium, one of the lightest of all metals known to man. Beryllium has been used in other space telescopes and has worked well at the super-frigid temperatures of space in which the telescope will operate.

Each of the hexagonal-shaped mirror segments is 1.3 meters (4.26 feet) in diameter, and weighs approximately 20 kilograms or 46 pounds. 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 in diameter, but will weigh roughly half as much.

"The James Webb Space Telescope will collect light approximately 9 times faster than the Hubble Space Telescope when one takes into account the details of the relative mirror sizes, shapes, and features in each design," said Eric Smith, JWST program scientist at NASA Headquarters, Washington. The increased sensitivity will allow scientists to see back to when the first galaxies formed just after the Big Bang. The larger telescope will have advantages for all aspects of astronomy and will revolutionize studies of how stars and planetary systems form and evolve.


Image above: JWST will have a 6.6 meter (21.65 feet) diameter
primary mirror, which would give it a significant larger collecting
area than the mirrors available on the current generation of space
telescopes. Hubble Space Telescope's mirror is a much smaller
2.4 meters (7.8 feet) in diameter.
Click on image to enlarge.
Credit: NASA

The 18 mirrors have now been shipped to L-3 Communications SSG-Tinsley, Richmond, Calif. where they can be ground and polished.

After the grinding and polishing, the mirror segments will be delivered to Ball Aerospace in small groups where they will be assembled. Once the mirrors are completed, they will go to NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., for final assembly on the telescope.

Upon successful launch in 2013, JWST will study the first stars and galaxies following the Big Bang.

Related Link:

+ JWST Project site

Rob Gutro
Goddard Space Flight Center

Source: NASA - Exploring the Universe - Stars and Galaxies

The press release is reproduced below:

May 2, 2007

Grey Hautaluoma
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-0668

Rob Gutro
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
301-286-4044

RELEASE: 07-96

New Technologies for James Webb Space Telescope Approved Early

WASHINGTON - More than a year ahead of schedule, a team of independent experts has approved all ten new technologies developed for NASA's James Webb Space Telescope. Many of the technologies are revolutionary and have never before been used on any satellite or space telescope. The early approval can reduce the risk of increased costs and schedule delays before the program is approved for further development.

NASA commissioned the team of engineers, scientists and project managers to conduct the technical review. The group evaluated the telescope's near and mid-infrared detectors, sunshield materials, lightweight cryogenic mirrors, microshutter arrays, cryogenic detector readout application-specific integrated circuits, cryogenic heat switches, a large precision cryogenic structure, a cryocooler for the mid-infrared instrument, and wavefront sensing and control. They determined the technologies were tested successfully in a space-like environment and are mature enough to include on the telescope's upcoming mission.

The actual hardware and software that will fly on the telescope now can be engineered from working prototypes. These technologies will allow the observatory to peer back in time to about 400 million years after the Big Bang, enabling scientists to study the first generation of stars and galaxies.

"The technology non-advocate review was our attempt to address one common problem that NASA missions encounter that leads to cost growth," said Eric Smith, Webb program scientist at NASA Headquarters, Washington. "That problem is late maturation of technology in a program's life-cycle. By conducting an external review of our technologies more than a year ahead of the Preliminary Design Review - when they are traditionally examined - we hope to better manage that aspect of the program's costs."

Two examples of the new technologies are the microshutter arrays and wavefront sensing and control.

Microshutters are tiny doorways, the width of a few hairs, that will allow scientists to remotely and systematically block out unwanted light and view the most distant stars and galaxies ever seen. The telescope will be the first project to employ this technology.

Through a process called wavefront sensing and control, a set of algorithms and software programs, the optimum position of each of the telescope mirrors will be computed, and the positions will be adjusted as necessary, causing the individual mirrors to function as one very sensitive telescope.

"At the inception of the James Webb Space Telescope program, NASA adopted a strategy of making significant, early investments in the development of the diverse and challenging new technologies needed to conduct the mission," said Phil Sabelhaus, project manager at Goddard. "Receiving the review board's confirmation that we have met the goal more than a year early for all of our new technologies is a major accomplishment for our team and a tribute to the benefits of the early investment strategy," Sabelhaus said.

Northrop Grumman Corporation, Redondo Beach, Calif.; Ball Aerospace Corporation, Boulder, Colo.; Teledyne Imaging Systems, Thousand Oaks, Calif.; Utah State University's Space Dynamics Lab, North Logan, Utah; Raytheon Vision Systems, Santa Barbara, Calif.; Alliant Techsystems, Magna, Utah; and Sheldahl, Northfield, Minn., worked with NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., on these and other technologies.

The James Webb Space Telescope is expected to launch in 2013. The telescope is a joint project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency.

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

http://www.jwst.nasa.gov

For related images on this story, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/vision/universe/starsgalaxies/webb_technologies.html

- end -

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Source: NASA Press Release 07-96

Scientists and engineers have been working for years to develop ten technologies for NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, like big mirrors that will actually move around in space and computer software that will make it happen, or the materials that make up a giant sunshield as big as a tennis court. These and other inventions have now passed approvals at NASA. The approvals mean that they can go from the laboratory to being manufactured to fly on the telescope.


Image above: This is one mirror segment. Each of the
Webb telescope's 18 hexagonal shaped mirror segments
is 1.3 meters (4.26 feet) in diameter, and weighs
approximately 20 kilograms (46 pounds). The 18 mirror
segments will form a single large mirror with a total area
of 25 square-meters (almost 30 square yards) when they
come together.
+ Click for high res image.
Credit: NASA

When all of these technologies are put together on the telescope, scientists will use them to study the first generation of stars and galaxies that formed about 400 million years after the Big Bang. This is no small feat. Looking at starlight is like looking back in time, because it takes the light from those stars years to get to Earth. Light moves at 186,000 miles per second so imagine how far you have to travel to get from a star 50 light-years away from Earth.

Scientists now think that all of these inventions will be able to survive the flight into space and work correctly.

Among the new technologies are: near and mid-infrared detectors, sunshield materials, microshutters and wavefront sensing and control. All inventions, with the exception of wavefront sensing and control are "cryogenic," which means icy cold. It's important for these pieces to be kept cold because the telescope will be reading heat and light from stars, and heat from instruments would get in the way of a good reading.


Image above: The Wavefront sensing and control
system processes cosmic images through mathematical
algorithms to calculate the mirror adjustments required
to bring the image into focus. When the individual
mirrors are properly aligned, the Webb telescope will be
able to obtain extraordinarily sharp images and detect
the faint glimmer of a distant galaxy. Ball Aerospace
engineered a scaled telescope testbed, shown here, so
that wavefront sensing and control can be developed
and tested.
+ Click for high res image.
Credit: NASA

The icy cold technologies include: lightweight cryogenic mirrors, cryogenic detector readout application-specific integrated circuit, cryogenic heat switches, a cryocooler for the mid-infrared instrument, and a large precision cryogenic structure.

Many of the technologies have never been seen before on any satellite or space telescope. The Microshutters and the Wavefront Sensing and Control are just two examples.

Microshutters are tiny doorways the width of a few hairs that will allow scientists to remotely and systematically block out unwanted light and view the most distant stars and galaxies humans have ever seen. The James Webb Space Telescope will be the first to use this technology.


Image above: This is an array of microshutters, about
the size of a postage stamp. Each shutter measures 100
by 200 microns, or about the width of three to six human
hairs. These tiny shutters are arranged in a waffle-like
grid containing over 62,000 shutters. The telescope will
contain four of these waffle-looking grids.
+ Click for high res image.
Credit: NASA/Chris Gunn

Wavefront Sensing and Control refers to a set of algorithms (complex mathematical equations) and software programs that will help determine the best position for each of the telescope's mirrors, and will adjust their positions if necessary. The technology will enable the mirrors to function as one very sensitive telescope to look deep into space and time.

NASA reviewed the inventions now, which is early in the development of the telescope, because scientists wanted to see if the new technologies were ready to be included in the mission. They also wanted to make sure that the inventions would enable the space telescope to do its expected job. "This early test was our attempt to address one common problem that NASA missions encounter that leads to increased costs," said Eric Smith, James Webb Space Telescope program scientist at NASA Headquarters, Washington. "That problem is late maturation of technology in a program’s life-cycle."


Image above: Microshutters are tiny cells that measure 100 by 200 microns, or about the width of three to six human hairs. This is a closeup view of the microshutters.
Credit: NASA

Scientists and engineers from other places are helping NASA develop these inventions. They include: Northrop Grumman Corporation, Ball Aerospace Corporation, Teledyne Imaging Systems, Utah State University’s Space Dynamics Lab, Alliant Techsystems, Sheldahl, and Raytheon Vision Systems.

The telescope is planned for launch in 2013.

Related Link:

+ JWST Project site


Rob Gutro
Goddard Space Flight Center

Source: NASA - Exploring the Universe - Stars and Galaxies

This May, there will be more than one "web slinger" coming to town. In addition to the superhero, who will make his third movie appearance, NASA has its own "Webb" slinger – the James Webb Space Telescope. The Webb space telescope will be much larger than the Hubble Space Telescope, its predecessor. A life-sized model of the "Webb" telescope is coming to the National Mall, Washington.


Image above: A life-sized model of the JWST was recently on
display at the AAS annual meeting in Seattle, Washington. It
stands two stories high and weighs several tons.
Click image to enlarge.
Credit: Rob Gutro, NASA/GSFC

The James Webb telescope will be able to look back to the beginning of time. 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. Launch is scheduled for 2013.

"There's more than just one similarity between the web-slinging superhero and the James Webb telescope," said John Decker, Deputy Associate Director for the James Webb Space Telescope Project at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. "The sunshield on the spacecraft is actually shaped like a giant spider web, when you look at it from the top."

During the second week in May, visitors to the Nation's Capitol will be able to see the life-sized model of NASA's latest "superhero," and get a picture taken next to it. The model will be assembled on May 9, and will be on display through May 12 in front of the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum on the National Mall, Washington.


Image above:Looking down at the James Webb Space Telescope,
the sunshield, which is stretched out underneath the mirrors (yellow)
looks like a spider web.
Click image to enlarge.
Credit: NASA

NASA and Northrop Grumman, the contractor who built the model, will set up information booths next to the model, where visitors can get information and educational materials, and speak with people who are involved in the project to build the real James Webb Space Telescope.

The full-scale telescope model was built to give the viewing public a better understanding of the size, scale and complexity of this breakthrough satellite. Specifically designed for an environment subject to gravity and weather, the model is constructed mainly of aluminum and steel, weighs 12,000 lbs., and is approximately 80 feet long, 40 feet wide and 40 feet tall. A specially manufactured material imported from France called "Ferrari Precontraint" allows the sunshield to 'breathe.' The model requires 2 trucks for shipping, and assembly takes a crew of 12 approximately four days.


Image/animation above: This animation shows the JWST Sunshield unfolding like a spiderweb, as it will
appear after its launch into space.
Click image to view animation.
Credit: Animation courtesy of Northrop Grumman Space Technology

The telescope model has been "Webb-slinging" since 2005 to Seattle, Wash.; Colorado Springs, Colo.; Paris, France; Greenbelt, Md.; Rochester, N.Y.; and Orlando, Fla. Funds used to build this model were provided solely by Northrop Grumman.

The model display is part of "Public Service Recognition Week 2007," which runs from May 10 through 13. The theme of the week is "Safety, Science, Security, Technology." This annual national event is sponsored by the Council for Excellence in Government, Employees Roundtable, and it honors men and women who serve America in the Federal, state and local governments.


Image above: Map showing the location of the JWST on the
National Mall.
Click image to enlarge.
Credit: Credit: Northrop Grumman/NASA

If your plans don't call for a visit to Washington, D.C. in May, you can also watch NASA's "Webb-slinger" on the World Wide Web at the link below!

Related Links:

+ James Webb Space Telescope site
+ Public Service Recognition week

Rob Gutro
Goddard Space Flight Center

Source: NASA - Exploring the Universe - Stars and Galaxies

When it launches in 2013 the James Webb Space Telescope will settle in an orbit roughly one million miles from the Earth. That distance is currently too far for any astronaut or any other existing NASA servicing capability to reach. Therefore, NASA is doing everything necessary to design and test the telescope on the ground using techniques that will ensure that it deploys and operates reliably in space.

Image above: This is an artist's rendition of the James Webb Space Telescope.
Credit: NASA
Click on image to view animation
Caption for animation: JWST is designed to make observations in the far visible to the mid-infrared part of the spectrum. This wavelength coverage is different from that of the HST, which covers the range from the ultraviolet to the near infrared. JWST will have a primary mirror diameter more than twice as large as HST giving it much more light gathering capability. JWST will also operate much farther from Earth giving it much simplified operations and pointing requirements compared with HST. JWST is the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope; JWST is planned for launch next decade.
Credit: Northrop Grumman

However, NASA is looking into just how feasible it might be to perform emergency servicing operations on the Webb telescope if such a need were to arise and if such a servicing capability were to become available sometime in the future.

"We are currently studying the possibility of adding a lightweight grapple fixture to JWST," said John Decker, Deputy Associate Director of the JWST Project at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. "A grapple fixture is a kind of a grab bar that would afford a means for a future manned or robotic servicing capability to safely attach to the telescope in space."

Once the engineers who are assessing the feasibility of adding the grapple feature have concluded the study, they will present the results to NASA Headquarters. At that time, there will be a determination as to whether the grapple feature will be added to the telescope. The assessment will finalize in 2008.

Image above: This is an artist's rendition of the James Webb Space Telescope orbiting the second Lagrange point (L2) of the Sun-Earth system. The L2 point is approximately 1.5 million kilometers (approximately 930,000 miles) from Earth, outside the orbit of the Moon. The region about L2 is a gravitational saddle point, where spacecraft may remain at roughly constant distance from the Earth throughout the year by small station-keeping maneuvers.
Click image to enlarge.
Credit: NASA

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.

Related Link:

+ James Webb Space Telescope

Rob Gutro
Goddard Space Flight Center

Source: NASA/GSFC - News

The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) press release is reproduced below:

Longueuil, Quebec, June 4, 2007 – Gary Goodyear, Member of Parliament for Cambridge, on behalf of the Honourable Maxime Bernier, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), today announced the award of a $39-million contract to COM DEV for the building of the Fine Guidance Sensor (FGS) and the Tuneable Filter Imager (TFI) camera for NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The FGS is a critical instrument that will locate stars to high precision and keep the telescope pointed accurately while it works. TFI will provide a unique infrared imaging capability for JWST.

As a collaboration between NASA, the European Space Agency and the CSA, this space telescope will be the largest ever built. Managing Canada's participation, the Canadian Space Agency plays a pivotal role as the funding agency and project coordinator in Canada. This contribution will also guarantee Canadian scientists access to all data and allow them to formulate requests for a minimum of 5% of the time on the space telescope for studies that would best serve their research.

"Our newly released Science and Technology Strategy – Mobilizing Science and Technology to Canada's Advantage – recognizes the importance of doing more to turn ideas into innovations that provide solutions to our environmental, health and other important challenges, and to improve Canada's economic competitiveness," said Gary Goodyear. "The space industry plays a key role within Canada's science and technology sector, and space ventures such as the James Webb Space Telescope bring challenges so demanding and so complex that they constantly push industrial and technological standards to the limit," he added.

The Fine Guidance Sensor supplied by COM DEV is essential to the success of the mission. It will track the positions of guide stars with great accuracy to keep the telescope pointed precisely while its instruments make scientific measurements. The level of precision required will be the equivalent of focusing on an object the size of a dime at a distance of 1000 km away.

Dr. John Hutchings of the National Research Council's Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics is the Canadian project scientist. Dr. René Doyon of the Université de Montréal leads the TFI science team composed of scientists from across the country in planning the instrument function, calibrations, and early science investigations. Canadian scientists are also members of the U.S. and European teams producing two of the other instruments.

Once launched in 2013, JWST will peer into the past, looking farther than has ever been possible, and deep into interstellar dust clouds where stars and planets are formed. It will observe the formation of the first stars and galaxies of the universe and the origins of solar systems like our own. JWST will be stationed 1.5 million kilometres from Earth to ensure a stable and cold environment and reduce problems with stray light.

For more information, please visit the following links: Fact sheet and backgrounder.

About the Canadian Space Agency

Established in 1989, the CSA coordinates all civil space-related policies and programs on behalf of the Government of Canada. The CSA directs its resources and activities through four key thrusts: earth observation, space science and exploration, satellite communications, and space awareness and learning. By leveraging international cooperation, the CSA generates world-class scientific research and industrial development for the benefit of humanity.

For more information, please visit the Agency's Web site: www.space.gc.ca

About the Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics

The National Research Council's Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics provides first-class telescopes and instruments for astronomy to the Canadian research community. It participates in four major international observatories in Hawaii and Chile, operates telescopes in Victoria and Penticton, B.C. and supports several space astronomy missions through funding from the Canadian Space Agency.

For more information:

Julie Simard
Media Relations
450-926-4370
julie.simard@space.gc.ca

Source: CSA Press Release

May 29, 2007 02:00 PM (EDT)

News Release Number: STScI-2007-23


The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) has appointed Dr. Kathryn Flanagan as the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Mission Head.

Dr. Flanagan will be responsible for the development and operations of the JWST Science and Operations Center at the STScI. The largest space observatory ever developed, the JWST is scheduled for launch in June 2013.

Credit: NASA, MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, and STScI

Source: HubbleSite - Newsdesk

The Canadian Space Agency has awarded a $39 million contract to COM DEV International Ltd. to complete construction of two important instruments on NASA's James Webb Space Telescope.


Image/movie above: This is a photo of a 1/6-scale plastic
model of the Fine Guidance Sensor instrument.
Click on image to view movie
Credit: Canadian Space Agency

COM DEV, Ottawa, Canada, has been given the approval to build the instrument that includes both the Fine Guidance Sensor (FGS) and the Tuneable Filter Imager (TFI) camera for the telescope. The company is a leading global designer and manufacturer of space hardware subsystems and their Space Science division has been working on the design and engineering phases of the project since 1998.

"Our partnership with the Canadian Space Agency will help to ensure that the Webb telescope becomes the international scientific resource that we fully expect it to become. The Canadian FGS and TFI that are being built by COM DEV will not only provide the essential pointing capability for the telescope, but will also provide unique science capabilities," said John Decker, deputy associate director of the James Webb Space Telescope Project at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.

The Fine Guidance Sensor will track the positions of guide stars with great accuracy to keep the telescope pointed precisely while its instruments make scientific measurements. The level of precision required will be the equivalent of focusing on an object the size of a dime at a distance of 1000 kilometers (more than 600 miles) away. TFI will provide a unique infrared imaging and planet finding capability for the Webb telescope.


Image/movie above: This is an artist's rendition of the
James Webb Space Telescope.
Credit: NASA

The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) plays a pivotal role as the funding agency and project coordinator for the Webb telescope project in Canada.

"The space industry plays a key role within Canada’s science and technology sector, and space ventures such as the Webb telescope bring challenges so demanding and so complex that they constantly push industrial and technological standards to the limit," said Gary Goodyear, Member of Parliament for Cambridge, on behalf of the Minister responsible for the CSA. CSA's contribution guarantees Canadian scientists access to all data and allow them to formulate requests for a minimum of 5% of the time on the space telescope for studies that would best serve their research.

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.

Related Links:

+ James Webb Space Telescope
+ Canadian Space Agency
+ COM DEV

Rob Gutro
Goddard Space Flight Center

Source: NASA/GSFC - News

The press release is reproduced below:
Grey Hautaluoma/ Michael Braukus
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-0668/1979

July 16, 2007

RELEASE: 07-155


NASA and Canada Sign Agreement for Future Cooperation

WASHINGTON -- At a ceremony held Monday at NASA Headquarters in Washington, NASA Deputy Administrator Shana Dale and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) President and Chief Executive Officer Laurier J. Boisvert signed the official agreement that defines the terms of the agencies' cooperation on the James Webb Space Telescope.

According to the agreement, NASA will be responsible for the overall management and operations of the mission and will build the spacecraft, the telescope, and the platform that will host the instruments.

"We're delighted to have the Canadian Space Agency's participation on the James Webb Telescope," said Dale. "This unique telescope is a wonderful example of international cooperation, and Canada is a key partner in this next major step to discover more about the origins of the cosmos."

The Canadian Space Agency plans to provide the fine guidance sensor instrument, used for locating and maintaining a fixed pointing on a guide star. This instrument will provide the observatory with the stability necessary for taking sharp images with the telescope. The agency will assist in the operation of the James Webb Space Telescope and related facilities and arrange for participation of astronomers from the Canadian science team in the observation program.

"Canada's collaboration on the James Webb Space Telescope," Boisvert said, "strengthens our outstanding and longstanding partnership with NASA and positions Canadian science and technology in the forefront of space exploration."

Although optimized to operate over a different range of wavelengths, the James Webb Space Telescope is considered to be the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope. Its launch is targeted for 2013, and the telescope is designed to operate for at least five years.

The telescope is a mission of international cooperation among NASA, CSA and the European Space Agency to investigate the origin and evolution of galaxies, stars and planetary systems.

At the heart of the observatory is a large telescope whose primary mirror is more than two and a half times larger than that on Hubble, providing a relatively large field of view. The mirror for the James Webb Space Telescope is 21.3 ft in diameter; Hubble's mirror is 7.9 ft. in diameter.

A set of four sophisticated instruments, including the fine guidance sensor, will combine superb imaging capability at visible and infrared wavelengths with various spectroscopic modes to learn about the chemistry and evolution of the objects populating our universe.

The telescope will operate considerably outside the Earth's atmosphere at a point in deep space four times farther than the moon's orbit, in the direction opposite to the sun. This area, located approximately 1 million miles away, is known as the second Lagrange point. From this location, the observatory is expected to enable new scientific discoveries about the cosmos, just as Hubble does.

For more information about NASA and agency programs, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov

- end -

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Source: NASA Press Release 07-155

August 10, 2007: Will they come, or will they not? That is the question.

The road to the Marshall Space Flight Center is mighty dark at 3:30 a.m. There are no streetlights or buildings along this long stretch of rural highway. Only the gleaming eyes of raccoons and skunks peer out from among thick-set pines. Once you get to the Marshall complex, the buildings are all dark too, except for one -- the X-Ray Calibration Facility (XRCF). Here, the lights are on all night and someone is home.

Barry Hale (lead technician) and Jay Carpenter (facility engineer) are working the night shift. At least two people man this facility every night, monitoring screens on a large panel in the control room. Twelve people have alternated shifts 24/7 since late May.

Why have all these people become "all-nighters?" The success of NASA's next great space telescope depends upon it: "We're testing the James Webb Space Telescope," explains XRCF team leader Jeff Kegley.


Above: An artist's concept of the James Webb Space
Telescope. [Larger image] [JWST home]

Scheduled for launch in 2013, the Webb telescope is widely regarded as the premier observatory of the next decade. It is an infrared telescope, which means it senses the heat of stars and galaxies millions and even billions of light years away. To pick up those incredibly faint signs of warmth, the telescope itself must be kept extremely cold—and that is why everyone is staring at screens.

The Webb telescope will operate in space at a temperature of -238 deg Celsius (-396 deg Fahrenheit). Such extreme cold may cause the telescope's structures and mirrors to change shape. Before that happens, the telescope is being tested at the XRCF, piece by piece, inside a vacuum chamber that simulates the hyper-cold of space. Results reveal any distortion that happens to the components so changes can be made if needed.

But there's a lot more to the night shift than staring at control panel test data. Like most night crews, Hale and Carpenter make "rounds." These rounds include going outdoors to check the "nitrogen farm," where huge white tanks of liquid nitrogen loom in the darkness like dairy cattle in a pasture. The nitrogen is used to cool the vacuum chamber where components are tested, and the men check for leaks each night.

Hale and Carpenter have also caught glimpses of some real animals out on the farm. One night, Hale had a close encounter of the UNkind with a skunk – giving new meaning to the term "skunk works."

Above: Scenes from the XRCF, from left to right: (1) By day, the road leading to the test facility; (2) all-nighter Dr. Joseph Geary monitors test data; (3) The portal to the test chamber; (4) Barry Hale at the XRCF control panel; (5) Jay Carpenter tours the nitrogen farm at dawn. Click on the parenthetical numbers to view larger images.

By making these "dangerous" field surveillance rounds and watching the control room screens, the night crew ensures that all equipment pressures, flow rates, temperatures, and valve positions stay in proper range for the tests. They also manipulate helium refrigeration systems, vacuum chamber pressure, and liquid nitrogen zones for the vacuum chamber to keep the test article on a particular test plan profile.

"Tonight's test article is a section of the ISIM Breadbox," says Carpenter. "That's our nickname for the Integrated Science Instrument Module support structure, which holds the telescope's four main science instruments." (For instrument wonks, their names are Mid-Infrared Instrument, Near-Infrared Camera, Near-Infrared Spectrograph, and Fine Guidance Sensor.)


Above: The cryogenic vacuum chamber at the XRCF
where components of the James Webb Telescope are
being tested. [Larger image]

see captionAs the Breadbox in the test chamber endures the transition from room temperature down to -233 deg Celsius (-387 deg Fahrenheit), an Electronic Speckle Pattern Interferometer optically measures the structural distortion. No, this is not a rare salamander, but it is a rare instrument. "This is one of only two instantaneous phase-shift speckled interferometers in the world," says Joseph Geary of the University of Alabama-Huntsville who, by the way, is also working night shift on this particular night. The interferometer is being used to detect thermal distortions of the Breadbox as small as a few nanometers (billionths of a meter).

In a few days, after the Breadbox testing draws to a close, the crew will reconfigure the facility for mirror segment verification tests. The Webb telescope consists of 18 individual mirror segments that will ultimately form a 6.5-meter mirror assembly. In the spring, engineers will begin testing the optical quality of each individual mirror segment. The 24/7 testing will continue through 2010. That's a lot of testing, a lot of night shifts, and a lot of skunks.

Carpenter comments that he doesn't really mind working nights, but says "It's a little hard on my family to be quiet during the day when I have to sleep. My granddaughter wants to play, but she isn't allowed to knock on my door. That's a little hard for me, too."

Kegley says he likes to work the night shift occasionally because it’s a good chance to catch up on work. "You don't get many calls or e-mails to interrupt you at 3 o'clock in the morning."

The Goddard Space Flight Center manages development of the JWST and provides the ISIM. Marshall Space Flight Center's Science and Mission Systems Office manages the JWST components testing at the XRCF.

Author: Dauna Coulter | Production Editor: Dr. Tony Phillips | Credit: Science@NASA

____________________________________________

Web Links

NASA's Future: The Vision for Space Exploration

Source: Science@NASA

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.


Image above: This is the JWST SpaceWire Protocol
and Physical Layer Chips on the Multi-SpaceWire
Concentrator Card.
(+ View full resolution (3.9Mb .jpg))
Credit: NASA

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.


Image above: The "Phy" or physical layer chip connects
the SpaceWire protocol chip to the SpaceWire connector
and cabling.
(+ View full resolution (3.8Mb .jpg))
Credit: NASA

"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.


Image above: This James Webb Space Telescope full-scale model
as it appeared outside at the American Astronomical Society
Meeting in Seattle, January 2007.
(+ View full resolution (.8Mb .jpg))
Credit: NASA/Rob Gutro

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.

Learn More:

+ SpaceWire site
+ SpaceWire Licensing
+ James Webb Space Telescope site


Rob Gutro
Goddard Space Flight Center

Source: NASA - Exploring the Universe - Watch the Skies

The Northrop Grumman press release is reproduce below:

REDONDO BEACH, Calif., Dec. 3, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Prime contractor Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) moved NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) a step closer to fabrication today with the completion of a preliminary design review (PDR) that verified the integrated performance of all subsystems in the Optical Telescope Element (OTE).

The eye of the Webb Telescope, the OTE, consists of a 6.5-meter (21.3 ft.) primary mirror; secondary, tertiary and fine steering mirrors; and supporting structures, deployable tower and control electronics.

"This milestone allows us to proceed to the final design of the telescope," said Martin Mohan, JWST program manager for Northrop Grumman's Space Technology sector. "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."

In January, before a team of experts assembled by NASA, the OTE team demonstrated technology maturity sufficient to move into the detailed engineering phase. Technology Readiness Level 6 was achieved for all critical OTE components, meaning prototypes had been successfully tested in a relevant environment (simulating space).

At the PDR, 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 in Houston.

Significant progress is being made on key portions of the OTE. 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.

Northrop Grumman is NASA's prime contractor for the Webb Telescope, leading the design and development effort under contract to NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.

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.

Northrop Grumman Corporation is a $30 billion aerospace company headquartered in Los Angeles, Calif., whose 122,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in information and services, electronics, aerospace and shipbuilding to government and commercial customers worldwide.

CONTACT:
Richard Bent
Northrop Grumman Space Technology
310.812.4215
richard.bent@ngc.com


Source: Northrop Grumman press release

Rob Gutro
Goddard Space Flight Center
301-286-4044
Robert.J.Gutro@nasa.gov

Richard Bent
Northrop Grumman Corp., Redondo Beach, Calif.
310-812-4215
richard.bent@ngc.com

Release No. 07-74

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.


Image above: The Optical Telescope Element
(OTE) is the eye of the James Webb Space
Telescope. The OTE gathers as much light as
possible coming from space and provides it to
the science instruments, labeled in this diagram.
Click image for enlargement.
Credit: NASA

"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.


Image above: So that the segments work together
as a single large mirror, the 18 mirror segments
have been divided into 3 groups of six mirrors,
each group having a slightly different shape.
Click image for enlargement.
Credit: NASA

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.


Image above: This image shows how the James
Webb Space Telescope and its 18 mirrors can fold
up to fit in the launch vehicle.
View related animation
Credit: NASA

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.

Related links:

+ The James Webb Space Telescope mission page

Source: NASA/GSFC - News

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.


Image above: The Webb telescope's Mid-Infrared
Instrument (shown here) passed its test readiness
review and has begun thermal vacuum testing.
Click image for enlargement.
Credit: UK Astronomy Technology Centre

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."


Image above: Overview of the MIRI. The instrument
includes both imaging and spectroscopic capability.
Click image for enlargement.
Credit: UK Astronomy Technology Centre

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.


Image above: A human's normal body temperature
is 98.6F, radiating strongly in the MIRI spectral
range, near a 10 micron wavelength. This image
shows a man holding up a lighted match!
Credit: IPAC CalTech

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.


Image above: The MIRI is positioned on a turnover
fixture during testing.
Click image for enlargement.
Credit: UK Astronomy Technology Centre

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.

Related links:
> U.K. ATC MIRI page
> MIRI site at Space Telescope Science Institute

Rob Gutro
Goddard Space Flight Center


Source: NASA/GSFC - News

Rob Gutro
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenebelt, Md.
301-286-4044
Robert.J.Gutro@nasa.gov

Richard Bent
Northrop Grumman, Redondo Beach, Calif.
310-812-4215
Richard.Bent@ngc.com

Release No. 08-25

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.


This photograph shows the engineering model of
the sunshield, called the pathfinder.
Credit: Northrop Grumman
> Larger image

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."


When fully deployed, the sunshield that will be
about the size of a regulation tennis court. This
image compares the size of the sunshield to the
size of a tennis court.
Credit: NASA
> Larger image

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

Related links:

> James Webb Space Telescope Project
> Northrop Grumman

Source: NASA/GSFC - News