James Webb: Milestone in opening the sunshade sail

© NASA

Science

All 5 layers of the awning have been unfolded successfully. This completely protects the telescope.

The team around the James Webb Space Telescope has this Sunshade sails of the spacecraft fully extended and

all 5 layers unfolded. This was announced by NASA and ESA on Tuesday. An important milestone in the preparation for scientific operations has thus been achieved, NASA announced via Twitter.

The sun awning, which approximately the Size of a tennis court ( 21.2 x 14.2 meters) was folded before launch to fit within the rocket’s payload compartment. Remote deployment of the sun visor began three days after take-off. An “arm” was extended on both sides of the telescope, which “opened” the two sides of the sunshade sail. This gave it a diamond shape.

After days of work, on January 1st the team decided to take a break before completing the final important steps. These have now – after the short break – been successfully completed.

This is how well the 5 layer setup protects

The 5 individual layers of the sun protection sail were successfully separated. The telescope is now protected from light and heat from the sun, earth and moon. Each sheet of plastic is approximately as thin as a human hair and with reflective metal which offers protection in the order of more than 1 million sun protection factors. Together, the 5 layers reduce solar radiation from over 200 kilowatts of solar energy to a fraction of a watt .

© NASA

Precise work was necessary

This protection is vital to the telescope’s scientific instruments at temperatures of 40 Kelvin or below minus 380 degrees Fahrenheit to ha senior That’s cold enough to see the faint infrared light the telescope is trying to observe. “Thousands of parts had to be worked precisely so that this marvel of technology could fully develop. The team has accomplished a bold feat with the complexity of this deployment, one of the boldest endeavors for the James Webb Telescope operating temperature is brought, but it still takes 3 to 4 months . In a little less than 6 months, the first picture from the vastness of space should arrive on earth.

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