JFK-1 Posted December 25, 2021 Share Posted December 25, 2021 NASA now broadcasting pre-launch live. Currently still on for 12:20pm GMT launch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gards Posted December 25, 2021 Share Posted December 25, 2021 Thanks - was reading how complicated the unfolding process is going to be once it's launched....but if all goes well will make the Hubble look like a telescope you buy from a shop around the corner....some potentially amazing discoveries ahead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jambo_jim2001 Posted December 25, 2021 Share Posted December 25, 2021 Looking forward to seeing this before I take the Mrs to her work😎 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lone Striker Posted December 25, 2021 Share Posted December 25, 2021 Astonishing stuff. Good simulation here on what will happen if everything goes to plan at launch and beyond - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-59782057 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cade Posted December 25, 2021 Share Posted December 25, 2021 Knowing the troubles this project has had over the years, I'm at about 50% that it's going to explode on the launchpad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cade Posted December 25, 2021 Share Posted December 25, 2021 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cade Posted December 25, 2021 Share Posted December 25, 2021 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jambo_jim2001 Posted December 25, 2021 Share Posted December 25, 2021 Still awesome after all these years of launches Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cade Posted December 25, 2021 Share Posted December 25, 2021 Amazing live shot of the solar array deployment Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFK-1 Posted December 25, 2021 Author Share Posted December 25, 2021 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikey1874 Posted December 25, 2021 Share Posted December 25, 2021 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lone Striker Posted December 25, 2021 Share Posted December 25, 2021 1 hour ago, JFK-1 said: Amazing video from the final stage rocket after separation, and seconds later we were able to see the solar panels on the JWST open up. I've been trying to place where on Earth the land at the bottom right is - possibly the Gulf of Oman ? Or any number of large inlets around Russia, Greenland etc. We're so privileged to be alive to see all this, thanks to technology and super-intelligent engineers & scientists. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redjambo Posted December 25, 2021 Share Posted December 25, 2021 20 minutes ago, Lone Striker said: Amazing video from the final stage rocket after separation, and seconds later we were able to see the solar panels on the JWST open up. I've been trying to place where on Earth the land at the bottom right is - possibly the Gulf of Oman ? Or any number of large inlets around Russia, Greenland etc. We're so privileged to be alive to see all this, thanks to technology and super-intelligent engineers & scientists. I think it's the Gulf of Aden. You can tell by the barren rocks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruyff Posted December 25, 2021 Share Posted December 25, 2021 Amazing stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pap Posted December 25, 2021 Share Posted December 25, 2021 I expected it to crash on our dome's ceiling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cade Posted December 25, 2021 Share Posted December 25, 2021 All launches from French Guiana are good fun. Rocket geeks around the world all crying out "DECOLLAGE!!!!" when it takes off never gets old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HMFC01 Posted December 25, 2021 Share Posted December 25, 2021 I heard some of it on the radio today. Interesting. Most powerful space telescope ever built. 👍. Will have some fantastic new photies and new discoveries I can imagine. Launched from a tropical rain forest. 😲 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigsmak Posted December 25, 2021 Share Posted December 25, 2021 (edited) So excited to see what images this technological marvel will provide over the next decade or so. This will really open our eyes. Next step.. build a telescope and get it a few million miles away from Earth. Remove all the background nonsense from it. Edited December 25, 2021 by Bigsmak Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cade Posted December 25, 2021 Share Posted December 25, 2021 JWST is stationing at the L2 Lagrange point, 1.5million km from Earth. It'll take 6 weeks to get out there, deploy all the parts and configure everything ready to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikey1874 Posted December 25, 2021 Share Posted December 25, 2021 Edinburgh University scientist Professor Beth Biller will be involved in the data analysis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cade Posted December 25, 2021 Share Posted December 25, 2021 One of the 4 main instruments on the JWST was made in collaboration between NASA and a European consortium headed by Gillian Wright, of the UK Astronomy Technology Centre, based at the Royal Observatory in Edinburgh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFK-1 Posted December 26, 2021 Author Share Posted December 26, 2021 16 hours ago, Lone Striker said: Amazing video from the final stage rocket after separation, and seconds later we were able to see the solar panels on the JWST open up. I've been trying to place where on Earth the land at the bottom right is - possibly the Gulf of Oman ? Or any number of large inlets around Russia, Greenland etc. We're so privileged to be alive to see all this, thanks to technology and super-intelligent engineers & scientists. See 'humanity's last view' of the James Webb Space Telescope post-deployment Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Posted December 28, 2021 Share Posted December 28, 2021 On 25/12/2021 at 18:02, Bigsmak said: So excited to see what images this technological marvel will provide over the next decade or so. First photos coming in now.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark_Mywords Posted December 28, 2021 Share Posted December 28, 2021 Brilliant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartgarfunkel Posted December 28, 2021 Share Posted December 28, 2021 1 hour ago, Alex said: First photos coming in now.... 😆👍🏼 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cade Posted December 28, 2021 Share Posted December 28, 2021 Another step of the deployment done. Only about another 500 to go (that's not even an exaggeration, this thing is complicated) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cade Posted January 1, 2022 Share Posted January 1, 2022 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruyff Posted January 1, 2022 Share Posted January 1, 2022 Its a glimpse into our past and our future, what a time to be alive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFK-1 Posted January 1, 2022 Author Share Posted January 1, 2022 I should have put this link here, a NASA site tracking the telescopes journey while showing live stats like speed plus distance. Has a lot of media, videos etc. describing each step of the process. WHERE IS WEBB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redjambo Posted January 1, 2022 Share Posted January 1, 2022 36 minutes ago, JFK-1 said: I should have put this link here, a NASA site tracking the telescopes journey while showing live stats like speed plus distance. Has a lot of media, videos etc. describing each step of the process. WHERE IS WEBB Thanks, JFK. Just over half way there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFK-1 Posted January 1, 2022 Author Share Posted January 1, 2022 2 hours ago, redjambo said: Thanks, JFK. Just over half way there. yesterday it was travelling at 1,699mph, today it's 1,532mph Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFK-1 Posted January 2, 2022 Author Share Posted January 2, 2022 Today it's down to 1,415mph. Going to be a slow crawl by the time it gets there. Should be easy to stop and put in position with little fuel burns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rudi must stay Posted January 2, 2022 Share Posted January 2, 2022 I used to have a telescope Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Footballfirst Posted January 3, 2022 Share Posted January 3, 2022 There's a media briefing at 430pm this afternoon, so we should get an update on how things are going. https://www.nasa.gov/nasalive Meanwhile the telescope has now covered 60% of the distance to L2, although its speed is decreasing day by day. https://www.jwst.nasa.gov/content/webbLaunch/whereIsWebb.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cade Posted January 3, 2022 Share Posted January 3, 2022 Last I heard, the sunshield has deployed ok, but they're taking a wee break to tweak other things before tensioning it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Footballfirst Posted January 3, 2022 Share Posted January 3, 2022 7 hours ago, Cade said: Last I heard, the sunshield has deployed ok, but they're taking a wee break to tweak other things before tensioning it. Progressing once again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFK-1 Posted January 4, 2022 Author Share Posted January 4, 2022 9 hours ago, Footballfirst said: Meanwhile the telescope has now covered 60% of the distance to L2, although its speed is decreasing day by day. Looks like it's ultimately going to sort of trundle to the spot in the final few days. I saw it described as say you have a finely balanced well engineered skateboard. The skateboard doesn't even have standard wheels, it's base is covered in precisely engineered ball bearings. Something very easy to move with a push. You place your skateboard on an incline at the top of which there is a flat platform area. Then you give it precisely enough of a push to make it up that incline and stop on the flat area. Albeit they have some fuel to give it a nudge if need be. But I expect the very last thing you would want is for it to trundle even slightly past the parking spot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cade Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 Sunshield was by far the most delicate and important part of the telescope, it's great that the whole thing extended fine and at least one layer is properly tensioned. Now "all we have to do" is tension the other 4 layers, arrive on station, deploy and align the main dish, cool everything down to operating temperatures, configure it and test it. Still plenty of chances for things to go wrong but so far so good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Footballfirst Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 34 minutes ago, Cade said: Sunshield was by far the most delicate and important part of the telescope, it's great that the whole thing extended fine and at least one layer is properly tensioned. Now "all we have to do" is tension the other 4 layers, arrive on station, deploy and align the main dish, cool everything down to operating temperatures, configure it and test it. Still plenty of chances for things to go wrong but so far so good. Layers 2 and 3 were also completed last night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tazio Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 Sunshield now fully deployed and that part of the process complete. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFK-1 Posted January 4, 2022 Author Share Posted January 4, 2022 Another major step completed. Go Webb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cade Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Footballfirst Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 1 hour ago, JFK-1 said: Another major step completed. Go Webb. Still another five months after it reaches L2 before the "science" starts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFK-1 Posted January 5, 2022 Author Share Posted January 5, 2022 1 hour ago, Footballfirst said: Still another five months after it reaches L2 before the "science" starts. I haven't been able to find great detail on exactly why we need to wait so long. Does it take that long to cool down to the required temperature? Does it take that long to align all 18 mirror segments? Things like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maple Leaf Posted January 5, 2022 Share Posted January 5, 2022 On 31/12/2021 at 21:20, JFK-1 said: I should have put this link here, a NASA site tracking the telescopes journey while showing live stats like speed plus distance. Has a lot of media, videos etc. describing each step of the process. WHERE IS WEBB Great link. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFK-1 Posted January 5, 2022 Author Share Posted January 5, 2022 59 minutes ago, Maple Leaf said: Great link. Thanks. The sunshield structure is currently showing an average temperature of 128 Fahrenheit. Toasty. The bus carrying the whole shooting match 53 Fahrenheit. Then on the mirror side they're registering -233 Fahrenheit on the main mirror, and -323 Fahrenheit on the instrument radiator. Talk about extremes within what? A few feet of each other? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Footballfirst Posted January 5, 2022 Share Posted January 5, 2022 8 hours ago, JFK-1 said: I haven't been able to find great detail on exactly why we need to wait so long. Does it take that long to cool down to the required temperature? Does it take that long to align all 18 mirror segments? Things like that. I watched the video feed of the tensioning yesterday and they were asked that question. As you suggest, much of the time will be required to cool the telescope down to its optimum operating temperature and to calibrate the instruments. Still seems excessive though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFK-1 Posted January 6, 2022 Author Share Posted January 6, 2022 14 hours ago, Footballfirst said: I watched the video feed of the tensioning yesterday and they were asked that question. As you suggest, much of the time will be required to cool the telescope down to its optimum operating temperature and to calibrate the instruments. Still seems excessive though. After gambling 10 billion on it I suppose I might want to take my time too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Footballfirst Posted January 8, 2022 Share Posted January 8, 2022 The mirrors have now all been deployed. Next stage is to optimise the focus of all 18 mirrors using actuators to finely adjust each mirror segment in relation to the rest. That will take several days before the final burn and deployment to L2 in around 2 weeks time. https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2017/aligning-the-primary-mirror-segments-of-nasa-s-james-webb-space-telescope-with-light Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pap Posted January 8, 2022 Share Posted January 8, 2022 I wonder how many times they wiped the lens with cotton wool before it was packed to go 🙃 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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