By continuing to use this site, you agree to our use of cookies. Find out more
Forum sponsored by:
Forum sponsored by Forum House Ad Zone

Webb Telescope

All Topics | Latest Posts

Search for:  in Thread Title in  
Alan Charleston06/01/2022 05:18:32
157 forum posts
26 photos

Hi,

Not model engineering but I would guess a lot of the people visiting this site are interested in the Webb Telescope. From liftoff to the first observation, there are 344 operations that must happen on the telescope. A failure of any one of them will result in an expensive piece of space junk. At present it is about 2/3 of the way to it's final position, with the various elements deploying as it goes.

NASA has created a great website (Webbsite?) showing its progress both in terms of distance travelled and progress in deploying the various elements. It's well worth a look.

https://www.jwst.nasa.gov/content/webbLaunch/whereIsWebb.html

Regards,

Alan C.

modeng200006/01/2022 06:39:21
340 forum posts
1 photos

Many thanks Alan C

John

Michael Gilligan06/01/2022 08:31:18
avatar
23121 forum posts
1360 photos

Thanks for sharing the link yes

https://webb.nasa.gov/content/webbLaunch/whereIsWebb.html

It was good to read, yesterday, that the sunshield has been successfully deployed.

… That itself is an almost incredible achievement : **LINK**

https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/sunshield-successfully-deploys-on-nasa-s-next-flagship-telescope

MichaelG.

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 06/01/2022 08:36:38

Neil Wyatt06/01/2022 10:16:45
avatar
19226 forum posts
749 photos
86 articles

Great link thanks.

The secondary is deployed. As long as the two 'wings' of the mirror don't get stuck before reaching final position, it will hopefully be usable.

Neil

Edited By Neil Wyatt on 06/01/2022 10:17:00

Samsaranda06/01/2022 10:25:33
avatar
1688 forum posts
16 photos

What a fantastic website, thanks for the link Michael. Dave W

MikeK06/01/2022 13:35:14
226 forum posts
17 photos

I'm very impressed by Webb's sophistication, and by the two Mars rovers that had to land using a sky crane. I'm guessing that computer modeling has helped a lot.

I'm glad Webb didn't wind up canceled due to overruns and delays. Now if it can just help me find my home planet.

Peter Greene06/01/2022 23:05:59
865 forum posts
12 photos

Posted by Alan Charleston on 06/01/2022 05:18:32:

A failure of any one of them will result in an expensive piece of space junk.

Unless thing have changed grossly - and inexplicably - since I worked in that business, I would suggest that there's a little hyperbole in that (i.e. it comes from the publicity people rather than the Engineers ... especially the Reliability Engineers).

That would amount to a single point failure.

Michael Gilligan09/01/2022 09:11:11
avatar
23121 forum posts
1360 photos

Well … it’s fully deployed yes

… only another five months of setting-up to go !

**LINK**

https://webb.nasa.gov/content/webbLaunch/deploymentExplorer.html

MichaelG.

.

I think this is worth spending eight minutes on : **LINK**

https://youtu.be/uUAvXYW5bmI

Mike Hurley09/01/2022 10:05:14
530 forum posts
89 photos

Quite staggering! Thanks for the link to that short youtube video Michael.

regards Mike

ega09/01/2022 11:07:14
2805 forum posts
219 photos

MichaelG:

Your link took me here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNRnrn5DE58

which also looked intriguing.

Incidentally, was it just coincidence that deployment took twelve days just like Christmas?

Michael Gilligan09/01/2022 13:55:52
avatar
23121 forum posts
1360 photos
Posted by ega on 09/01/2022 11:07:14:

MichaelG:

Your link took me here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNRnrn5DE58

.

.

dont know

It’s difficult to imagine how it did that

MichaelG.

ega09/01/2022 14:30:07
2805 forum posts
219 photos

MichaelG:

Trying the link again got me there and I speculate that I somehow mistakenly called up the next video in the queue. Now I've got two to watch!

Michael Gilligan09/01/2022 17:17:43
avatar
23121 forum posts
1360 photos

Thanks for the confirmation, ega

All’s well that ends well.

MichaelG.

James Hall 309/01/2022 18:14:40
92 forum posts
12 photos

Undoubtedly a great scientific and engineering success (so far, at least). It says a great deal about the current world however that the Hubble telescope was named after one of the world's greatest ever astronomers while this is named after a NASA administrator.

Michael Gilligan09/01/2022 21:34:09
avatar
23121 forum posts
1360 photos
Posted by James Hall 3 on 09/01/2022 18:14:40:

.. It says a great deal about the current world however that the Hubble telescope was named after one of the world's greatest ever astronomers while this is named after a NASA administrator.

.

I think perhaps he deserves at least Administrator, with a capital A

… They wouldn’t have got far without him

**LINK**

https://jwst.nasa.gov/content/about/faqs/whoIsJamesWebb.html

MichaelG.

James Hall 309/01/2022 23:07:17
92 forum posts
12 photos

Well, Michael Gilligan, let's hope his grasp of English punctuation was better than yours.

And, gosh, an organizational Web site gushing in praise of its former top administrator - who'd have thought it!

I wonder if engineers actually had anything to do with NASA's successes.

Michael Gilligan09/01/2022 23:29:06
avatar
23121 forum posts
1360 photos
Posted by James Hall 3 on 09/01/2022 23:07:17:

Well, Michael Gilligan, let's hope his grasp of English punctuation was better than yours.

[…]

.

Would you like to elaborate ?

MichaelG.

.

Hint: https://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/codez/plans/Handbook00/chap2.html

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 09/01/2022 23:52:24

Peter Greene10/01/2022 01:49:12
865 forum posts
12 photos
Posted by James Hall 3 on 09/01/2022 23:07:17:

I wonder if engineers actually had anything to do with NASA's successes.

Of course they (we) did.

I, for one, have no problem with the naming - nor I'm sure do most others. It's easy to jeer from the sidelines. James Webb was a leader who actually made a difference.

May I suggest you don't get into wine-making?

Michael Gilligan07/02/2022 07:29:16
avatar
23121 forum posts
1360 photos

I’m not inclined to waste the effort posting another News link, so I will just offer this quote as an “Engineering thought for the day”:

'To put this in perspective, if the Webb primary mirror were the size of the United States, each segment would be the size of Texas, and the team would need to line the height of those Texas-sized segments up with each other to an accuracy of about 1.5 inches,' NASA explained.’

MichaelG.

Sam Stones17/02/2022 00:44:57
avatar
922 forum posts
332 photos

The telescope is in an orbit around L2 (Lagrange 2).

The orbit is some 1.46 million km from earth on the side of the earth away from the sun, but not in earth’s shadow.

The axis of the orbit is perpendicular to the earth’s surface.

Having tried but failed to understand what forces keep the scope in orbit (besides occasional adjustments), I’d be pleased if someone could provide a clear explanation or an Internet link.

Sam

All Topics | Latest Posts

Please login to post a reply.

Magazine Locator

Want the latest issue of Model Engineer or Model Engineers' Workshop? Use our magazine locator links to find your nearest stockist!

Find Model Engineer & Model Engineers' Workshop

Sign up to our Newsletter

Sign up to our newsletter and get a free digital issue.

You can unsubscribe at anytime. View our privacy policy at www.mortons.co.uk/privacy

Latest Forum Posts
Support Our Partners
cowells
Sarik
MERIDIENNE EXHIBITIONS LTD
Subscription Offer

Latest "For Sale" Ads
Latest "Wanted" Ads
Get In Touch!

Do you want to contact the Model Engineer and Model Engineers' Workshop team?

You can contact us by phone, mail or email about the magazines including becoming a contributor, submitting reader's letters or making queries about articles. You can also get in touch about this website, advertising or other general issues.

Click THIS LINK for full contact details.

For subscription issues please see THIS LINK.

Digital Back Issues

Social Media online

'Like' us on Facebook
Follow us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter
 Twitter Logo

Pin us on Pinterest

 

Donate

donate