On Monday, the world’s largest and most powerful space telescope, the James Webb space telescope, arrived at its observation station 1 million miles from Earth. It arrived a month after it launched on a mission to see the dawn of the universe.
The James Webb Space Telescope launched into orbit around the sun in its targeted location after firing its rocket thrusters for about five minutes on command, according to NASA.
The observations can begin in June. Before that, the $10 billion observatory’s mirrors must be precisely aligned, the infrared detectors appropriately cold, and the scientific instruments calibrated.
Flight controllers in Baltimore, on the other hand, were ecstatic following yet another successful mission.
“We’re one step closer to uncovering the mysteries of the universe. And I can’t wait to see Webb’s first new views of the universe this summer!” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement.
The Big Bang
Astronomers will be able to peek further back in time than ever before. All the way back to 13.7 billion years ago, when the first stars and galaxies were formed. It’s only been 100 million years since the Big Bang when the universe began.
Webb will investigate the atmospheres of alien worlds for possible signs of life, in addition to making stellar studies.
“Webb is officially on station,” said Keith Parrish, a manager on the project. “This is just capping off just a remarkable 30 days.”
On Christmas Day, the telescope was launched from French Guiana. A sunshield the size of a tennis court spread open on the telescope a week and a half later. A few days later, the instrument’s gold-coated primary mirror — measuring 21 feet (6.5 meters) across — unfolded.
The primary mirror comprises 18 hexagonal segments, each the size of a coffee table. They must be meticulously aligned so that they seem like one – a three-month project.
“We’re a month in and the baby hasn’t even opened its eyes yet,” says Jane Rigby. Jane Rigby is the operations project scientist. “But that’s the science that we’re looking forward to.”
Webb is the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope
The thruster fire on Monday put the telescope in orbit around the sun at the so-called second Lagrange point. It is where the sun’s and Earth’s gravitational pulls are balanced. While circling the sun, the 7-ton spacecraft will loop-de-loop around that spot. To keep its infrared detectors as cold as possible, it will constantly face Earth’s night side.
Webb is more than four times as far away as the moon, at 1 million miles (1.6 million kilometers).
The Webb is projected to last at least a decade, if not two.
Webb is the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope. It orbits 330 miles (530 kilometers) above the Earth and is too far away to be repaired in an emergency. That makes the past month’s milestones — and the ones ahead — all the more crucial.
Hubble was operated on five times by astronauts on spacewalks. The first operation, in 1993, fixed the telescope’s fuzzy vision. It was caused by a fault introduced during the ground mirror’s construction.
When operating above Earth’s distorting atmosphere, telescopes can see farther and more clearly, whether hunting optical and ultraviolet light like Hubble or infrared light like Webb. That’s why NASA collaborated with European and Canadian space agencies to launch Webb and its mirror. It is the largest ever launched.