Aligning the Primary Mirror Segments of the James Webb Space Telescope

Engineers at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston used light waves to align the James Webb Space Telescope’s mirror segments to each other, so they act like a single, monolithic mirror in the cryogenic cold of the center’s iconic Chamber A.
Part of the Webb telescope’s ongoing cryogenic testing in Chamber A at Johnson includes aligning, or “phasing,” the telescope’s 18 hexagonally shaped primary mirror segments so they function as a single 6.5-meter mirror. All of these segments must have the correct position and correct curvature; otherwise, the telescope will not be able to accurately focus on its celestial targets.
Download the video here: svs.gsfc.nasa....
Read the full feature here: www.nasa.gov/f...
Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Producer: Mike McClare
Music: Killer Tracks - Lines Of Enquiry - by Golding (UPM_ATMOS347)

[@shmookins]

Mind boggling precision.

[@shmookins]

And now it is up! It worked!

[@RhodokTribesman]

And it uses rather simple (therefore reliable) mechanics to do it too! There's a good video of someone recreating the fine/course motors with a 3D printer

[@magikkris]

I'm dying to see the pictures of the webb space telescope !

[@Mappy-xn1om]

I did some work on the main buss to telescope mounts a few years ago - cant wait till next october's launch ! It will be fantastic to see the first images !!

[@acombo]

oof they delayed it

[@sansactionl5723]

i fking love this telescope

[@EddyWibowo]

0:20 I wonder why the chamber door is concave in shape instead of convex shape. Since the chamber inside is in relative lower pressure compared to the outside, a convex door should be more rigid/stronger to withstand outside air pressure.

[@oaktadopbok665]

Oh man I cannot wait! This is gonna be GREAT!

[@eshan309]

I always run out of words for this

[@alimahh1]

I remember I liked this video 4 years ago👍

[@halilkann]

This is what humans are about. Not some war shits.

[@ecrusch]

Please NASA, be CAREFUL with this thing...
I can't wait to see the images it produces.

[@Silva747-j7t]

Muito ansioso para ver o que James vai nos revelar.

[@lemur1609]

*Awesome :D*

[@gordonjenkins276]

JWST A3 and A6 mirror actuators are stuck at 12.3 millimeters. Webb won't focus if the actuators remain stuck.

[@acombo]

lol

[@andrewsad1]

They've known about it since 2018, and have plans for how to deal with it

[@christackerMD]

And THIS is happening NOW. =)

[@MarkHopewell]

And to think in the medieval era they completely wasted their time building cathedrals in pursuit of worshiping something completely non-existent.

[@PassportGaming]

Does anyone know when we'll see the first pictures from the telescope?

[@muneebbokhari4484]

Biniam Gaming most prolly in mid 2019

[@magikkris]

6 month after the launch witch is oct 2018 it will be effective for scientific mission, so picture will come after that

[@PassportGaming]

magikkris I heard it'll get into orbit, 160 days after launch

[@NASAWebbTelescope]

Magikkris is right in that 6 months post-launch is when our routine science operations will begin. We have a long commissioning progress - as you can see from the video, we have to align the mirrors. We also have to wait for the telescope and instruments to cool, and the instruments will have their own calibration process. You might see a first light image released to the public a bit sooner than 6 months - but I couldn't say exactly when.

[@PassportGaming]

James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Thank you

[@felipemora45676]

I can't wait 😆😆

[@Rajesh_Paramesh]

Wish there was no influence of money when it comes to technology! It would helped us to became an interstellar travels by now !!😔

[@acombo]

yeah

[@nikimin]

This... is the real word, HYPE!!!!!

[@Harcix]

Just make sure the size is correct this time :D

[@acombo]

xd

[@Tonicwine999]

I’m nervous about this telescope

[@acombo]

why

[@rjjstephan]

#Awesome #ricoSacto @ricoSacto

[@Puleczech]

#ego

[@psycleen]

liedar

[@psycleen]

spotted a big lie at nasa

[@acombo]

@@psycleen what