As a former student/investigator in the sensor department of the German Aerospace Center (they built the HRSC camera on Mars Express) I highly appreciate your "nerdy" dive-ins like explaining this software tool for astronomers. I think no one would have ever mentioned it except you. That's why I'm always coming back to your channel! Thank you!
always appreciate the amount of technical detail you include in your videos, you are a very good teacher. thank you for putting in the extra effort and time.
Wow, this was an impressively good video! I haven't seen topics on space telescopes like JWST explained so thoroughly and with such great visuals as this video exemplifies. Thanks so much!
Each time something goes "wrong" we learn something more. In this case, about engineering (in it's broadest sense, I'm sure there's a more precise term, I just don't know it.)
I always stand in awe, when I hear of scientists and engineers managing to fix problems on stuff that million miles away and here I am having to throw away a toaster that stopped working.
The science behind avoiding microimpacts is stunning. Do the adjustment sensors on each of the mirrors have capability of changing the concave structure of each hex mirror too? Just think, there are still people on earth who can't figure out how the Earth is a globe yet.
The central actuator does change the radius of curvature so yes, the segment's "prescription" can be modified somewhat. I suppose i a perfect world, they would have placed more actuators at more locations behind each segment but then again, it would have added more mass and complexity. Everything is a tradeoff!
I always stop fullscreen, and click to like your video in the first few minutes, as you've always said something or expressed a thought that no one else has mentioned.
Much safer than me trying to drive in reverse to protect my wind screen from pebbles kicked up by other cars. But a telescope with an "Astroid Defense System" sounds a lot cooler.
I know you're a busy man Christian, making these complex videos is quite an achievement. Ultimately I knew you'd give us nothing but the best..Thank you!
Thank you so much for this good news! It's too much work to keep up with all the news from Nasa and Web and Mars, etc.. by myself, so great to have your channel to keep everyone up to date. I never thought when the launch was so precise (good job, ESA!) that the increased fuel reserve of the JWST meant we might run out of mirror before we run out of fuel.
2:27 Me too ! Having worked on the design of the dichroic side of the DGAs, I'm _really_ interested... 13:21 How thick (heavy) would the baffle have to be to stop micro-meteoroids travelling at kilometres per second ?
Oh gosh, I don't know. I suppose it depends on the material used to make the baffle. I'm sure it would introduce its own set of engineering problems to solve.
Usually the trick is akin to spaced armor on tanks, called whipple shields in the case of spacecraft. You have a thin outer membrane that causes the meteorite to break up. Then the inner shield only has to absorb the meteorite dust spread over a larger area.
Hi Christian,Hope You Had A Nice Thanksgiving,Love Seeing JWST Up At Full Capacity Again,Ive Been Watching Earth Via Artemis/Orion..And Just Amazed..Im Glad Theyve Figured Out A Way To Lessen The Impact,Fly Her Backwards,I Understand How That That Feels,Kinda Like Being In The Back Of An Ambulance😂😂😂Have A Great Day,Stay Safe,and God Bless🙏🏼❤️✨🌏🔭
One of the best presentations so far and well done! The good news was very welcome to hear as well. The answer for MIRI was definitely vague. “The cause was something that happened, so we did stuff and now it works.” - Um…ok, its operational again, great!👍 I guess as long as they understand it, I suppose it’ll do for me.
I hope you continue to cover JWST and other ongoing science! I keep up with new science news, but I always come to your channel for well researched, digestible coverage. Makes me feel like I've done a deep dive in 15 minutes! But to see that you also have no idea what exactly the problem with MIRI was caught me off guard 😅 I wonder if it was something like one of the operators getting "a feel" for it? Surely scientists running a sensitive instrument like JWST wouldn't do something like that
TRAPPIST-1 observations began at the end of October, when the system entered into Webb's field of regard. It made an observation yesterday and will image the system again on Saturday.
Best as I can tell, MIRI is back to full functionality and they seemed to have figured out a way to avoid the conditions that leads to friction. But that's just my guess at this point.
Of all the things I can't wait for JW to see, I'm waiting for images from the Trappist star system. Guess we gotta wait till it is in view and not in the MAZ, any idea when?
The secondary has actuators (though not the central one if I recall correctly) so they could correct for some of it. But it's also a much smaller target so more likely to survive the mission life. The sunshield has ripstops to prevent runaway damage. MIRI and the other instruments are enclosed in the ISIM so won't be directly hit.
the sun shield shipped with holes in it, intentionally. It is very much overengineered for its purpose and will still be functioning when ragged and outliving all other components
If you please, I have three questions for Launch Pad Astronomy: (1) If JWST was designed to have 20/20 vision, what is the telescope currently viewing at in eyesight terms of 20/??; (2) At the current rate of micrometeorite strikes, when will the telescope deteriorate to 20/20 vision that they originally expected and planned for?; and (3) Has the observation schedule or targets been changed due to JWST performing better than expected? (e.g., have proposals come in and been approved that scientists originally believed were beyond the capabilities of JWST that they now realize are possible).
Question: I assume placing a protective windshield glass in front of the telescope won’t do any much help 😅 Even as I drive my car on the freeway, I am having some small craters on my windshield from debris also haha
Yep, pretty much. So you're starting with a loss of light thanks to the windshield absorbing/scatting some light, then you're just increasing the light loss as it accumulates hits. Plus extra launch mass, complexity, etc....
Does JWT ever follow the same path as it was when hit by the unusually large micrometeoroid? I would think that statistically, it would be more likely to encounter the same type/size object in the same general area. 🤷♀
the odds actually decrease as you cannot be hit by the same micrometeorite twice. Think of it in terms of an orbital body clearing its orbital path of debris.
@@picksalot1 everything at L2 is metastable, like a marble balancing on another marble. The physics of the place keep it pretty clear. The odd particle making it up the 'hill' are basically the objects of concern.
Best ever explanation of webb pointing strategy and the MAZ region. ...Please also make a video on Webb pillars of creation specially the MIRI image because the MIRI image was very scary and chilling - not as I expected it to be... What is webb MIRI image of pillars of creation revealing to us? Webb also found a galaxy in Abell 2744 with a redshift of 12 which means 300 million years after the big bang. But there is no paper providing additional information about that galaxy .... So if you know anything about it please tell us because we are very curious to know...
Christian; I am utterly appaulled that NASA didn't call you before announcing MIRI was 'fixed" to fully vet the "repairs/patch" with you. Afterall, you do have "the pin" As for the damaged mirror segment I have it on very good authority the mirror was repaired. Duct tape and some Krylon Gold were used and yes, it was Aliens who stepped up an saved the day... (lol)
By controlling the rate at which it cooled down to prevent too much outgassing to happen at once. Otherwise, there was a concern that gas could crystalize and form frost. So the instruments actually had heaters to control the cooling rate. Heaters...to cool down...
Less concern about how much fuel remaining and more concerned how much mirror remains. 25 years of fuel is meaningless if mirror damaged beyond usefulness.
If I recall correctly, my supervisor - who worked on MIRI - told me a while back that the wheel issue only occurs when the wheel is spun in a certain direction. If you spin it the other way around, there isn't an issue. But don't take my word for it, it was a hasty conversation 🙃
Isn't NASA required to tell us the exact specifics of what went wrong with the wheel and how they fixed it? It's our tax dollars that payed for it. NASA doesn't get to have secrets from us, especially after the name they chose for the telescope.
MIRI is ESA's instrument so maybe they don't have quite the transparency requirements as NASA? That said, there are laws in place that restrict federal agencies from some technology disclosures due to competitive protections, etc.
Everything from NASA gets filtered through their science communicators, and we only get content as nerdy as those individuals are. They are more focused on the 'general idea for the general population' and have flatly rejected returning to the busy people on the various teams with our most technical questions. That said, I know a guy on the MIRI team and I think I can get a more complete answer.
So NASA’s fix for MIRI was literally the old doctor joke: “Doc, it hurts when I do this.” Doctor: “Then don’t do that”
Lol tbf there's not much you can do when your patient is 1.5 milllion km away
As a former student/investigator in the sensor department of the German Aerospace Center (they built the HRSC camera on Mars Express) I highly appreciate your "nerdy" dive-ins like explaining this software tool for astronomers. I think no one would have ever mentioned it except you. That's why I'm always coming back to your channel! Thank you!
Thanks, I really appreciate it! APT wasn't available back in my day. Had it been, it would have made my job so much easier!
I think Dr. Smethurst did an insight a few days back.
However I can't seem to find the video.
I second that!
You got that one right 👌🏽
Thanks for the good news on JWST Christian!
Anytime!
always appreciate the amount of technical detail you include in your videos, you are a very good teacher. thank you for putting in the extra effort and time.
Wow, this was an impressively good video! I haven't seen topics on space telescopes like JWST explained so thoroughly and with such great visuals as this video exemplifies. Thanks so much!
This channel continues to be totally awesome. Keep up the fantastic work! 👏👏
Thank you so much!
Each time something goes "wrong" we learn something more. In this case, about engineering (in it's broadest sense, I'm sure there's a more precise term, I just don't know it.)
Yep, you analyze and adapt 👍
Your Webb explainers are the best in the universe.
Thanks!
🎶 "The chances of anything coming from Mars
Are a million to one, they said..." 🎶
Well, the first days are the hardest days, don't you worry anymore! Fantastic to see you again Christian, I was missing my fix of LPA!
And when the deployments and commissioning seems like easy street, there’s danger at your door ;)
Love the channel Sir!, top-notch and jolly good I say! Cheers!
I always stand in awe, when I hear of scientists and engineers managing to fix problems on stuff that million miles away and here I am having to throw away a toaster that stopped working.
Please do a video on your former job planning observations on Hubble!
Oh wow, that's an interesting idea. I'm sure a lot of the tech has changed since I worked on Hubble though :)
Excellent summary. Subscribed. 👍
_[Edit]_ I say 'summary' but this was incredibly in-depth and very well explained.
You're very kind, and I'm glad to have you along for the ride!
The science behind avoiding microimpacts is stunning.
Do the adjustment sensors on each of the mirrors have capability of changing the concave structure of each hex mirror too?
Just think, there are still people on earth who can't figure out how the Earth is a globe yet.
The central actuator does change the radius of curvature so yes, the segment's "prescription" can be modified somewhat. I suppose i a perfect world, they would have placed more actuators at more locations behind each segment but then again, it would have added more mass and complexity. Everything is a tradeoff!
Thanks for this quality video, very informative
You bet!
I always stop fullscreen, and click to like your video in the first few minutes, as you've always said something or expressed a thought that no one else has mentioned.
Thanks!
I have watched a dozen videos talking about this fix, but this is the only one that left me feeling satisfied...great work
Thanks! Still bummed about the lack of detail about MIRI, lol
Much safer than me trying to drive in reverse to protect my wind screen from pebbles kicked up by other cars.
But a telescope with an "Astroid Defense System" sounds a lot cooler.
if only we could have outfitted JWST with fricken' lasers!
Yay! 👍
This channel is awesome! Ty
Love this channel. Love everything about it.
Gosh, I want to know how MIRI was fixed, too! Thank you
Another fantastic vid!
I know you're a busy man Christian, making these complex videos is quite an achievement. Ultimately I knew you'd give us nothing but the best..Thank you!
Excellent work Christian!
Nice to have another indepth update. tnx for that :)
Great video. I'm glad to hear the impact wasn't THAT bad.
Imagine being the astronomer who asks for an observation in the MAZ, and ends up putting another massive ding in the mirror.
Excellent Webb coverage as usual.
May I wish for an interview with dr Hammel on the Titan observation.
Thank you for this detailed, very nicely illustrated video (as always !!). Keep up the good work !! 👏👏
Great video. Thanks for sharing. I hope you find out more about MIRI. I also found the report to be vague.
Thank you so much for this good news! It's too much work to keep up with all the news from Nasa and Web and Mars, etc.. by myself, so great to have your channel to keep everyone up to date. I never thought when the launch was so precise (good job, ESA!) that the increased fuel reserve of the JWST meant we might run out of mirror before we run out of fuel.
You are such a good presenter!
2:27 Me too ! Having worked on the design of the dichroic side of the DGAs, I'm _really_ interested...
13:21 How thick (heavy) would the baffle have to be to stop micro-meteoroids travelling at kilometres per second ?
Oh gosh, I don't know. I suppose it depends on the material used to make the baffle. I'm sure it would introduce its own set of engineering problems to solve.
Usually the trick is akin to spaced armor on tanks, called whipple shields in the case of spacecraft. You have a thin outer membrane that causes the meteorite to break up. Then the inner shield only has to absorb the meteorite dust spread over a larger area.
@@DeinBestrFreund Thanks for that
Great video as usual :)
I bought a James webb mirror arrangement and it's the best
Hi Christian,Hope You Had A Nice Thanksgiving,Love Seeing JWST Up At Full Capacity Again,Ive Been Watching Earth Via Artemis/Orion..And Just Amazed..Im Glad Theyve Figured Out A Way To Lessen The Impact,Fly Her Backwards,I Understand How That That Feels,Kinda Like Being In The Back Of An Ambulance😂😂😂Have A Great Day,Stay Safe,and God Bless🙏🏼❤️✨🌏🔭
Really Well explained - Thanks
One of the best presentations so far and well done! The good news was very welcome to hear as well.
The answer for MIRI was definitely vague. “The cause was something that happened, so we did stuff and now it works.” - Um…ok, its operational again, great!👍 I guess as long as they understand it, I suppose it’ll do for me.
Thanks! And yes, I wish I knew more about MIRI as well!
For some reason the closed captions on this video are the ones from your previous MIRI video.
Huh, that's weird. I must have uploaded the wrong SRT file. I just republished the captions. Thank you for catching this!
Excellent topic!
Very cool vid sir...😎
Finally! new upload.. great topic as always :)
if you need a sound designer for your videos. just let me know.
Thanks! And by sound design, I guess you're referring to my audio quality? If so, yes I do need help!
@@LaunchPadAstronomy Yes, audio post production. I will email you. :)
This is the best square space add I’ve ever seen, lol
lol, thanks!
I'm looking forward to JWST closely examining our nearest solar neighbor and its Terran class planets
We’ll played, as always! Rock on, James Webb! (And kudos on the correct pronunciation of “die-crow-ick”!)
Well, you were kind enough to school me on how to pronounce it after my last video, lol!
@@LaunchPadAstronomy 🔭🛰😃
It is so exciting to be treated like I can understand complex things.
I hope you continue to cover JWST and other ongoing science! I keep up with new science news, but I always come to your channel for well researched, digestible coverage. Makes me feel like I've done a deep dive in 15 minutes! But to see that you also have no idea what exactly the problem with MIRI was caught me off guard 😅 I wonder if it was something like one of the operators getting "a feel" for it? Surely scientists running a sensitive instrument like JWST wouldn't do something like that
Very good Miri is back 🙃
When is Webb going to focus on Trappist-1? Slowpokes.
TRAPPIST-1 observations began at the end of October, when the system entered into Webb's field of regard. It made an observation yesterday and will image the system again on Saturday.
@@LaunchPadAstronomy
Awesome thanks for the update!
Ya I wonder is that means MIRI is just as capable as it was before or does "certain conditions" mean it can't do some things anymore?
Best as I can tell, MIRI is back to full functionality and they seemed to have figured out a way to avoid the conditions that leads to friction. But that's just my guess at this point.
Of all the things I can't wait for JW to see, I'm waiting for images from the Trappist star system. Guess we gotta wait till it is in view and not in the MAZ, any idea when?
JWST started observing TRAPPIST-1 at the end of October. Next image will be taken Saturday!
What if a meteor hits the secondary mirror? Or the heat shield or MIRI?
If something critical gets taken out, then thats it.
The secondary has actuators (though not the central one if I recall correctly) so they could correct for some of it. But it's also a much smaller target so more likely to survive the mission life. The sunshield has ripstops to prevent runaway damage. MIRI and the other instruments are enclosed in the ISIM so won't be directly hit.
the sun shield shipped with holes in it, intentionally. It is very much overengineered for its purpose and will still be functioning when ragged and outliving all other components
If you please, I have three questions for Launch Pad Astronomy: (1) If JWST was designed to have 20/20 vision, what is the telescope currently viewing at in eyesight terms of 20/??; (2) At the current rate of micrometeorite strikes, when will the telescope deteriorate to 20/20 vision that they originally expected and planned for?; and (3) Has the observation schedule or targets been changed due to JWST performing better than expected? (e.g., have proposals come in and been approved that scientists originally believed were beyond the capabilities of JWST that they now realize are possible).
FYI subtitles don't match video--are they from a different video?
Yep, my bad. I replaced them with the correct subtitles. Sorry about that!
Question: I assume placing a protective windshield glass in front of the telescope won’t do any much help 😅 Even as I drive my car on the freeway, I am having some small craters on my windshield from debris also haha
Yep, pretty much. So you're starting with a loss of light thanks to the windshield absorbing/scatting some light, then you're just increasing the light loss as it accumulates hits. Plus extra launch mass, complexity, etc....
Does JWT ever follow the same path as it was when hit by the unusually large micrometeoroid? I would think that statistically, it would be more likely to encounter the same type/size object in the same general area. 🤷♀
the odds actually decrease as you cannot be hit by the same micrometeorite twice. Think of it in terms of an orbital body clearing its orbital path of debris.
@@LolUGotBusted Hopefully, JWT doesn't become debris while clearing a path.
@@picksalot1 everything at L2 is metastable, like a marble balancing on another marble. The physics of the place keep it pretty clear. The odd particle making it up the 'hill' are basically the objects of concern.
Best ever explanation of webb pointing strategy and the MAZ region. ...Please also make a video on Webb pillars of creation specially the MIRI image because the MIRI image was very scary and chilling - not as I expected it to be... What is webb MIRI image of pillars of creation revealing to us?
Webb also found a galaxy in Abell 2744 with a redshift of 12 which means 300 million years after the big bang. But there is no paper providing additional information about that galaxy .... So if you know anything about it please tell us because we are very curious to know...
Christian; I am utterly appaulled that NASA didn't call you before announcing MIRI was 'fixed" to fully vet the "repairs/patch" with you. Afterall, you do have "the pin"
As for the damaged mirror segment I have it on very good authority the mirror was repaired. Duct tape and some Krylon Gold were used and yes, it was Aliens who stepped up an saved the day... (lol)
How does NASA deal with frost/ice build up on the telescope that's not facing the sun.
To get frost you need air with moisture in it.
By controlling the rate at which it cooled down to prevent too much outgassing to happen at once. Otherwise, there was a concern that gas could crystalize and form frost. So the instruments actually had heaters to control the cooling rate. Heaters...to cool down...
Just a whiny technical thingy: it was a "meteoroid" which struct the mirror, rather than a meteorite.
I hear rumors that Webb isn't working lately..what the hay LPA?
1:45 it was probably something really stupid
Less concern about how much fuel remaining and more concerned how much mirror remains. 25 years of fuel is meaningless if mirror damaged beyond usefulness.
Yep, that's why they implemented this new policy, to make sure they don't run out of mirror before they run out of fuel!
If I recall correctly, my supervisor - who worked on MIRI - told me a while back that the wheel issue only occurs when the wheel is spun in a certain direction. If you spin it the other way around, there isn't an issue. But don't take my word for it, it was a hasty conversation 🙃
Sure
Start with mother in law. You know, as one of the conditions..
Yes Christian, exploit the JWST pin to the fulliest. Make those terribly lazy scientists do their job for a change. lol
I guarantee you: if it rotated one way first. ~They solved it by rotating it backwards, in reverse and it works fine that way. LoL (just a guess)
Why not just build more JWST class telescopes ... It's should be much cheaper the 2nd time ... All teks have been invented and mastered
You have the pin 😂😂😂😂
A word: meteoroid, not meteorite.
In space oid is correct, after burning in an atmosphere and touching down, ite is corect.
Isn't NASA required to tell us the exact specifics of what went wrong with the wheel and how they fixed it? It's our tax dollars that payed for it. NASA doesn't get to have secrets from us, especially after the name they chose for the telescope.
MIRI is ESA's instrument so maybe they don't have quite the transparency requirements as NASA? That said, there are laws in place that restrict federal agencies from some technology disclosures due to competitive protections, etc.
Everything from NASA gets filtered through their science communicators, and we only get content as nerdy as those individuals are. They are more focused on the 'general idea for the general population' and have flatly rejected returning to the busy people on the various teams with our most technical questions. That said, I know a guy on the MIRI team and I think I can get a more complete answer.
It blows my mind why more people are not into this stuff, but you get a million subs if you post a near naked women...what is wrong with people?
JWST - A fragile pile of expensive scrap.
Much more exciting waiting for the GMT, TMT, ELT.
That is simpleton rubbish at best.
First
Grade?
@@moonzestate lol Truth _does_ elevate
I make generic early comment. Give me meaningless upvotes!!!
no
@@NovaCoronaSolarisBlast generic angry reply
Meaningless upvote earned