After 206 seconds of flight, at an altitude of about 75 miles above the atmosphere, the two halves of the @ESA @Arianespace rocket fairing that shields the observatory during ascent are separated.pic.twitter.com/1gepqkOO4c
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This is our Super Bowl, World Cup - you pick the analogy.
In the 29 days after launch, the James Webb Space Telescope must unfold, like origami, over the course of hundreds of steps in order to #UnfoldTheUniverse. Let’s break it down: https://go.nasa.gov/3wmgFTr pic.twitter.com/NfkJvjVSap
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Note: Many of Webb’s deployments can be paused, slowed, or reversed to circumvent unforeseen issues. Webb has 300+ single points of failure (SPFs), but not all are high-risk. Webb is special for its # of deployment-specific SPFs, but many satellites have a large # of SPFs.pic.twitter.com/bnD35TNa4O
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Webb’s first deployment, its solar array, occurs about a half hour after launch. It will stop the drain on Webb's internal battery & supply ~2 kilowatts of power to drive the spacecraft’s electrical systems. Webb’s antennas are then deployed to enable high speed communication.pic.twitter.com/LpmxJh8edN
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At 12 and a half hours after launch, Webb will fire its thrusters, performing the first of several critical course corrections that send the observatory towards its final destination in orbit. The observatory will pass the Moon nearly two and a half days after launch.pic.twitter.com/mR2Q3ChEBu
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The first of Webb's major deployments is the extension of its sunshield frame, known as a unitized pallet structure (UPS). These pallets fold down nearly three days after launch, opening the observatory up to continue expanding.pic.twitter.com/IgcVGE3rgB
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Four days after launch, a deployable tower will extend to separate the telescope's upper half — its mirrors and instruments — from its spacecraft bus. This separation effectively isolates the telescope from vibrations and conducted heat coming from the spacecraft bus.pic.twitter.com/c3IZDY4Yh4
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Sunshield membrane deployments begin about 5 days after launch. A critical juncture will occur when all 107 sunshield release mechanisms, or special pins that keep the five sunshield layers locked into place, fire on cue and pull themselves out to free the membranes.pic.twitter.com/Vw5TnppSiY
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After all sunshield pins have been successfully removed, two sunshield "arms," known as mid-booms, extend to pull each of the sunshield layers out into their characteristic diamond formation.pic.twitter.com/7AmkTKGkTp
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Following full sunshield deployment, each of the sunshield's five layers are tensioned and separated using special pulleys and motor systems. Sunshield deployments and tensioning are expected to conclude between eight to nine days after liftoff.pic.twitter.com/1d7lJD4jrj
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Next, Webb’s optics — and
@NASA’s new eye on the cosmos — open up. Telescope deployment begins by unfolding and latching into place the tripod holding the secondary mirror, and is expected to conclude two hours into the 10th day after liftoff.pic.twitter.com/NfmwG949ZwShow this thread -
13 days in, Webb’s large-scale deployments are expected to conclude with the locking in of its primary mirror "wings" (its left and right side panels), revealing the full telescope in all its glory.pic.twitter.com/2o68074ub2
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On the 29th day, Webb will fire its thrusters once again to insert itself into its prescribed orbit at the second Lagrange point, or L2, nearly one million miles away from Earth. This formally concludes the most difficult & complex deployment sequence ever attempted in space.pic.twitter.com/qJjUIpvCg6
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A mission of this scale, complexity and magnitude would not be possible without international teamwork. Webb's launch will be a pivotal moment that exemplifies the dedication, innovation, & ambition behind
@NASA and its partners,@ESA &@csa_asc:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUAvXYW5bmI …Show this thread
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