Tower Extension Test a Success for NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope
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2020-06-10に共有
The primary purpose of the deployable tower is to create a large gap between the upper part of the observatory that houses its iconic gold mirrors and scientific instruments, and the lower section known as the spacecraft bus which holds its comparatively warm electronics and propulsion systems. By creating a space between the two, it allows for Webb’s active and passive cooling systems to bring its mirrors and sensors down to staggeringly cold temperatures required to perform optimal science.
Webb was designed to look for faint traces of infrared light, which is essentially heat energy. To detect the extremely faint heat signals of astronomical objects that are incredibly far away, the telescope itself has to be very cold and stable.
During the test, the tower was slowly extended 48 inches (1.2 meters) upward over the course of several hours, in the same maneuver it will perform once in space. Simulating the zero-gravity environment Webb will operate in, engineers employed an innovative series of pulleys, counterbalances and a special crane called a gravity-negation system that perfectly offloaded all of the effects of Earth’s gravity on the observatory. Now that Webb is fully assembled, the difficulty of testing and properly simulating a zero-gravity environment has increased significantly.
“The Deployable Tower Assembly worked beautifully during the test,” said Alphonso Stewart the Webb deployment systems lead for NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “It performed exactly as predicted, and from our expectations from previous tests before the full observatory was assembled. This was the first time that this part of Webb was tested in its flight-like configuration to the highest level of fidelity we possibly could. This test provides the opportunity to assess all interfaces and interactions between the instrument and bus sections of the observatory."
In addition to helping the observatory cool down, the Deployable Tower Assembly is also a big part of how Webb is able to pack down into a smaller size to fit inside an Ariane 5 rocket for launch. Webb is the largest space science observatory ever built, but to fit a telescope that big into a rocket, engineers had to design it to fold down into a much smaller configuration. Webb’s Deployable Tower Assembly helps Webb to just barely fit inside a 17.8-foot (5.4-meter) payload fairing. Once in space, the tower will extend to give the rest of Webb’s deployable parts, such as the sunshield and mirrors, the necessary amount of room needed to unpack and unfold into a fully functional infrared space observatory.
For more information about Webb, visit www.nasa.gov/webb
Music credit: Universal Production Music, "Timelapse Clouds" by Blythe Joustra
Video credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Michael McClare (KBRWyle): Lead Producer
Michael McClare (KBRWyle): Videographer
Michael McClare (KBRWyle): Video Editor
Jonathan North (USRA): Animator
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コメント (21)
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This will be a great achievement in human history. Congratulate to all✌️from 🇮🇳
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I am so proud of NASA
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Man I want to see what mad results this scope will bring when it deploys! I'd rather it be late and working well than to see it rushed and busted.
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Cuando es el lanzamiento? Y cuanto hay que esperar despues de su lanzamiento para ver las primeras imagenes?
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This is an EMENCLY COMPLEX instrument & SUPER INTRIGUING!!
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That shape is unique like honey
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Background music is perfect
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Truly hope this doesn't get delayed again.
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Thank you NASA 🤩🥰
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don't drop it!
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cant wait its launch in 3080 amazing
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Cuánto me hubiera gustado poder entender el idioma inglés para poder comprender y aprender mucho más de la ciencia, realmente es maravilloso saber y entender todo o al menos hasta donde se pueda absorver todo el cúmulo de informaciones que nos brindan los avances tecnológicos
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Mis mayores respetos a su trabajo.
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God bless you. Congratulations.
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I have been told that when it launches it will be so powerful, and will be capable of seeing so far back in time, it will be able to actually see itself being built.
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A mirror of gold!
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I happy we got a new telescope 👍🚀😍🤩🥰😇🕊️
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so good congratulations from🇦🇷
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its very cool
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I hope one day that it make it in to space.