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[XKCD]2559[/XKCD]

launch
 

[url]https://twitter.com/joebarnard/status/1474454697150844934[/url]

Bon voyage and godspeed, JWST!!

Now begins the month of nail biting as deployments happen.

[QUOTE=Uncwilly;596207]Now begins the month of nail biting as deployments happen.[/QUOTE]There are something like 300 steps, every one of which has to go right (or [i]made[/i] to go right), in order for the mission not to fail before JWST can even begin to make observations.

If all goes well, there may be folks with their nails bitten off up to their elbows.

[QUOTE=Dr Sardonicus;596218]There are something like 300 steps, every one of which has to go right (or [i]made[/i] to go right), in order for the mission not to fail before JWST can even begin to make observations.[/QUOTE]Not quite the full picture. The deployments then allow the commissioning phase to start. All of the mirrors have to be aligned (separate from deployment). The scope has to cool down (even with the sunshade it won't be at operating temperature at the end of the 30 days. And the instruments have to be calibrated. Etc. So, expect 6 months from arrival at the L2 halo orbit before any 'real' data shows up. And these will likely be just a few easy (low exposure time) photogenic targets.

[YOUTUBE]shPwW11MEHg[/YOUTUBE]

My favorite way to keep track of the status of Webb is one of NASA's pages seen below. It has all kinds of neat stuff on it like distance counters, a timeline of the steps it has done/yet to do, and links to animations of what it is doing or about to do.
Check it out!


[URL]https://webb.nasa.gov/content/webbLaunch/whereIsWebb.html[/URL]

Webb's sunshield has been unfurled !
This was a real nail-biter moment as over a hundred components had to work perfectly to
deploy the 5 layers.


Next up is the tensioning of the layers to get them taut so the heat they trap will be radiated properly and efficiently to space away from the telescope.

I have seen on twitter a pettition to rename JW(James Webb)ST to BW( Betty White) ST.

I doubt it will get any traction, but thats a nice intention.
tServo : yes I love this website too.