Updates James Webb Space Telescope updates

[GLS]

... and we have a fully deployed JWST

 

[Fabri91]

The thing is actually in space and mostly deployed!

 

[GLS]

The thing is actually in space and mostly deployed!

Actually, it is totally deployed.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1479880178021060609

 

[Urwumpe]

Its almost done.... it still has to reach L2. And get chilled down enough for taking pictures. And not fail early....

 

[Pioneer]

?

Laugh react

 

[TheShuttleExperience]

Some people say spaceflight/space exploration became boring because nothing happens these days. JWST is just one of many projects that proves the exact opposite. Space exploration actually is as exciting as never before in human history. And one can follow it live at home on a computer. I was watching the broadcast of the deployment while I was doing my sports. It is simply amazing. Can't wait to see the first images... (and it inspires me to buy a telescope)

 

[Thunder Chicken]

Ariane 5 apparently nailed the trajectory. NASA engineers are saying approximately 20 year fuel lifetime, nearly best case scenario:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1479941706741170180

 

[Notebook]

Having a hard time finding out where in the sky JWT will be. Can anyone narrow it down to a constellation?

 

[GLS]

Having a hard time finding out where in the sky JWT will be. Can anyone narrow it down to a constellation?

So L2 is on the Earth side that is opposite to the Sun. If you know the zodiac constellations, then it's the one 6 months before/after the current one, i.e., the one high in the south sky at around midnight. So currently that's the Gemini and Cancer constellations.

 

[Ajaja]

Webb is here

 

[Notebook]

Just left of Orion? I'll have a look tonight if its not cloudy!
Thanks, G.

 

[barrygolden]

Thank you for the updates please keep us informed

 

[Ajaja]

@Notebook
More accurate coordinates for given date and observer position you can get from https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/horizons/app.html#/

Spoiler

*******************************************************************************
Ephemeris / WWW_USER Mon Jan 10 04:23:46 2022 Pasadena, USA      / Horizons  
*******************************************************************************
Target body name: James Webb Space Telescope (spacecraft) (-170) {source: JWST_merged}
Center body name: Earth (399)                     {source: DE441}
Center-site name: GEOCENTRIC
*******************************************************************************
Start time      : A.D. 2022-Jan-10 00:00:00.0000 UT    
Stop  time      : A.D. 2022-Jan-20 00:00:00.0000 UT    
Step-size       : 1440 minutes
*******************************************************************************
Target pole/equ : No model available
Target radii    : (unavailable)                                              
Center geodetic : 0.00000000,0.00000000,0.0000000 {E-lon(deg),Lat(deg),Alt(km)}
Center cylindric: 0.00000000,0.00000000,0.0000000 {E-lon(deg),Dxy(km),Dz(km)}
Center pole/equ : ITRF93                          {East-longitude positive}
Center radii    : 6378.1 x 6378.1 x 6356.8 km     {Equator, meridian, pole}  
Target primary  : Earth
Vis. interferer : MOON (R_eq= 1737.400) km        {source: DE441}
Rel. light bend : Sun, EARTH                      {source: DE441}
Rel. lght bnd GM: 1.3271E+11, 3.9860E+05 km^3/s^2                            
Atmos refraction: NO (AIRLESS)
RA format       : HMS
Time format     : CAL
EOP file        : eop.220106.p220401                                          
EOP coverage    : DATA-BASED 1962-JAN-20 TO 2022-JAN-06. PREDICTS-> 2022-MAR-31
Units conversion: 1 au= 149597870.700 km, c= 299792.458 km/s, 1 day= 86400.0 s
Table cut-offs 1: Elevation (-90.0deg=NO ),Airmass (>38.000=NO), Daylight (NO )
Table cut-offs 2: Solar elongation (  0.0,180.0=NO ),Local Hour Angle( 0.0=NO )
Table cut-offs 3: RA/DEC angular rate (     0.0=NO )                          
*******************************************************************************
 Date__(UT)__HR:MN     R.A._____(ICRF)_____DEC
**********************************************
$$SOE
 2022-Jan-10 00:00     06 32 45.62 +02 01 37.2
 2022-Jan-11 00:00     06 34 22.68 +02 13 09.1
 2022-Jan-12 00:00     06 35 59.48 +02 24 55.2
 2022-Jan-13 00:00     06 37 36.19 +02 36 54.7
 2022-Jan-14 00:00     06 39 12.93 +02 49 07.2
 2022-Jan-15 00:00     06 40 49.76 +03 01 32.4
 2022-Jan-16 00:00     06 42 26.68 +03 14 10.5
 2022-Jan-17 00:00     06 44 03.67 +03 27 02.0
 2022-Jan-18 00:00     06 45 40.68 +03 40 07.7
 2022-Jan-19 00:00     06 47 17.63 +03 53 28.4
 2022-Jan-20 00:00     06 48 54.45 +04 07 05.6
$$EOE
*******************************************************************************

 

[JDat]

Sorry, for offtopic and spam. This is in russian, but you will figure out the story. After sunshield deployment magnitude changed from 16 to 14.

 

[jarmonik]

Actually, it is totally deployed.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1479880178021060609

Doesn't all of those primary mirror segments still need to be fine aligned or is that also done.

 

[JDat]

Doesn't all of those primary mirror segments still need to be fine aligned or is that also done.

Origami stuff are fully deployed.
Need to coarse tune all 18 mirror. This will start any moment and continue next 2 weeks.
Then L2 insert burn.
Than 3 month fine mirror alignment and instrument calibration.

Where is WEBB?

 

[Sbb1413]

Some people say spaceflight/space exploration became boring because nothing happens these days. JWST is just one of many projects that proves the exact opposite. Space exploration actually is as exciting as never before in human history. And one can follow it live at home on a computer. I was watching the broadcast of the deployment while I was doing my sports. It is simply amazing. Can't wait to see the first images... (and it inspires me to buy a telescope)

Me too, and it will be more exciting when the Americans will send a woman and a dark-skinned to the Moon within this wild decade, and possibly infinite when humans will walk on another planet. The 2020s decade is indeed the decade of transformation, the decade where numerous iconic rockets (Atlas V, Delta IV, Proton) will go extinct in favor of much better launch vehicles.

 

[Ajaja]

This is in russian, but you will figure out the story. After sunshield deployment magnitude changed from 16 to 14.

Yes, but in

he also said that after reaching the final orbit at L2 there may be short flashes up to 5 magnitude.

 

[N_Molson]

Me too, and it will be more exciting when the Americans will send

I'd say the lesson there (and IMHO the glimmer of hope in this sad world) is that it shows that international partnerships can achieve incredible things.

 

[Ripley]

I've just noticed that NASA's "eyes on the solar sytem" website still shows a closed/undeployed WEBB...

Eyes - NASA Science

NASA's Eyes is a suite of 3D visualization applications that allows everyone to explore and understand real NASA data and imagery in a fun and interactive way. The apps are all run inside a regular web browser, so any device with an internet connection and a browser can run them.

eyes.nasa.gov