NASA's James Webb telescope completes mirror alignment, heads for orbit

NASA's James Webb telescope completed alignment all 18 of its primary mirror segments and the secondary mirror on Wednesday, the agency reported.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson shared the news, tipping his hat to the crew on Twitter.

"Congratulations to the teams that have been working tirelessly since launch to get to this point. Soon, Webb will arrive at its new home, L2," wrote Nelson.

"(The term) L2 is short-hand for the second Lagrange Point, a wonderful accident of gravity and orbital mechanics, and the perfect place to park the Webb telescope in space. There are five so-called 'Lagrange Points' -- areas where gravity from the sun and Earth balance the orbital motion of a satellite," according to NASA.

Approximately five months of further alignment and calibration lay ahead as it completes a million-mile journey, before scientists will start getting the first images from the telescope, the agency said.

That work also includes settling into a stable operating temperature and calibrating onboard science instruments.

The mirror is 21 feet, 4 inches across and made of beryllium coated with reflective gold. It is the shape and size that scientists determined was needed to measure infrared light from the earliest galaxies.

The NASA team will continue aligning the telescope's mirrors, making minor adjustments, as it journeys to its eventual orbit.

The $10 billion telescope was launched on Dec. 25 and completed its initial mirror deployment earlier this month.

A NASA website tracks it every move along the way.

Webb's more sensitive instruments will penetrate the gas and dust of space objects that have limited the visibility of its predecessor, the Hubble Telescope.

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Webb Begins Its Months-Long Mirror Alignment
Washington DC (SPX) Jan 13, 2022
Webb has begun the detailed process of fine-tuning its individual optics into one huge, precise telescope. Engineers first commanded actuators - 126 devices that will move and shape the primary mirror segments, and six devices that will position the secondary mirror - to verify that all are working as expected after launch. The team also commanded actuators that guide Webb's fine steering mirror to make minor movements, confirming they are working as expected. The fine steering mirror is critical ... read more