James Webb Space Telescope Completes Mirror Deployment Process

James Webb telescope, the largest space telescope has deployed all of the hexagonal mirror segments. The delicate operation that required the James Webb observatory?s individual mirror segments out of their launch positions took nearly a week. NASA said that its engineers sent commands to the motors, which are called actuators to slowly move each segment about half the length of a paper clip to clear the mirrors from their launch restraints and give each segment enough space for mirror alignment.

The James Webb space telescope is now expected to enter it?s orbit around the sun. The telescope will be nearly 1 million miles away from the Earth. Erin Wolf, the program manager for the mission also explained how the mirrors on the James Webb observatory were moved and tested. He said that the motors made more than a million revolutions this week. The team moved all 132 actuators located in the back of the primary and secondary mirror segments. He said that using six motors that deploy each segment about half the length of a paper clip, the actuators clear the mirrors from their launch restraints and give each segment space to be adjusted later in other directions.

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Now, the process of alignment will take approximately three months. On January 24, NASA will fire the James Webb telescope?s thrusters to fire it into the its orbit around the sun. The mission will be broadcasted live on NASA?s Science Live website, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter.

ALSO READ: EXPLAINED: James Webb Telescope And The Quest To Look Back To The Beginning Of Time.

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