One of the mirror parts of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) was damaged by a micrometeoroid, causing a further setback. The research group asserts that the telescope should still be able to carry out the activities it was intended for, even though the damages are bigger than those expected during ground testing.
Despite the seeming emptiness of space, dust and other particles are known to be there. When a spacecraft is moving quickly, even minute substances can cause damage, and James Webb’s primary mirror, which is about the size of a tennis court, presents a sizable target. In order to guarantee that the telescope could endure the projected barrage of micrometeoroids during its lifespan, comprehensive modelling and impact tests were carried out during the telescope’s design and construction.
The JWST experienced an impact on one of its mirror segments, C3, between May 23 and May 25, which was bigger than anticipated. The impact and potential effects on the science mission are being evaluated through continuing measurements and assessment.
“With Webb’s mirrors exposed to space, we expected that occasional micrometeoroid impacts would gracefully degrade telescope performance over time. Since launch, we have had four smaller measurable micrometeoroid strikes that were consistent with expectations and this one more recently that is larger than our degradation predictions assumed.”
Lee Feinberg, optical telescope element manager of the JWST.
The impact on the data will be noticeable, but should only be slight, according to the scientists team. The afflicted mirror’s location has been altered to reduce some of the deformation, and more fine-tuning is planned to see if it can be made any better.
The even bigger surprise is that overall, despite the damage, the JWST will still perform above its initial predictions. Most crucially, the team stresses that the impact will not affect the July 12 publication date for the first full-color photos and spectroscopic data.
image credits: NASA
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