On Jan. 5, the five layers of the Webb Space Telescope's sunshade were all tightened, and Webb's team completed one of the telescope's most challenging steps in space.
As the webb space telescope sunshade is fully unfolded, the mirror surface is unfolded next.
Credit:ESA
The optical module of the Webb Space Telescope uses the "Three-mirror anastigmat system", and the infrared rays captured by the main mirror are reflected by the Secondary Mirror and the Tertiary Mirror, and then transmitted by the Fine Steering Mirrors to the Scientific Instrument Module.
At about 21:48 Beijing time on January 6, Weber deployed an important radiator, the rear can be deployed instrument heat sink (ADIR), it was successfully deployed from Webb's rear panel, ADIR was able to dissipate the heat of the instrument into space, the entire deployment process of about 15 minutes.
The Webb main mirror is about to fully unfold
The webb space telescope has a diameter of about 6.5 meters in the main mirror and 0.74 meters in diameter in the secondary mirror. The Webb main mirror contains 18 hexagonal lenses, each with a diameter of 1.32 meters.
Credit: NASA/Chris Gunn
Webb's team made the telescope foldable so that it could be placed into the rocket's upper stage before launch, and then deployed after it entered space. The Webb main mirror contains two primary mirror wings, or two side panels, each containing three lenses.
At about 21:36 Beijing time on January 7, Webb's team began to expand the left mirror wing (left face panel), and the deployment was completed at about 3:11 a.m. Beijing time on January 8, and the Webb team confirmed that it had been locked, and the whole process was completed by the motor drive.
Next, Webb's team will unfurle the right wing and fully unfold the Webb main mirror in space, which will mark the completion of the most complex space telescope in history.
NASA TV will broadcast this process live no earlier than 22:00 Beijing time on January 8, and after the webb main camera is launched, NASA will hold a press conference at about 2:30 a.m. Beijing time on January 9.
NASA TV Live Address: https://www.nasa.gov/nasalive/
Station B broadcast address: https://live.bilibili.com/60617
reference
[1]https://blogs.nasa.gov/webb/2022/01/07/first-of-two-primary-mirror-wings-unfolds/
[2]https://jwst.nasa.gov/content/observatory/ote/mirrors/index.html#1a