Finally, in 2018, the complete integration of the observatory will occur, joining the OTIS and the spacecraft in preparation for their launch in October. The spacecraft and sunshield will be integrated and tested in 2017. In 2017, NASA will complete the OTIS testing. Also in 2016, the spacecraft will begin its integration steps. In 2016, the program will begin the integration of the telescope with the science instrument module (denoted as Optical Telescope plus Integrated Science instrument module: OTIS). Once the completed unit is available, NASA will place the 18 mirror segments into the backplane.įollowing the completion of the telescope, the Webb program will embark on the next major integration and test portion of its schedule. This single unit will be delivered to the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD. From now through FY 2015, the parts of the backplane (center section, wings, backplane support fixture, and test equipment) will undergo their final phases of manufacturing and testing before being assembled into a single unit. Keeping these items on schedule is vital to keeping Webb on track for its planned October 2018 launch. The construction of the primary mirror backplane and backplane support structure is the pacing item in the schedule for the telescope. The backplane support structure provides a rigid and thermally stable platform to guarantee that the science instruments and telescope mirror stay in perfect alignment. The science instrument module contains the observatory's cameras and spectrographs. The backplane support structure attaches to the primary mirror backplane and holds the science instrument module. This backplane can be thought of as a skeleton on which we hang the mirror segments. To form these sharp images, the mirror segments must be firmly held by an extremely rigid and stable structure known as the primary mirror backplane. When combined into a single structure, these computer-controlled mirrors will form a single crisp image. The Webb observatory has a deployable, segmented primary mirror made up of 18 hexagonal mirrors. Webb's new technologies, like those developed for the backplane components, are critical to the mission's success. Webb is NASA's new telescope that will allow us to explore deeper into space and see things that even the Hubble Space Telescope cannot see. This observatory is key for meeting NASA's strategic objective to discover how the universe works, explore how it began and evolved, and search for life on planets around other stars. It will revolutionize humankind's understanding of the Cosmos and our place in it. The James Webb Space Telescope (Webb) Program will produce an astronomical observatory capable of watching the universe light up after the Big Bang.
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