Posted: Apr 01, 2022 5:48 pm
James Webb Space Telescope completes another stage of instrument alignment
By Elizabeth Howell published 7 minutes ago
There's only one step left to tackle.
The commissioning stages of the James Webb Space Telescope just ticked off yet another phase.
Engineers have successfully aligned all but one of the instruments on the $10 billion space telescope for the first time, NASA reported on Friday (April 1) as Webb continues to cool to deep-space temperatures after launching Dec. 25, 2021.
The interim instrument adjustment was so successful that engineers determined they don't need to realign the secondary mirror of Webb, which was an option if they determined anything was out of line. One last phase of "multi-instrument alignment," as NASA terms the process, will place after the telescope's final instrument cools. The cooling milestone should happen in the "weeks ahead," the agency stated.
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