NASA GSFC/CIL/Adriana Manrique GutierrezThe largest and most complex space science observatory has finally fully deployed its all-important sunshield on Tuesday, after eight days of unfolding and assembly., and unfurling it was no easy task. Its five layers, each a plastic sheet as thin as a human hair and coated with reflective metal, together provide protection of more than SPF 1 million.
“Unfolding Webb’s sunshield in space is an incredible milestone, crucial to the success of the mission,” Gregory L. Robinson, Webb’s program director at NASA Headquarters, said in a. “Thousands of parts had to work with precision for this marvel of engineering to fully unfurl. The team has accomplished an audacious feat with the complexity of this deployment—one of the boldest undertakings yet for Webb.
To set up its sunshield, Webb had to carefully unfold then tighten, or “tension,” each layer. “The membrane tensioning phase of sunshield deployment is especially challenging because there are complex interactions between the structures, the tensioning mechanisms, the cables and the membranes,” James Cooper, NASA’s Webb sunshield manager, said in aWebb, a $10 billion instrument, launched on December 25 from a European spaceport in French Guiana.
Wouldn’t it be ironic if someone’s long hair was sitting on the lens….lol
Good To Hear!