NASA-approved James Webb Space Telescope is ready to conquer the distant frontiers of space
NASA has given the go-ahead to send the James Webb Space Telescope to explore and detect life on other planets in the Earth / Sun system nearly a million miles away. Why did they not want to launch it for a long time and what were the reasons for that? These questions will be answered in this material.
When was the launch into space planned and why it did not happen at the scheduled time
Initial launch of the telescope JWST was planned for the already distant 2007, but due to unsuccessful work, the designers decided to almost completely redo the device.
For this reason, the telescope launch window shifted first to 2015-2018. Then it was postponed to June 2019, then to May 2020, then to March 2021, and now the new date is October 2021.
And there is another important reason why NASA has postponed the launch of the telescope. The developers thoroughly checked all functions and carried out various tests in order for this device to work without any breakdowns, emergency situations, since its destination will be the second Lagrange point in the system Earth / Sun
And she, for a moment, is almost a million miles away. And if suddenly something goes wrong, no astronaut can fix it. That is why the launch of this telescope has been postponed for so long.
Preparatory work before going into space
So, after the successful completion of a series of tests of the telescope, they began to prepare it for sending to the cosmodrome. At the beginning of the assembly, the sun visor pallets were folded, the central tower was folded for subsequent placement in the shipping container. All of these activities are expected to end in September. And then there will already be a movement to the place of dispatch.
Space telescope JWST will have to drive to Northrop Grumman facilities located in California, and then to his place dispatch - Kourou Cosmodrome, French Guiana, which is located on the northeastern coast of the South America.
When he arrives, the telescope will be packed into the fairing of the Ariane 5 launch vehicle. And then, after so many years of waiting, the James Webb telescope will set off to explore the far reaches of space.
How will it work
After reaching its point of arrival, the telescope JWST will begin scanning outer space in the infrared spectrum for a considerable 10 years (that is why such increased attention and such serious preparation).
He will explore various planets, objects that will get in his way and study them, transmitting all the information directly to the Earth. And scientists on Earth will already be actively studying the data obtained and, it is likely that they will be able to find clear evidence of extraterrestrial life. Well, wait and see.
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