krpalmer | Unfolding in the Shade (Reply)

When I noted the James Webb Space Telescope’s sunshield had been fully deployed, I knew the mirrors would be unfolded next. While I’d seen the comments the sunshield seemed to provoke more nervousness, there did still seem the chance for unfortunate complications in the following steps. Checking the updates again and again, though, I saw notices that the secondary mirror had moved into place, and then that the six hexagonal mirrors on the sides had swung out three at a time to join the twelve in the middle. That should have the telescope changed from the rectangular package on top of an Ariane 5 rocket to pretty much how it’s supposed to look, although I know the positions of the mirrors are still going to be adjusted and the telescope has to nudge itself up to the Earth-sun Lagrange point. There have been plenty of comments about how the telescope’s thrusters all point in one direction to keep from contaminating the mirrors and it can’t turn the other way or else the mirrors will wind up in sunlight. Still, with thoughts of the black-and-white covering that tore off Skylab during launch (but after the rocket had vanished in the clouds) to be replaced with improvised sunshades now pushed back into the past, I’m left hoping that this time the mirrors have been really proven to have been made right.