January 17, 2013

Image Caption: Ball Aerospace Technician Robin Russell inspects the Webb Telescope Aft Optics Subsystem during mirror integration activities. The Aft Optics bench, made of lightweight beryllium like the mirrors, holds Webb's tertiary and fine steering mirrors. The installed, gold-coated tertiary mirror can be seen in the background. Photo courtesy Ball Aerospace.

April Flowers for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online

Another milestone was recently met by the engineering team working on NASAs James Webb Space Telescope when they completed performance testing on the observatorys aft-optics system (AOS). Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. the principal subcontractor to Northrop Grumman for the optical technology and lightweight mirror system conducted the testing at their facilities in Boulder, Colo.

Completing Aft Optics System performance testing is significant because it means all of the telescopes mirror systems are ready for integration and testing, said Lee Feinberg, NASA Optical Telescope Element Manager for the James Webb Space Telescope at the Goddard Space Flight Center.

The AOS has gone through a series of thermal, vibration, and cryogenic testing since last May to demonstrate that it can withstand the intense vibrations of the rocket launch and remain precisely aligned. The testing also proves that the AOS will function at the extremely cold temperatures in space.

The AOS, which is the final optical subsystem in the Webbs Optical Telescope Element to complete integration and test activities at Ball Aerospace, will remain at the Ball facility to be used in integrated testing with the flight actuator drive unit and AOS source plate assembly.

Each optical element that Ball Aerospace builds for the Webb is extremely sophisticated, said David L. Taylor, Ball Aerospaces president and chief executive officer. The successful completion of another milestone brings us one day closer to the launch of NASAs next major space observatory.

Both a shroud to eliminate stray light and two large radiator panels that keep the assembly cold surround the AOS, a precision beryllium rectangular optical bench that houses the tertiary and the fine steering mirror installed at the center of Webbs primary mirror.

Ball will begin the process of shipping the finished Webb primary to NASAs Goddard facility in September 2012. The remaining mirrors will arrive at Goddard in 2013 to be integrated into the telescope in 2015. Currently, the Webb telescope is on track for an October 2018 liftoff.

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NASA And Ball Aerospace Bring James Webb Telescope One Step Closer To Completion