NASA’s James Webb telescope gets hit by a micrometeroid
. It's supposed to give us an insight into the first stars and galaxies that ever formed and into the atmospheres of potentially habitable exoplanets. That is why NASA and its partners had engineered it to be able to withstand harsh situations, such as being bombarded by micrometeroids flying at extremely high velocities. Between May 23rd and May 25th, a micrometeoroid that's larger than expected hit one of the telescope's primary mirror segments.
In NASA's announcement, it said that the James Webb team performed an initial analysis and found that it still performs at a level that"exceeds all mission requirements." The space agency explained that its engineers relied on simulations and did actual test impacts on mirror samples when it was building the telescope to make sure it was adequately fortified. For instance, the telescope's flight teams can perform maneuvers to turn its optics away from known meteor showers.
The good news is that James Webb has the capability to adjust mirror positions in order to correct and minimize the results of impacts like this. Its engineers have already made the first of several adjustments to make up for the damage on the affected segment. The agency has also formed a team of engineers to look into ways to mitigate effects of hits this scale in the future.
All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Österreich Neuesten Nachrichten, Österreich Schlagzeilen
Similar News:Sie können auch ähnliche Nachrichten wie diese lesen, die wir aus anderen Nachrichtenquellen gesammelt haben.
James Webb Space Telescope struck by micrometeoroid | Digital TrendsNASA’s JamesWebbSpaceTelescope recently suffered a micrometeoroid strike by a particle larger than any that the team had modeled for.
Weiterlesen »
James Webb Space Telescope suffers 1st noticeable micrometeoroid impact just months into flightNASA says we can still expect pristine images on July 12.
Weiterlesen »
James Webb Space Telescope was hit by a tiny space rock – but it’s OKOne of the mirrors of NASA’s huge new space observatory, the James Webb Space Telescope, was hit by a small space rock larger than anything they tested it with on the ground
Weiterlesen »
NASA Says a Tiny Space Rock Has Impacted The James Webb Space TelescopeIn its new home far from Earth, the James Webb Space Telescope maybe isn't quite as alone as it seems.
Weiterlesen »
James Webb Space Telescope will study how the 1st black hole 'seeds' formed in the 'baby universe'Samantha Mathewson joined Space.com as an intern in the summer of 2016. She received a B.A. in Journalism and Environmental Science at the University of New Haven, in Connecticut. Previously, her work has been published in Nature World News. When not writing or reading about science, Samantha enjoys traveling to new places and taking photos! You can follow her on Twitter Sam_Ashley13.
Weiterlesen »
Tuesday’s funeral in Uvalde remembers Xavier James LopezAnother funeral for a Robb Elementary School student was held Tuesday morning in Uvalde. Xavier James Lopez was among the 21 victims of the May 24 massacre at...
Weiterlesen »