On December 25, NASA successfully launched the Ariane 5, a rocket that put into orbit – also successfully – the James webb, the space telescope developed by NASA itself together with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). This $ 10 billion space observatory now has 30 days to go to its new home. While it is practically impossible to know your route with a commercial telescope, we can follow their journey and see what deployment processes have been carried out, thanks to a website that NASA has set up for the occasion.
The portal, called “Where is Webb?“(” Where is Webb “), allows you to observe in detail important information of your trip to the point Lagrange L2, which is located at a distance of 1.5 million kilometers from the earth and where it will be activated to start its first investigations.
The main page of the web, in particular, shows relevant information about the journeysuch as how far you are from Earth, the kilometers left until you reach your destination, the speed at which you travel, or the temperature of the different sections of the telescope. There is also a timeline detailing the most important phases the James Webb must go through before arriving in his new home. Among them, the deployment of the different mirrors or parasols.
Learn about the James Webb deployment phases in detail
Users, in addition, can know in detail what are the different phases of deployment of the James Webb. The telescope, remember, is 8 meters high and has a solar protection layer of up to 21.2 meters, dimensions larger than those inside the rocket that put it into orbit. Therefore, several of the sections of this observatory have been designed so that they can be folded and, when the time comes, unfold.
The eyelash “Explore Deployments” includes images and graphics of the different parts of the telescope, as well as relevant comments and links to more technical information. On the other hand, there are also sections to learn about other events related to the telescope, as well as news or a section of frequently asked questions.
The James Webb tracking website that NASA has enabled works in real time, so it is possible that some of the most important events have already happened. At the moment, the launch of the Ariane 5, the rocket that carried the telescope, has already been carried out. Also the separation of the upper stage and the opening of the solar array, as well as some of the corrections and path adjustments. There are still critical days. For example, the deployment of solar panels or the activation of the telescope itself. NASA is expected to collect the first data from the James Webb during the first half of next year.