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I really appreciate how NASA is handling the James Webb. Instead of waiting for everything to be _done_ done, they’re bringing us all along for the setup, givin

I really appreciate how NASA is handling the James Webb. Instead of waiting for everything to be _done_ done, they’re bringing us all along for the setup, giving us “alpha” and “beta” images (if you will), and in so doing keeping interest in the telescope. I know it’ll continue, and I’m all hype about it.

foolfoolz 5y ago
nasas pr team has done an amazing job over the last 5 or 6 years. something changed where they understood how to engage with people better
- pkaye 5y ago
  NASA TV has been around since the 80s. I know they tried to engage the public with many MARS lander/rover missions some time back.
- sharkweek 5y ago
  I love watching the ISS feed they stream on the app sometimes. It’s fun to make the room all dark and have it up on the TV, it’s super tranquil.
- overtonwhy 5y ago
  They have a great YouTube channel
trappist 5y ago
I wonder who they've been learning from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvim4rsNHkQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvim4rsNHkQ
chasil 5y ago
I really and truly hope for longevity. "The Webb telescope will use 132 small motors (called actuators) to position and occasionally adjust the optics as there are few environmental disturbances of a telescope in space. Each of the 18 primary mirror segments is controlled by 6 positional actuators with a further ROC (radius of curvature) actuator at the center to adjust curvature (7 actuators per segment), for a total of 126 primary mirror actuators, and another 6 actuators for the secondary mirror, giving a total of 132. The actuators can position the mirror with 10 nanometer (10 millionths of a millimeter) accuracy. "The actuators are critical in maintaining the alignment of the telescope's mirrors, and are designed and manufactured by Ball Aerospace & Technologies. Each of the 132 actuators are driven by a single stepper motor, providing both fine and coarse adjustments. The actuators provide a coarse step size of 58 nanometers for larger adjustments, and a fine adjustment step size of 7 nanometers." https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Webb_Space_Telescope https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Webb_Space_Telescope
- jcadam 5y ago
  Any indication how many of those actuators they can lose and still maintain functionality (i.e., are any of those "spares")?
  - chasil 5y ago
    Good question. No idea.
  - skykooler 5y ago
    None of them are spares per se; if any of them fail they will have to use the other four on that segment to point it away from the sensor and disable that segment.
  - oceanghost 5y ago
    3 points in a plane, so maybe half?
    - TomVDB 5y ago
      No, they require 7 axes of movement. See the video that somebody else linked to.
    - TaylorAlexander 5y ago
      The actuators control the XYZ position and the pitch, yaw, and roll, plus curvature. There is no redundancy.
  - infogulch 5y ago
    The actuator is a genius flexure design that is both mechanically simple and accurate. Breaking Taps 3d-prints a working replica and describes the design. I highly recommend: https://youtu.be/5MxH1sfJLBQ https://youtu.be/5MxH1sfJLBQ The actuator breaking wasn't as concerning after seeing the design.
    - mywacaday 5y ago
      Thanks for that video and channel. See what you mean about simple and accurate, strongly agree with the presenter calling it genius. Can't help but feel there is a strong lesson in there for software people.
n00bface 5y ago
It makes me more confident that the right people are responsible for this project. The results for such a critical instrument are very important to the success of future research. To see them consistently exceeding mission objectives...how high can the Webb go?
gotaquestion 5y ago
It's nice to not see NASA dragged through the mud for a change because "SpaceX is cheaper."
- ncmncm 5y ago
  NASA's unscrewed exploration has long been top-notch. (Although, for the cost, arguably a series of initially less sophisticated 'scopes could have been lofted, leading to maybe a better one by now.) It is their crewed program that is completely screwed by politics.
  - ncmncm 5y ago
    *uncrewed
    - dtgriscom 5y ago
      ... maybe their crewed program is screwed?
- dotnet00 5y ago
  SpaceX is cheaper for rockets, but they also aren't in the business of making space telescopes, so that's a complete strawman.
  - gotaquestion 5y ago
    Easy there Elon.
genocidicbunny 5y ago
They purposely designed some of the first experiments it will perform to produce aesthetically pleasing images, so they are definitely considering the PR angle. You should expect to see lots of pretty pictures from the JWST over the next year.
spaetzleesser 5y ago
NASA has become really good at self promotion and exciting people. The JWST launch and deployment is being covered really well. I also thought it was great that they had cameras on the latest Mars Rover that showed videos of the landing sequence from several angles. ESA should learn from NASA.

foolfoolz 5y ago

nasas pr team has done an amazing job over the last 5 or 6 years. something changed where they understood how to engage with people better

pkaye 5y ago
NASA TV has been around since the 80s. I know they tried to engage the public with many MARS lander/rover missions some time back.
sharkweek 5y ago
I love watching the ISS feed they stream on the app sometimes. It’s fun to make the room all dark and have it up on the TV, it’s super tranquil.
overtonwhy 5y ago
They have a great YouTube channel

trappist 5y ago

I wonder who they've been learning from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvim4rsNHkQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvim4rsNHkQ

chasil 5y ago

I really and truly hope for longevity. "The Webb telescope will use 132 small motors (called actuators) to position and occasionally adjust the optics as there are few environmental disturbances of a telescope in space. Each of the 18 primary mirror segments is controlled by 6 positional actuators with a further ROC (radius of curvature) actuator at the center to adjust curvature (7 actuators per segment), for a total of 126 primary mirror actuators, and another 6 actuators for the secondary mirror, giving a total of 132. The actuators can position the mirror with 10 nanometer (10 millionths of a millimeter) accuracy. "The actuators are critical in maintaining the alignment of the telescope's mirrors, and are designed and manufactured by Ball Aerospace & Technologies. Each of the 132 actuators are driven by a single stepper motor, providing both fine and coarse adjustments. The actuators provide a coarse step size of 58 nanometers for larger adjustments, and a fine adjustment step size of 7 nanometers." https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Webb_Space_Telescope https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Webb_Space_Telescope

jcadam 5y ago
Any indication how many of those actuators they can lose and still maintain functionality (i.e., are any of those "spares")?
- chasil 5y ago
  Good question. No idea.
- skykooler 5y ago
  None of them are spares per se; if any of them fail they will have to use the other four on that segment to point it away from the sensor and disable that segment.
- oceanghost 5y ago
  3 points in a plane, so maybe half?
  - TomVDB 5y ago
    No, they require 7 axes of movement. See the video that somebody else linked to.
  - TaylorAlexander 5y ago
    The actuators control the XYZ position and the pitch, yaw, and roll, plus curvature. There is no redundancy.
- infogulch 5y ago
  The actuator is a genius flexure design that is both mechanically simple and accurate. Breaking Taps 3d-prints a working replica and describes the design. I highly recommend: https://youtu.be/5MxH1sfJLBQ https://youtu.be/5MxH1sfJLBQ The actuator breaking wasn't as concerning after seeing the design.
  - mywacaday 5y ago
    Thanks for that video and channel. See what you mean about simple and accurate, strongly agree with the presenter calling it genius. Can't help but feel there is a strong lesson in there for software people.

n00bface 5y ago

It makes me more confident that the right people are responsible for this project. The results for such a critical instrument are very important to the success of future research. To see them consistently exceeding mission objectives...how high can the Webb go?

gotaquestion 5y ago

It's nice to not see NASA dragged through the mud for a change because "SpaceX is cheaper."

ncmncm 5y ago
NASA's unscrewed exploration has long been top-notch. (Although, for the cost, arguably a series of initially less sophisticated 'scopes could have been lofted, leading to maybe a better one by now.) It is their crewed program that is completely screwed by politics.
- ncmncm 5y ago
  *uncrewed
  - dtgriscom 5y ago
    ... maybe their crewed program is screwed?
dotnet00 5y ago
SpaceX is cheaper for rockets, but they also aren't in the business of making space telescopes, so that's a complete strawman.
- gotaquestion 5y ago
  Easy there Elon.

genocidicbunny 5y ago

They purposely designed some of the first experiments it will perform to produce aesthetically pleasing images, so they are definitely considering the PR angle. You should expect to see lots of pretty pictures from the JWST over the next year.

spaetzleesser 5y ago

NASA has become really good at self promotion and exciting people. The JWST launch and deployment is being covered really well. I also thought it was great that they had cameras on the latest Mars Rover that showed videos of the landing sequence from several angles. ESA should learn from NASA.