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James Webb Space Telescope gets hit by larger than expected micrometeoroid
- throw1234651234 4y agoLeave it to the aliens to to sabotage their discovery with plausibly denial "larger than expected, not unreasonable, just unlikely" micrometeoroids.
- nashashmi 4y agoSo what's the plan here when it actually about to get hit by a bigger rock?
- genocidicbunny 4y agoIf they have sufficient forewarning, they can steer the telescope out of the way somewhat.
- jazzyjackson 4y ago> Since its launch, JWST has already been hit by at least four different micrometeoroids Oh Jesus, it's sitting in a gravity well, isn't it? Would it be any different to scuba dive in the center of the pacific trash gyre and be surprised when you have to push micro-plastics aside ?
- LeifCarrotson 4y agoOn a gravity saddle, more accurately.
- 1970-01-01 4y agoYou would think the worst is over, but no, now it's got larger than expected micro problems to deal with.
- jimmySixDOF 4y agoNASA has a blog post today titled "Engineered to Endure Micrometeoroid Impacts" [1] >This most recent impact was larger than was modeled, and beyond what the team could have tested on the ground. >...mirror positions enables partial correction for the result of impacts. By adjusting the position of the affected segment, engineers can cancel out a portion of the distortion. This minimizes the effect of any impact, although not all of the degradation can be cancelled out this way. >This most recent hit was not a result of a meteor shower and is currently considered an unavoidable chance event. As a result of this impact >Since launch, we have had four smaller measurable micrometeoroid strikes that were consistent with expectations [1] https://blogs.nasa.gov/webb/2022/06/08/webb-engineered-to-endure-micrometeoroid-impacts/ https://blogs.nasa.gov/webb/2022/06/08/webb-engineered-to-en...