6 ms·

Can Webb be used for military purposes (observing Earth)?

mkwarman 3y ago
No, due to heat reasons: https://webb.nasa.gov/content/about/faqs/faqLite.html#:~:text=Because%20the%20telescope%20and%20instruments,Earth%20objects%20cannot%20be%20observed https://webb.nasa.gov/content/about/faqs/faqLite.html#:~:tex.... https://webb.nasa.gov/content/forScientists/faqSolarsystem.html#whatlookat https://webb.nasa.gov/content/forScientists/faqSolarsystem.h...
feoren 3y ago
No, it can't be pointed at the inner solar system or Earth; too bright, and its heat shield would point the wrong way. But the military doesn't need it. Supposedly some military tech was declassified recently showing that the military had Hubble-level telescopes about 15 years before Hubble. So whatever they are using is much better (and more specialized, of course) than Webb.
- wredue 3y ago
  Not sure the technology needed is quite the same. They probably have better up there, but we know that military satellites are able to see the individual poles in a chain link fence crisply due to Trump leaking that capability a few years ago on twitter.
- euroderf 3y ago
  Sure, the military had the test rig to pre-flight test Hubble's optics, except that someone slipped up and well dang, Hubble needed corrective lenses.
- eep_social 3y ago
  Here’s an article from 2012 describing the military donating two unlaunched hubble-class telescopes to NASA: https://newatlas.com/spysatellite/22813/ https://newatlas.com/spysatellite/22813/
mathstuf 3y ago
Webb can only point away from Earth as the Sun is on the other side of Earth from Webb's location. All it would see is a bright source of IR; nothing much useful there. I'm afraid it would also likely be destroyed in the process as it is assuming near-absolute-zero temperatures for much of its instruments.
gustavus 3y ago
An exhaustive, through and entertaining answer to that question (for the bubble) is provided here https://what-if.xkcd.com/32/ https://what-if.xkcd.com/32/ The short answer is not really and drones are better for it anyway.

No, due to heat reasons: https://webb.nasa.gov/content/about/faqs/faqLite.html#:~:text=Because%20the%20telescope%20and%20instruments,Earth%20objects%20cannot%20be%20observed https://webb.nasa.gov/content/about/faqs/faqLite.html#:~:tex.... https://webb.nasa.gov/content/forScientists/faqSolarsystem.html#whatlookat https://webb.nasa.gov/content/forScientists/faqSolarsystem.h...

feoren 3y ago

No, it can't be pointed at the inner solar system or Earth; too bright, and its heat shield would point the wrong way. But the military doesn't need it. Supposedly some military tech was declassified recently showing that the military had Hubble-level telescopes about 15 years before Hubble. So whatever they are using is much better (and more specialized, of course) than Webb.

wredue 3y ago
Not sure the technology needed is quite the same. They probably have better up there, but we know that military satellites are able to see the individual poles in a chain link fence crisply due to Trump leaking that capability a few years ago on twitter.
euroderf 3y ago
Sure, the military had the test rig to pre-flight test Hubble's optics, except that someone slipped up and well dang, Hubble needed corrective lenses.
eep_social 3y ago
Here’s an article from 2012 describing the military donating two unlaunched hubble-class telescopes to NASA: https://newatlas.com/spysatellite/22813/ https://newatlas.com/spysatellite/22813/

mathstuf 3y ago

Webb can only point away from Earth as the Sun is on the other side of Earth from Webb's location. All it would see is a bright source of IR; nothing much useful there. I'm afraid it would also likely be destroyed in the process as it is assuming near-absolute-zero temperatures for much of its instruments.

gustavus 3y ago

An exhaustive, through and entertaining answer to that question (for the bubble) is provided here https://what-if.xkcd.com/32/ https://what-if.xkcd.com/32/ The short answer is not really and drones are better for it anyway.