UKSEDS Space Conference 23rd February 2013

Status Update James Webb Space Telescope

Launch Readiness Date: October 31, 2018

Public Web Site:

www.JWST.nasa.gov

John Thatcher MIRI European Consortium

Project Manager Astrium Ltd

Stevenage

Outline

Introduction & Overview

Status – the ‘bits’

Launch and Deployment

Observations from an Oldie

JWST Key Points

JWST is the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope

It is a joint mission by NASA, ESA (European Space Agency) & CSA (Canadian Space Agency)

JWST is named after the 2nd NASA Administrator (1961-1968) who drove the Apollo program whilst ensuring the future of space science missions

The Observatory is optimized for infrared observations (0.6 – 28 microns) for looking a long way back in space and time in order to study the origin and evolution of galaxies, stars and planetary systems

The telescope & instruments operate at cryogenic temperatures to get the necessary infrared performance to deliver that science:

The Key Science Goals for JWST

First Light and Re-Ionization Assembly of Galaxies

Birth of Stars and Proto-planetary Systems

Planetary Systems and the Origin of Life

GL146 HH-30

M81

European Scientists’ View on JWST (After Project’s Near-Death Experience in 2011)

• It is not “just hype” to say that ‘JWST is so scientifically powerful and able to address the key outstanding questions that it will transform astrophysics and cosmology’

• JWST is also technically audacious

• The JWST project is working hard to meet the 2018 launch date

• The associated lifetime cost of $8.7 billion is “public knowledge”…

• …but that is still significantly less than one dollar per light year of looking back in space and time!

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Mission Objective • Study the origin and evolution of galaxies, stars and

planetary systems – Optimized for infrared observations (0.6 – 28 µm)

Organization • Mission Lead: Goddard Space Flight Center • International collaboration with ESA & CSA • Prime Contractor: Northrop Grumman • Instruments:

– Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam) – Univ. of Arizona – Near Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) – ESA – Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) – EC/JPL – Fine Guidance Sensor (FGS) – CSA

• Operations: Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

Description • Deployable telescope w/ 6.5m diameter segmented adjustable primary mirror • Cryogenic temperature telescope and instruments for infrared performance • Launch October 2018 on an ESA-supplied Ariane 5 ECA rocket to Sun-Earth L2 • 5-year science mission + 2 years of data analysis

Warm, Sun-facing side

Cold, space-facing side

Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM)

Optical Telescope Element (OTE)

Sunshield

Spacecraft Bus

Phase A Phase B Phase C/D Phase E

Concept Development Design, Fabrication, Assembly and Test

Formulation Authorization

T-NAR Launch

Science Ops

ICR (PNAR)

NAR

Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM)

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)

Major Design Drivers • Need a big primary mirror for sensitivity – 6.5m diameter minimum

– So needs to be lightweight and deployable to fit in rocket fairing

• Need to be cold (to detect light shifted to the infrared) – This is where the science is! – Cannot then sensibly be in Earth orbit – need to go to L2 with a

big sunshield so telescope/instruments at ~40 Kelvin (-233 C)

• Need precision pointing, stability, wavefront sensing & control and state of the art optics and detectors

• Hence: – Need a big spacecraft (6.5 tonnes at launch) – Need big test equipment & facilities – Need a lot of money! ($8.7 billion+) and time – Need large collaboration of countries, agencies & institutes – Plus need at least the usual ‘one miracle per major project’… – …along with strong nerves and a thick skin.

JWST – The Observatory Per The Design Drivers

JWST Observatory Elements

Primary

Sun Shield

Spacecraft Bus

Secondary ISIM Backplane

Tertiary

JWST System Hierarchy

James Webb Space Telescope System

Launch Segment Observatory Segment Ground Segment

Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM)

Optical Telescope Element (OTE)

Spacecraft Element (SE)

Launch Vehicle

Payload Adapter

Launch Site Services

Science and Operations Center (SOC)

Common Command And Telemetry System (CCTS)

Institutional Services

Spacecraft Bus

Sunshield

Ariane Launcher JWST Observatory Deep Space Network

Space Telescope Science Institute

Big Spacecraft (JWST Full Size Model with Goddard Team)

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Another Reminder of How Big JWST Is

Outline

Introduction & overview

Status – the ‘bits’ (major ones)

Launch and deployment

Observations from an Oldie

A2 17 nm

A4 10 nm

A1 16 nm

C3 14 nm

B6 16 nm

A5 15 nm

B3 8 nm

C5 15 nm

A6 18 nm

B5 9 nm

B8 14 nm

EDU 15 nm

C4 15 nm

C6 10 nm

C2 15 nm

A3 10 nm

B2 13 nm

C1 9 nm

B7 14 nm

Primary Mirror Polishing is Completed and All the Segments are Gold Coated

Measured total figure error of 13.3 nm rms is

well below requirement of 17 nm

Mirror Assembly at Ball Aerospace

Final Configuration 3 Assembly

Hexapod assembly to mirror substrate

Mirror Handling GSE

Hexapod/RoC assembly in progress

Secondary Mirror Assembly

Tertiary Mirror Assembly

TM substrate and sub-bench TM handling GSE

TM in optical test stand TM testing

Fine Steering Mirror

FSM in vibration testing

Completed Backplane Center Section

Flight Backplane Assembly

Assembling Side

Frames

Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM)

Flight Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI)

The Mid-Infra Red Instrument (MIRI)

European Consortium Who & Where

ESA/ESTEC JWST Project Office Prodex Office

DTU Space Hexapod

ETH Contamination Control Cover Cryo Harness

INTA MIRI Telescope Simulator (MTS)

CEA Imager Coronagraph Analysis LESIA/LAM Coronograph

CSL Input, Optics & Calibration (IOC) Instrument Control Electronics (ICE) Imager Mirrors U. of Leuven EGSE Software Support

DIAS Filters

ATC Principal Investigator Optical Engineering Spectrometer Pre-Optics (SPO) Calibration Sources Astrium Ltd. Consortium Management PA Coordination System Engineering U. of Leicester Mechanical Engineering Primary Structure MGSE RAL Thermal Engineering & Hardware Optical Bench Assembly AIV

MPIA Heidelberg Electrical Engineering Cryo Mechanisms U. of Köln Low Resolution Spectrometer Double Prism

ASTRON Spectrometer Main Optics (SMO)

U. Leiden Spectroscopy Analysis

U. of Stockholm Filters and Gratings

MIRI Coming Out of CryoVac Testing in 2011 86 days of 24/7 cold testing at RAL at 6.5 K

51 scientists and engineers from European Consortium, STScI, JPL and GSFC provided 6,000 staff hours of shift support

2,465 test scripts run successfully 6.5 TB of data

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Flood Illuminated Images Show Near-Perfect Optical Alignment

F560W MRS Longwave MRS Shortwave

MIRI - First Flight Instrument Delivered - May 29th 2012

Instruments will be Integrated into this Flight Structure Starting Next Week

ISIM Structure Mounted for Ambient Strength Proof Test

OSIM Cryo-Vac Test ● Testing the instruments requires an Optical SIMulator (OSIM) ● OSIM itself is a complicated instrument and has to be checked out

cold and in-vacuum ● Cryotesting at GSFC about to resume.

Beam Image Analyzer in the 30K section (top) OSIM in the 100K section (bottom)

OSIM Lift into the SES (Space Environment Simulator)

ISIM CryoVac Testing

SES chamber (27 x 40 ft)

LN2 Shroud

LHe shroud

ISIM

OSIM

Vibration Isolation Supports

OSIM Primary Mirror Alignment Diagnostic

Module

Fold Mirror 3 Tip/Tilt

Gimbal Assembly

LHe shroud

Outline

Introduction & overview

Status – the ‘bits’

Launch and deployment Observations from an Oldie

Launch and deployment videos can be found on the JWST website at: www.jwst.nasa.gov

Outline

Introduction & overview

Status – the ‘bits’

Launch and deployment

Observations from an Oldie

Some Observations Based on 30 Years ‘In Space’ - 1

It’s a great career! – spacecraft, rockets, international collaboration, the physics of the universe – and they pay you to do it – and it’s fun!

A constant learning experience – you can never know all there is to know about the subject

There is no need for Europeans to be over-awed by NASA

JWST could well be the last of the really big observatories for a very long time…

…but more, smaller, faster missions offer lots of opportunities

The UK is in a great position after the Council of Ministers meeting thanks to a lot of preparation work by many in government, industry and academia

This requires mind-set changes, particularly in ESA, to get more bang for the buck (another long story).

Some Observations Based on 30 Years ‘In Space’ - 2

Especially in the multi-national context, you would do well to remember Mart’s 3 laws of space engineering (Charles Martin was an old-school chief designer and space enthusiast) Politics first Finance second Engineering third

Finally, at a personal level: Your career path is in your own hands, do not trust others to

arrange it for you or assume they will do it Always be prepared to seize an opportunity so keep your eyes

and ears open Don’t be afraid of decisions – you will never have all the

information you need to make the ideal one Finally, to quote Bill Boeing, this is not a bad mantra: ‘Act, move forward, get things done’.