The last of the five sunshield layers responsible for protecting the optics and instruments of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is now complete. Designed by Northrop Grumman in Redondo Beach, California, the Webb telescope’s sunshield will prevent the background heat from the sun from interfering with the telescope’s infrared sensors. The five sunshield membrane layers, designed and manufactured by the NeXolve Corporation in Huntsville, Alabama, are each as thin as a human hair. The layers work together to reduce the temperatures between the hot and cold sides of the observatory by approximately 570 degrees Fahrenheit. Each successive layer of the sunshield, made of kapton, is cooler than the one below. The fifth and final layer was delivered on Sept. 29, 2016 to Northrop Grumman Corporation’s Space Park facility in Redondo Beach.
“The completed sunshield membranes are the culmination of years of collaborative effort by the NeXolve, Northrop Grumman and NASA team," said James Cooper, Webb telescope Sunshield manager at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "All five layers are beautifully executed and exceed their requirements. This is another big milestone for the Webb telescope project.”
Read more: go.nasa.gov/2efrzUj
Image credit: Northrop Grumman
NASA Image Use Policy
Follow us on Twitter
Like us on Facebook
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Follow us on Google Plus
Follow us on Instagram
Tags: jwst webb james webb space telescope telescope nasa hubble hubble's successor space bestof recentbestof topImages
This is the Flight Layer 2 membrane of the James Webb Space Telescope sunshield during shape testing, Jan 2016.
Credit: Northrop Grumman
NASA Image Use Policy
Follow us on Twitter
Like us on Facebook
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Follow us on Google Plus
Follow us on Instagram
Tags: jwst webb james webb space telescope telescope nasa hubble hubble's successor space
The James Webb Space Telescope sunshield layers work together to reduce the temperatures between the hot and cold sides of the observatory by approximately 570 degrees Fahrenheit. Each successive layer of the sunshield, which is made of Kapton, is cooler than the one below. The sunshield is shown here in the clean room at Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems in Redondo Beach, California.
Read a feature on the integration of the flight sunshield layers: www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2017/sunshield-layers-fully-...
Credits: Northrop Grumman Corp.
NASA Image Use Policy
Follow us on Twitter
Like us on Facebook
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Follow us on Google Plus
Follow us on Instagram
Tags: JWST Membrane Progress Sunshield webb james webb space telescope telescope nasa hubble hubble's successor space bestof recentbestof topImages
The first layer of the James Webb Space Telescope sunshield is shown being installed at Northrop Grumman's clean room in Redondo Beach, California.
Read a feature on the integration of the flight sunshield layers: www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2017/sunshield-layers-fully-...
Credits: Northrop Grumman Corp.
NASA Image Use Policy
Follow us on Twitter
Like us on Facebook
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Follow us on Google Plus
Follow us on Instagram
Tags: jwst webb james webb space telescope telescope nasa hubble hubble's successor space
Stretched out like a silver kite, the five-layer sunshield for NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope sits in a cleanroom at Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems in Redondo Beach, California.
The sunshield will be folded up around two sides of the Webb telescope observatory and placed in an Ariane 5 rocket for launch. During deployment in space, the two giant “arms” of the sunshield will unfold like a flower opening. Once horizontal, the arms will lock in place and the sides of the sunshield will expand into their fully deployed, kite-like shape.
The flight membranes will be folded, stowed and tensioned at Northrop two additional times for testing.
Image credit: Northrop Grumman
NASA Image Use Policy
Follow us on Twitter
Like us on Facebook
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Follow us on Google Plus
Follow us on Instagram
Tags: jwst webb james webb space telescope telescope nasa hubble hubble's successor space