The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is a large, infrared space telescope that has recently started its science program which will enable breakthroughs in astrophysics and planetary science. Notably, JWST will provide the very first observations of the earliest luminous objects in the universe and start a new era of exoplanet atmospheric characterization. This transformative science is enabled by a 6.6 m telescope that is passively cooled with a 5 layer sunshield. The primary mirror is comprised of 18 controllable, low areal density hexagonal segments, that were aligned and phased relative to each other in orbit using innovative image-based wave front sensing and control algorithms. This revolutionary telescope took more than two decades to develop with a widely distributed team across engineering disciplines. We present an overview of the telescope requirements, architecture, development, superb on-orbit performance, and lessons learned. JWST successfully demonstrates a segmented aperture space telescope and establishes a path to building even larger space telescopes.
NASA's Technology Readiness Level (TRL)-6 is documented for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Wavefront Sensing and Control (WFSC) subsystem. The WFSC subsystem is needed to align the Optical Telescope Element (OTE) after all deployments have occurred, and achieves that requirement through a robust commissioning sequence consisting of unique commissioning algorithms, all of which are part of the WFSC algorithm suite. This paper identifies the technology need, algorithm heritage, describes the finished TRL-6 design platform, and summarizes the TRL-6 test results and compliance. Additionally, the performance requirements needed to satisfy JWST science goals as well as the criterion that relate to the TRL-6 Testbed Telescope (TBT) performance requirements are discussed.
From its orbit around the Earth-Sun second Lagrange point some million miles from Earth, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will be uniquely suited to study early galaxy and star formation with its suite of infrared instruments. [1] To maintain exceptional image quality using its 6.6 meter segmented primary mirror, wavefront sensing and control (WFS&C) is vital to ensure the optical alignment of the telescope throughout the mission. After deployment of the observatory structure and mirrors from the "folded" launch configuration, WFS&C is used to align the telescope [2] , as well as maintain that alignment. WFS&C verification includes the verification of the software and its incorporated algorithms, along with the supporting aspects of the integrated ground segment, instrumentation, and telescope through increasing levels of assembly. The software and process are verified with the Integrated Telescope Model (ITM), which is a Matlab/Simulink integrated observatory model which interfaces to CodeV/OSLO/IDL. In addition to lower level testing, the Near-Infrared Camera [3] (NIRCam) with its wavefront sensing optical components is verified with the other instruments with a cryogenic optical telescope simulator (OSIM) before moving on to the final WFS&C testing in Chamber A at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) where additional observatory verification occurs.
NASA commissioned the study of four large mission concepts, including the Large Ultraviolet / Optical / Infrared (LUVOIR) Surveyor, to be evaluated by the 2020 Decadal Survey in Astrophysics. In response, the Science and Technology Definition Team (STDT) identified a broad range of science objectives for LUVOIR that include the direct imaging and spectral characterization of habitable exoplanets around sun-like stars, the study of galaxy formation and evolution, the exchange of matter between galaxies, star and planet formation, and the remote sensing of Solar System objects. To meet these objectives, the LUVOIR Study Office, located at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), completed the first design iteration of a 15-m segmented-aperture observatory that would be launched by the Space Launch System (SLS) Block 2 configuration. The observatory includes four serviceable instruments: the Extreme Coronagraph for Living Planetary Systems (ECLIPS), an optical / near-infrared coronagraph capable of delivering 10 −10 contrast at inner working angles as small as 2 λ/D; the LUVOIR UV Multi-object Spectrograph (LUMOS), which will provide low-and medium-resolution UV (100 -400 nm) multi-object imaging spectroscopy in addition to far-UV imaging; the High Definition Imager (HDI), a high-resolution wide-field-of-view NUV-Optical-NIR imager; and Pollux, a high-resolution UV spectro-polarimeter being contributed by Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES). The study team has executed a second design iteration to further improve upon the 15-m concept, while simultaneously studying an 8-m concept. In these proceedings, we provide an update on these two architectures.
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