James Webb Space Telescope begins historic mission

[ovrszd]

She's at a crawl of 477 mph. Two days before L2 Orbit Insertion. Sounds like there's been no hiccups so far. I believe there are 18 mirrors. Each have 6 little motors to adjust them into focus. All performed.

That's 108 little motors and no failures. Show me one thing you can buy 108 of without at least one being bad!!!!

 

[ArlyA]

They must be actuators. That is an electric motor, connected to gearbox turning a screw of sorts. I use them on snow implements and they do well with that.

 

[ovrszd]

They must be actuators. That is an electric motor, connected to gearbox turning a screw of sorts. I use them on snow implements and they do well with that.

I assume they are. I watched a video about it. The mirrors are made of a flexible material coated with Gold. The motors/actuators push/pull on the mirror to tilt it as well as convex/concave it for perfect, sharp reflection. I believe they said it takes 10 days to do all of the adjustments. Gold was used because it retains it's sheen even when distorted. I believe it was a golf ball size piece of Gold on each mirror.

Ruffdog can confirm all this. His depth of technical understanding far exceeds mine.

 

[ruffdog]

It is amazing how they can make all those adjustments, with accuracy, in those conditions, from this far away. Gold is fairly durable AND keeps a sheen better than anything. All they have to do now is use the little boosters to position it perfectly in L2 orbit.

 

[ArlyA]

I assume they are. I watched a video about it. The mirrors are made of a flexible material coated with Gold. The motors/actuators push/pull on the mirror to tilt it as well as convex/concave it for perfect, sharp reflection. I believe they said it takes 10 days to do all of the adjustments. Gold was used because it retains it's sheen even when distorted. I believe it was a golf ball size piece of Gold on each mirror.

Ruffdog can confirm all this. His depth of technical understanding far exceeds mine.

I kid you not. I've had people tell me. "those can't work, I need more power, get contaminated, etc etc"

 

[ovrszd]

I kid you not. I've had people tell me. "those can't work, I need more power, get contaminated, etc etc"

Actuators are a tidy way to move things. Just have to remember their limitations.

 

[ArlyA]

Actuators are a tidy way to move things. Just have to remember their limitations.

What doesn't have limitations?

 

[ovrszd]

What doesn't have limitations?

Absolutely.

 

[BravoXray]

I assume they are. I watched a video about it. The mirrors are made of a flexible material coated with Gold. The motors/actuators push/pull on the mirror to tilt it as well as convex/concave it for perfect, sharp reflection. I believe they said it takes 10 days to do all of the adjustments. Gold was used because it retains it's sheen even when distorted. I believe it was a golf ball size piece of Gold on each mirror.

Ruffdog can confirm all this. His depth of technical understanding far exceeds mine.

The gold coating on the mirrors is about 100 nanometers thick, about 600 atoms thick, and was applied using a vacuum deposition process in a large vacuum chamber.
A total of 48 grams, 1.7 ounces, was use to coat the mirrors.

 

[ovrszd]

The gold coating on the mirrors is about 100 nanometers thick, about 600 atoms thick, and was applied using a vacuum deposition process in a large vacuum chamber.
A total of 48 grams, 1.7 ounces, was use to coat the mirrors.

Wonder where I got that golf ball size piece of Gold. Your description wouldn't be that big would it? Pretty amazing stuff.