WASHINGTON – NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is constantly advancing for a launch in October, as engineers shut down a series of technical problems with the spacecraft but deal with one new problem.
In a March 16 presentation at a meeting of NASA’s astrophysics advisory committee, Eric Smith, a JWST program scientist, said engineers were working on or completing, or finishing, several technical problems that plagued the program. followed over the past few months, none of which posed a risk to the mission’s schedule.
The issues include concerns about the air pressure in the spacecraft’s sunshade that it could highlight when the Ariane 5 rocket that will launch the JWST will suppress its payload screen. Smith said the problem was closed after a few spots were added to the sunscreen to ensure it could handle the double pressure difference. Another problem, fasteners on the spacecraft that may not have been installed with sufficient torque was also solved by taking back the fastening points.
The project has a 48-day schedule margin left, which according to Smith was in line with the projections in this development phase. “We’re burning it at the expected rate,” he said.
JWST is currently undergoing a final series of deployment tests, including the primary mirror. The spacecraft will then be ready for dispatch to Kourou, French Guiana, later this summer, for final preparation for launch.
Smith said the program deals with one new technical issue. Two communications transponders experienced separate problems in January. Engineers identified the problems with the two units and began repairs this week. “Those boxes will be back in time for us to make our scheduled delivery date,” he said.
He acknowledges that the issue of the remaining schedule margin is used. “The plan now is to get them back in time so we don’t have to use everything,” he said. “This is the most important thing we look at in terms of margin.”
Another issue is the name of the spacecraft itself. The telescope was named after James Webb, the NASA administrator for much of the 1960s, known for his leadership of the agency during the race to the moon. Earlier in his career, Webb worked at the State Department and is believed to have overseen policies to purge the department of LGBT employees. Some object to the name and have called on NASA to rename the telescope.
Smith said both NASA’s chief historian Brian Odom and other historians outside the agency studied Webb’s activities at the State Department. “They have not yet completed their research in the archives, but if they do, then the agency would comment on it,” he said.
Roman delays
While JWST is sticking to the launch date of October, the next flagship astrophysics mission, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, is likely to be delayed due to a slowdown in activity during the pandemic.
“We have COVID impact,” said Julie McEnery, senior project scientist for the mission, formerly known as the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope, or WFIRST. In a presentation at the same meeting on March 16, she said that the program has been with a “70% efficiency” since the beginning of the pandemic a year ago and that it will probably be there for a few more months, as the pandemic is slowly declining.
“The delay is in the order of months, not years,” she said, adding that the pandemic was the only problem the telescope faced. ‘Fundamentally, Roman is on track. Except for the COVID-related impact, everything comes together and is where it needs to be. ”
Paul Hertz, director of NASA’s astrophysics division, told the committee on March 15 that Roman’s launch date is likely to move from the end of 2025 to mid-2026 due to the pandemic. “It will require additional funding to pay the schedule,” he said, but did not give an estimate of the increased costs as the agency is still reviewing the estimates of the delay and related costs.