NASA Unfolds James Webb Space Telescope’s Primary Mirror for Last Time Before October 31 Launch Written 12 May 2021

SPACE reports that NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope “has unfurled its big golden mirror for the final time on Earth ahead of its planned launch later this year.” The $9.8 billion space telescope “opened its 21.3-foot-wide (6.5 meters) primary mirror recently during a test at the Los Angeles-area facilities of its main builder, the aerospace giant Northrop Grumman.” The mirror, “which is composed of 18 hexagonal segments, is too wide to fit inside the payload fairing of any currently operational rocket, so it will launch in a compact configuration and deploy after reaching space. The ongoing test is the last major trial for the mirror system, and its completion will mark a big milestone on the path to launch, mission team members said.” The James Webb Space Telescope “is scheduled to lift off atop an Arianespace Ariane 5 rocket on Oct. 31 from Kourou, French Guiana.”
Full Story (Reuters)