The vehicle
Hinter diesem Garagentor steht das neuste wissenschaftliche Gerät für die Observation des Weltalls. Das James Webb Teleskop wurde am 25.12.2021 vom Raumfahrtzentrum Guayana aus, mit einem Startgewicht von 6,2 t, auf seine Reise geschickt. Nach mehreren Tagen und bei einer Höchstgeschwindigkeit von 9,90 km/s (35640 km/h) erreichte das James Webb Teleskop sein Ziel. Der Lagrange-Punkt L2 ca. 1,5 Millionen km von der Erde entfern bewegt sich das Teleskop nun im Einklang mit der Erde und der Sonne. Nach der Kalibrierung ist das James Webb Teleskop nun in der Lage einen Ringförmigen ausschnitt von ca. 39% des Himmels zu observieren.
The technology
The telescope consists of various assemblies. The first assembly relevant to lightweight construction is the 21.2 m x 14.2 m sunshield. The shield consists of 5 layers of Kapton, a polyamide film with a 100 nm thin aluminum layer. Apart from the first foil facing the sun, these are just 25 μm thick. The first film is also covered with a 50 nm thick silicon layer. The energy required for observation is supplied by a 2000 W solar module, which is located in front of the solar shield. The telescope's optics are located on the side facing away from the sun in order to reduce infrared radiation from the sun and the moon. The primary mirror has a diameter of 6.5 m, with the 18 hexagonal segments forming the mirror surface. Due to its low density, high strength and low coefficient of thermal expansion at temperatures below 100 K, beryllium was chosen as the material for the segments. The segment plates were designed in such a way that they can be aligned and at the same time withstand micrometeorites. The segments are additionally coated with a layer of gold and a layer of silicon dioxide.
The lightweight aspect
The entire telescope offers an impressive impression of lightweight construction. By combining different materials, the different properties of each material are utilized. The material properties can be optimally utilized through the arrangement of the components. Everything is connected by complex mechanics and sensors for calibration, position determination and heat regulation. Due to transportation and the limited packing size in the rocket, the components must also be deployable, which represents a considerable risk.
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