The James Webb telescope successfully tests thermal vacuum

science and technology

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has successfully passed another test, as the observatory approached its launch in 2021.

According to the site "phys", the spacecraft has passed the final test of thermal vacuum, which aims to ensure that the devices will work electronically in the space vacuum, and bear the changes in the maximum temperatures that will face in its mission.

The test included a part of the vehicle, including measuring instruments and telescopes, which successfully conducted the vacuum test at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Test the telescope

In the latest environmental test, technicians and engineers closed the Webb element inside a special thermal vacuum chamber to replicate the space vacuum during the experiment. The telescope displays a wide range of hot and cold temperatures ranging from minus 235 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 148 degrees Celsius) To 215 ° F (102 ° C).

This difference in temperature ensures that the spacecraft remains in the harsh conditions it will actually encounter in space.

The next steps will be to combine the parts of the vehicle together to form the fully assembled observatory and complete the final round of pre-launch testing and evaluation.