Manufacturing Issues Plague James Webb Space Telescope

摘要

Manufacturing difficulties plagued major elements of the James Webb Space Telescope this year, forcing prime contractor Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems to rebuild key structural elements declared unfit for flight while continuing to grapple with a persistently problematic cryogenic compressor needed to keep JWST's infrared sensors cold. Despite the latest setbacks, launch remains on track for October 2018, Eric Smith, JWST's deputy program manager, told the National Research Council's Committee on Astronomy and Astrophysics at a Nov. 4 meeting in Irvine, California. The structural elements that had to be rebuilt were the pair of roughly 10-meter-long Unitized Pallet Structures that unfold in orbit to provide a frame for the ultrathin sun shield that shades JWST's infrared instruments. During launch, the carbon-composite Unitized Pallet Structures protect the sun shield from vibration damage.