>> HELLO AND WELCOME TO THIS
PRESS BRIEFING ON THE JAMES WEBB
SPACE TELESCOPE AND THE FACT
THAT WE FINISHED ALL OF THE
MAJOR DEPLOYMENTS TODAY.
I AM KAREN FOX WITH NASA'S
OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS AND WE
ARE COMING TO YOU FROM THE SPACE
SCIENCE INSTITUTE IN BALTIMORE,
MARYLAND, IS WHICH HOUSES THE
MISSION OPERATION CENTER WHICH
YOU CAN SEE BEHIND US WE HAVE
ONE MICROPHONE TODAY ASK AND ONE
CAMERA.
WE ARE DOING THIS RIGHT AFTER
THE DEPLOYMENTS, SO BEAR WITH US
AS ONE PERSON GETS UP AT A TIME.
WE ARE FOLLOWING BOTH CDC AND
THE INSTITUTES COVID RULES TODAY
SO EVERYONE IN THE ROOM HAS BEEN
VACCINATED AND EVERYONE HAS
TESTED NEGATIVELY RECENTLY AND
EVERYONE WILL BE WEARING A MASK
FOR THE ENTIRE TIME.
WE HAVE TWO PANELS FOR YOU.
EACH ONE WILL LAST HALF AN HOUR.
THE FIRST IS FOCUSSING ON WHAT
HAS HAPPENED THE LAST 14 DAYS
LEADING UP TO NOW AND SECOND IS
WHAT IS COMING UP GOING FORWARD.
WE'LL BE TAKING QUESTIONS FROM
THE MEDIA AND FEW REMARKS AT THE
BEGINNING AND FOR THAT WE PRESS
STAR 1 TO GET INTO THE QUEUE.
WE HAVE BILL OAKS THE WEBB
PROJECT MANAGER AT NASA GOD AND
MISSION SYSTEMS ENGINEER AT
GODDARD AND SCOTT WILL BUY VICE
PRESIDENT FOR WEBB.
VINCE AND DEPUTY MANAGER AND
NANCY, DEPLOYMENT OPERATIONS
WITH NORTHROP GRUMMAN.
NOW HER VOICE WILL BE ONE THAT
YOU WOULD HAVE HEARD TODAY IF
YOU LISTENED TO THE BROADCAST ON
THE OPERATIONS LOOP TALKING
THROUGH WHAT WAS HAPPENING SO
YOU CAN ASK HER ABOUT HOW THAT
WENT.
WITH THAT I'LL TOSS IT TO BILL
FOR STARTERS.
>> THANKS, KAREN.
SO, TODAY'S BEEN A REMARKABLE
DAY.
WE HAVE STILL HAVE 5.5 MONTHS OF
COMMISSIONING LEFT BUT THESE
LAST TWO WEEKS HAVE TRULY BEEN
AMAZING.
TODAY REPRESENTS THE BEGINNING
OF A JOURNEY FOR THIS INCREDIBLE
MACHINE TO ITS DISCOVERIES IT
WILL BE MAKING IN THE FUTURE.
IT'S AN AMAZING MISSION AND
THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF
PEOPLE HAVE WORKED ON IT AND I
CAN NEVER THANK THEM ALL ENOUGH,
EVERY INDIVIDUAL ONE FOR THE
CONTRIBUTIONS THEY HAVE MADE.
THIS JOURNEY HAS BEEN REALLY
REMARKABLE.
THE SUCCESSES OVER THE LAST TWO
WEEKS IS TRULY A TRIBUTE TO THE
PEOPLE OF THIS PROGRAM.
THEIR DILIGENCE AND PASSION IS
SECOND TO NONE.
PERSONALLY IF YOU HEARD MY
COMMENTS ON THE EARLIER I AM
TRULY -- I AM HONORED AND
HUMBLED EVERY DAY TO BE WORKING
WITH THIS TEAM.
WITH THAT I'LL TURN IT OVER TO
THE NEXT SPEAKER.
WE CAN HAVE OUR OPERATOR STEP IN
AND GIVE INFORMATION HOW TO GET
ON THE CUE.
THANKS.
>> CERTAINLY.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE A TO ASK A
QUESTION, PLEASE PRESS STAR 1,
OUR FIRST QUESTION TODAY IS FROM
BILL HARWOOD FROM CBS NEWS.
>> THANK YOU.
FOR BILL, YOU TOLD US BEFORE
LAUNCH YOU WERE 100% CONFIDENT
ALL DID HE EMPLOYS WOULD WORK
EXACTLY AT PLANNED AND I
REMEMBER AT THE TIME YOU MIGHT
BE JINXING IT.
HOW BIG OF AN ENGINEERING
CHALLENGE WAS ALL THIS?
WAS IT AS EASY AS IT LOOKED OR
AS DIFFICULT WE WE'VE ALL BEEN
LEAD TO BELIEVE BECAUSE IT SURE
SEEMED TO GO SMOOTHLY.
>> IT IS NOT AS EASY AS LOOKS.
BUT THE EASINESS THAT YOU SAW,
AGAIN LIKE I MENTIONED EARLIER,
IS A TRIBUTE TO THE FOLKS.
WE WENT THROUGH -- WHAT I FEEL
NOW -- IS THE EXACT RIGHT AMOUNT
OF TESTING.
THE EXACT RIGHT AMOUNT OF
ENGINEERING AUDITS, THE EXACT
RIGHT AMOUNT OF TWEAKS TO THE
DESIGN AS WE'VE GONE THROUGH
THIS JOURNEY OF MANUFACTURING
AND LAUNCHING THIS TELESCOPE.
THE FACT IT LOOKED EASY JUST
EMPHASIZES THAT WE DID ALL THE
RIGHT THINGS LEADING UP TO THIS
MOMENT.
>> OUR NEXT QUESTION IS FROM
ELIZABETH HOWL FROM SPACE.COM.
>> THIS ONE IS ALSO FOR BILL.
CAN YOU GIVE US A SENSE OF HOW
THE TEAMS ARE FEELING AND HOW
THE TEAMS ARE DOING?
I KNOW IT'S BEEN A VERY BUSY
COUPLE OF WEEKS SINCE THE LAUNCH
AND VERY BUSY TIME FOR FOLKS
ANYWAYS.
HOW IS EVERYONE DOING?
>> EVERYONE IS DOING EXCELLENT.
I THINK EVERYONE IS
EXTRAORDINARILY EXCITED.
I DON'T THINK THERE WAS ONE
POINT WHERE ANYONE FELT DOWN,
SLOWED DOWN.
WE WERE ALL A LITTLE TIRED BUT
BESIDES THAT, WE ARE AN
INCREDIBLE HIGH RIGHT NOW.
>> THANK YOU OUR NEXT QUESTION
IS FROM JEFF FAUST SPACE NEWS.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON.
CONGRATULATIONS ON THE
SUCCESSFUL DEPLOYMENT.
I JUST WANTED TO CONFIRM WE
HEARD A LOT LEADING UP TO THE
LAUNCH ABOUT THESE 344 SINGLE
POINT FAILURES.
AT THIS POINT HAVE ALL THOSE
BEEN RETIRED AND IF NOT WHAT
MIGHT BE LEFT THAT WOULD BE
ASSOCIATED WITH OTHER ASPECTS OF
THE SPACECRAFT.
THANK YOU.
>> MY NAME IS MIKE AND I'M THE
MISSION SYSTEMS ENGINEER AND
THERE ARE 49 SINGLE POINT
FAILURES OUT OF THE ORIGINAL 344
THAT ARE NOT RETIRED AND WILL
NOT BE RETIRED FOR THE DURATION
OF THE MISSION.
THESE 49 ARE TYPICAL OF ALL
MISSIONS.
THINGS LIKE PROPULSION TANKS AND
THINGS LIKE THAT.
OF THOSE 49, 15 ARE ASSOCIATED
WITH THE INSTRUMENTS, WHICH
MEANS IF ANY ONE OF THEM WENT
JUST AS A FILTER WHEEL FAILING
WE WOULD NOT FAIL THE MISSION
BUT FAIL ONE OF THE SCIENCE
OBJECTIVES ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
PUSH
>> OUR NEXT QUESTION IS FROM
ROBERT PEARLMAN COLLECT SPACE.
>> HI.
CONGRATULATIONS ON THE
DEPLOYMENT.
I THINK FOR MIKE, KNOWING THAT
THERE WERE NO CAMERAS TO SEND
BACK IMAGES IS THERE ANYTHING
YOU DIDN'T HAVE TELEMETRY AND
YOU SAY THE TELESCOPE LOOKS
EXACTLY LIKE THE ARTIST
RENDERING OR THE ENGINEERING
TESTS WE SAY HERE ON EARTH?
>> THIS WELL, THERE ARE A COUPLE
OF MINOR THINGS THAT AREN'T
TELEMETERED.
BUT IF WE DON'T HAVE PRIMARY WE
HAVE SECONDARY.
AND THAT SECONDARY TELEMETRY
GIVES US VERIFICATION WHAT WE
THINK IS GOING ON REALLY IS.
IN REALITY GIVEN THE SECONDARY
AND PRIMARY AT TELEMETRY POINTS
WE HAVE THE CONFIGURATION IS
PRETTY ACCURATE.
I WOULD SAY THAT WHEREAS WE
MIGHT BE MISSING CERTAIN PRIME
MARE TELEMETRIES ON CERTAIN
ITEMS THE SECONDARY CONFIRMS
THAT IT IS HOW WE'RE SHOWING IT.
>> OUR NEXT QUESTION IS FROM THE
ATLANTIC.
>> HI, EVERYONE.
CONGRATULATIONS.
TWO QUESTIONS FOR MIKE AND
SCOTT.
ARE YOU SURPRISED THE SEQUENCE
WENT AS WELL AS IT DID?
WERE YOU BREAKING FOR MORE
DIFFICULT DEPLOYMENT GIVEN HOW
RISKY AND COMPLICATED YOU
EXPECTED THIS PROCESS TO BE?
IS AND THE SECOND QUESTION, WERE
THERE ANY ISSUES THAT CAME UP
DURING THE DEPLOYMENT THAT YOU
HAVEN'T TOLD US ABOUT YET?
THANKS.
[LAUGHTER]
>> I'LL LET MIKE ANSWER THE
SECOND QUESTION.
>> YOU ACTUALLY ANSWERED THE
FIRST QUESTION IN YOUR QUESTION,
WHICH IS WE WORRIED ABOUT IT ON
THE GROUND.
WHAT WE FOCUSSED ON WAS DESIGN
TEST VERIFICATION AND IF NEED BE
REDESIGN AND RETEST AND
REVERIFICATION, SO OUR ENTIRE
OBJECTIVE WAS RING THIS OUT ON
THE GROUND SO THAT WHEN WE WENT
INTO SPACE AND FOLLOWED THAT
TIMELINE WE DID EXPECT THAT IT
WOULD GO RIGHT.
MAYBE WE SEE SOMETHING NEW OR
BEHAVIOR, SUN ANGLE OR HOW THE
THERMAL WAS OR CERTAIN THINGS
CONFESSED TO US, BUT THE REALITY
WAS, EVERYTHING WE DID TO OF
THOSE SLEEPLESS NIGHTS LEAD TO A
WONDERFUL LAST 16 DAYS.
>> IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WE
DIDN'T TELL YOU?
I DOUBT THAT SERIOUSLY.
THERE'S ALWAYS A COUPLE OF MINOR
ALARMS THAT GO OFF THAT'S REALLY
MORE LIKE A HOUSEKEEPING THAN
ANYTHING ELSE.
BUT OTHER THAN THAT I THINK YOU
ARE AWARE OF THE INCIDENCE AND
ANOMALIES THAT OCCURRED AND MOST
OF THEM, BY THE WAY, WERE VERY
MINOR COMPARED TO THE ONES WE
PRACTICED IN OUR REHEARSALS.
>> THANK YOU.
OUR NEXT QUESTION IS FROM JIM
SEGAL FROM NASA TECH.
>> THANK YOU FOR TAKING MY
QUESTION AND CONGRATULATIONS TO
THE ENTIRE TEAM.
I NOTICED IN LOOKING AT THE
PHOTOS OF PICTURES, THE VIDEO
THAT WAS ON THE SCREEN, THAT
THERE WERE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN
THE MICHIGAN OPERATION CENTER
AND I ASSUME THAT THERE WERE
OTHERS AND OTHER BUILDINGS AND
OTHER ROOMS WITHIN THE BUILDING.
AND I AM INTERESTED IN ROUGHLY
HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE IN THE
MISSION OPERATIONS ROOM DURING
THAT DEPLOYMENT AND HOW MANY
OTHER PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD
WERE ALSO INVOLVED IN THE
DEPLOYMENT THAT WE SAW TODAY?
>> SO WE RUN IN THE ENTIRE
MISSION OPS CENTER SO IT'S NOT
JUST THE ONE ROOM BUT IN THIS
SECTION OF THE BUILDING THAT WE
CONSIDER IT, WE RUN 95 PEOPLE
PER SHIFT.
THE AND AROUND THE WORLD DURING
THE SUNSHIELD DEPLOYMENT WHERE
WE HAD OUR INDEPENDENT
VERIFICATION ESSENTIALLY
ENGINEERING MODEL ALL SET UP AND
IT WENT THROUGH EVERY STEP OF
THE DEPLOYMENT WITH US.
SO IF WE WOULD HAVE HAD A
PROBLEM WE WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE
TO GO BACK AND LOOK THAT THE AND
HELP DETERMINE WHAT THE ISSUE
MIGHT HAVE BEEN.
>> OUR NEXT QUESTIONING FROM
MARSHA DUNN.
>> I'M WONDERING IF YOU THINK
IT'S ALL DOWNHILL FROM HERE, THE
FIRST WEEKS WERE OBVIOUSLY RISKY
AND COMPLICATED AND NEVER BEFORE
ATTEMPTED: HOW DO YOU VIEW THE
REST OF THE MISSION ACTUALLY?
AND DOES THE TEAM GET A REST OR
ARE YOU GOING TO BE MOVING
IMMEDIATELY INTO THE NEXT
SEGMENT?
>> IT'S NOT DOWNHILL FROM HERE.
IT'S ALL KIND OF A LEVEL PLAYING
FIELD.
OBVIOUSLY WITH THE -- MIKE
TALKED ABOUT THE SINGLE POINT
FAILURES ASSOCIATED WITH
DEPLOYMENTS, THAT WAS PROBABLY
THE HIGHEST RISK PART OF THE
MISSION.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN ALL THE RISK
GOES AWAY AND DOESN'T MEAN WE
LOSE OUR INTENSITY AS FAR AS
MAINTAINING OUR DISCIPLINE FOR
THE MISSION.
YOU ACTUALLY GET MORE
INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT COMES
NEXT, BUT WHAT WE DO NEXT IS WE
TAKE EACH OF THE INDIVIDUAL
MIRROR SEGMENTS AND DEPLOY THEM
OFF THEIR LAUNCH STOWED
POSITION.
>> THANK YOU.
OUR NEXT QUESTION IS FROM STEVEN
CLARK, SPACEFLIGHT NOW.
>> THANK YOU, CONGRATULATIONS.
I WANT TO FOLLOW-UP ON AN OLDER
QUESTION ABOUT MAKING IT LOOK
EASY.
THE THERE'S A LOT OF TALK BEFORE
THE MISSION ABOUT THIS BEING
PERHAPS THE MOST COMPLICATED
SPACECRAFT DEPLOYMENT IN HISTORY
IN SPACE.
YOU DID MAKE IT LOOK EASY.
IT WAS NEARLY PERFECT AND JUST
WONDERING IN RETROSPECT, HOW
WOULD YOU RANK THIS DEPLOYMENT
PROCESS UP AGAINST ANYTHING ELSE
THAT'S BEEN DONE IN HISTORY AND
JUST IF YOU COULD LOOK BACK ON
WAS IT REALLY AS COMPLICATED AS
YOU SAID IT WAS BEFORE THE
MISSION?
THANKS.
>> I'LL TAKE A PART AND LET MIKE
GO.
BUT THERE IS REALLY TWO ASPECTS.
ONE IS THE PRACTICE WE DID ON
THE GROUND.
BUT THIS IS OUR FOURTH SUNSHIELD
EMPLOYMENT WE DID ONE AS WE
INTEGRATED ON THE VEHICLE AND
DID ONE AT WHAT'S CALLED THE
OBSERVATORY LEVEL AS AFTER THE
OPTICS WERE INTEGRATED.
WE DID ONE BEFORE THE
ENVIRONMENTAL TEST AND ONE
AFTER.
THIS IS OUR 4TH SHOT AT IT AND
WE LEARNED PRETTY CLEAN ONE ON
NUMBER 3 WHICH VERIFIED THAT WE
WORKED AFTER SURVIVING A
SIMULATED ROCKET RIDE.
YOU DESIGN FOR WORST CASE.
YOU DESIGN FOR WORST, WORST
CASE.
WITHIN OUR DESIGN WE ALWAYS HAD
MARGIN AND MORE MOTOR POWER IF
WE NEEDED TO DRIVE IT OUT AND
MORE STRENGTH IN SOMETHING IF WE
NEEDED TO PULL YOU ON IT HARDER
OR PUSH ON IT HARDER.
YOU BUILD IN THAT BECAUSE
KNOWING SURVIVING THE FIRST DAYS
AND THE FIRST WEEKS OFTEN IS THE
MOST STRESSING ENVIRONMENT THAT
A SATELLITE GOES THROUGH.
THIS IS WHY THEY TEND TO LAST
WELL BEYOND THEIR INITIAL
INTENDED MISSION LIFE.
SO YOU DON'T OVER DESIGN BUT YOU
DESIGN FOR THINGS YOU CAN'T
ALWAYS TEST.
SO ANALYTICALLY YOU GO CASE ON
THE GROUND AND DO ALL THAT STUFF
ON THE GROUND SO YOU SWIM RIGHT
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LANE AFTER
YOU LAUNCH.
IT'S ACCOMMODATION TO THAT AND
PRACTICE.
>> IN ONE OF THE OTHER PRESS
CONFERENCES WHEN IT COMES TO IT
THERE ARE TWO UNIQUE THINGS.
FIRST WITH THE SUNSHIELD AND
THAT WAS DEPLOYING LARGE
STRUCTURES WITH A LOT OF CABLES
AND TENNIS COURT MEMBRANES THAT
COULD FLOAT TO PLACES YOU DON'T
WANT TO FLOAT TO IN ZERO G.
SECOND PART IS WHAT WE CALL
PRECISION DEPLOYMENTS.
WE'RE REBUILDING AND RETUNING AN
OPTICAL AND INFRARED TELESCOPE
REMOTELY AND SO OUR SENSING
CONTROL OPTICAL ENGINEERS CAN
START TAKING THAT STATE WHERE
THEY'RE IN AND TUNE A TELESCOPE.
WE HAD LARGE PRECISION AND
DEPLOYMENTS LIKE IN THE OTE LIKE
IN THE TELESCOPE THIS HAS BEEN
THE MOST CHALLENGING DEPLOYMENT
PROGRAM EVERY DONE BY NASA.
>> THANK YOU.
OUR NEXT QUESTION IS FROM DAVID
CURLY FROM THE DISCOVERY
CHANNEL.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
BILL IF I COULD GET YOU TO COME
BACK UP HERE ONE MORE TIME.
WE HEARD THERE OVER THE LAST
COUPLE OF MONTHS, GREAT
CONFIDENCE, SLEEPLESS NIGHTS AND
I GET THAT AND I HEAR RELIEF IN
YOUR VOICE.
CAN YOU JUST TALK ABOUT THAT AND
THEN THE BIGGER PICTURE OF THE
SCIENCE WHEN THE FIRST IMAGE
FROM ALL THE MIRRORS ONCE
THEY'VE BEEN ALL SET COMES BACK
AND WHAT ALL THIS WORK HAS MEANT
AND SHOULD MEAN?
>> AS FAR AS WE LEAF GOES, YES,
OBVIOUSLY A HUGE FEELING OF
RELIEF.
COUPLE OF TIMES PEOPLE MADE
COMMENTS ABOUT THE EASINESS
ABOUT THE DEPLOYMENTS.
JUST BECAUSE WE MADE IT LOOK
EASY DOESN'T MEAN IT WAS.
IT'S A TRIBUTE TO EVERYONE ARE
WHO HELPED US WORK ON THIS TO
GET US THROUGH IT.
BUT YES A HUGE SIGH OF RELIEF
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT IF YOU
WATCH THE VIDEO OF US BEING IN
THERE AND THE FOLKS IN THE BACK
ROOM WERE DOING THE WAVE AND
WE'RE ALL GIVING EACH OTHER
HIGH-5.
THAT'S ALL A SIGN OF A RELIEF.
THERE WILL BE A COUPLE OF
SCIENCE FOLKS ON THE NEXT PANEL
THAT CAN DISCUSS THAT, BUT WE
ARE ALL LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT
TIME WHEN THEY RELEASE THE FIRST
IMAGES AND FIRST SPECTROGRAPHS
AND SPECTRUM AND TALK ABOUT THE
AMAZING DISCOVERIES THAT WE'LL
BE MAKING.
>> SO PART I THINK MAKING IT
LOOK EASY WAS WE DEVELOPED ALL
OUR PROCEDURES VERY EARLY.
WE WERE USING THEM BACK IN PANEL
INTEGRATION.
WE USED THEM THROUGH INT.
WE TESTED AS MUCH FLIGHT LIKE AS
WE COULD FROM DAY ONE AND SO BY
THE TIME WE WENT THROUGH
REHEARSALS AND GOT HERE,
EVERYONE WHO WAS SUPPORTING WAS
VERY FAMILIAR WITH ALL THE
PROCEDURES AND HOW THEY WORK AND
WHAT TO EXPECT IN TERMS OF DATA
RETURN.
SO WE WERE LUCKY EVERYTHING WAS
JUST VERY SMOOTH AND VERY
PREDICTABLE.
IT'S A RELIEF.
>> THANK YOU OUR NEXT QUESTION
IS FROM WELL NEWS, WASHINGTON
D.C.
>> THANKS FOR THE CALL,
EVERYONE.
PLEASURE HEARING YOUR VOICES
TODAY.
CONGRATULATIONS ON THE MISSION.
I JUST WANTED TO ASK REAL
QUICKLY ABOUT THE NOVEMBER
PAYLOAD PROCESSING.
HOW CLOSE DID THAT COME TO
DAMAGING IT AND COMPLICATED THE
EFFORTS GOING FORWARD.
SEEMS LIKE EVERYTHING WAS GOING
SMOOTHLY.
BUT WAS THAT CUTTING IT CLOSE
FOR YOUR LIKING?
>> >> I THINK YOU'RE TALKING
ABOUT THE CLAMP-IN IN AT THE
LAUNCH SITE.
THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE
SPACECRAFT.
WE PROVED THAT THROUGH OUR
TESTING THAT WE HAVE DONE AND WE
DID SPECIFIC TESTING AS WELL AS
RUNNING THE LIVENESS TEST AND
BOAT LOAD OF ANALYSIS TO
DETERMINE THAT THE SHOCK EVENT
WE SAW DID NO DAMAGE TO THE
SPACECRAFT AND WE DEMONSTRATED
THAT TODAY FROM THE STANDPOINT
OF DEPLOYMENTS.
I HOPE THAT ANSWERS YOUR
QUESTION.
>> OUR NEXT QUESTION IS FROM LEO
FROM IRISH TELEVISION.
>> THANKS VERY MUCH FOR DOING
THIS AND CONGRATULATIONS.
THE ADMINISTRATOR A FEW MINUTES
AGO ON NASA TV MADE A PASSING
REFERENCE TO AN L2 INSERTION
BURN THAT HE POINTED OUT WAS OF
SOME IMPORTANCE.
COULD YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT THAT, IN PARTICULAR I'M
LOOKING AS I'M TALK TO YOU TO
THE CRUISING SPEED WHICH JUST
FELL TO 395 METERS A SECOND.
YOU'RE NOT MUCH GOING FASTER
THAN A 747 JET AT THE MOMENT.
WHAT SPEED ARE YOU GOING TO BE
DOING WHEN YOU GET UP THE HILL
TO L2 AND IS THERE ANYTHING THAT
REALLY WORRIES YOU ABOUT THAT
BURN OR ARE YOU COMFORTABLE YOU
HAD ENOUGH BURNS TO PUT THAT
RISK TO ONE SIDE?
>> YEAH, THE BURN YOU'RE
REFERRING TO IS WHAT WE CALL THE
MCC2 BURN.
TO BE HONEST WITH YOU WE'RE NOT
AT ALL WORRIED ABOUT IT.
IT'S VERY MINOR AND I DON'T HAVE
THE DELTA V AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW.
BUT IT'S A VERY MINOR BURN AND
DONE AT LAUNCH PLUS 29 DAYS.
AND IS AFTER THAT BURN WE PRETTY
MUCH ACTUALLY FALL INTO THE
ORBIT AROUND THE L2 POINT.
SO, WE DO HAVE TO DO THE BURN
BUT IN TERMS OF TIMING AND DELTA
V COMPARED TO SOME OF THE OTHER
BURNS WE ALREADY SUCCESSFULLY
ACCOMPLISHED AND IMPLEMENTED,
THIS ISN'T ALL THAT CRITICAL AND
WE'RE NOT THAT WORRIED ABOUT
THIS BURN AT ALL.
>> OUR NEXT QUESTION IS MARSHA
SMITH SPACE POLICY ONLINE.COM.
>> I'M INTERESTED IN FROM THE
NORTHROP GRUMMAN REPRESENTATIVE.
HOW DID THIS ALL LOOK FROM THEIR
STANDPOINT.
IT'S BEEN A LONG HAUL TO GET
JAMES WEBB BUILT AND MANY MORE
YEARS THAN NORTHROP GRUMMAN HAD
PLANNED.
I'M CURIOUS HOW IT LOOKS FROM A
CORPORATE PERSPECTIVE AND WHAT
LESSONS YOU MAY HAVE LEARNED
THAT COULD BE APPLICABLE TO
OTHERS.
AND IS CURIOUS ABOUT THE
VISUALIZATION TOOL THAT NASA'S
BEEN SHOWING WHICH HAS BEEN
VERY, VERY HELPFUL.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT NORTHROP
GRUMMAN DEVELOPED OR WHERE DID
THAT COME FROM?
AND MY LAST QUESTION IS, WHAT IS
NORTHROP GRUMMAN'S ROLE GOING
FORWARD?
ARE YOU GOING TO BE INVOLVED IN
OPERATIONS FROM HERE ON?
IS OR IS YOUR JOB PRETTY MUCH
DONE?
>> ONE THING THAT MADE THIS
SPECIAL FOR US AS NORTHROP AS AN
INDUSTRY PLAYER WORKS WITH NASA
IT'S DIFFERENT THAN MOST OF OUR
CUSTOMERS BECAUSE NASA DESIGNS
AND BUILDS AND TESTS THINGS.
THE SO WE'RE GOING TO THEIR SHOP
AT GODDARD AND WE'RE WATCHING
HARDWARE GET BUILT AND TESTED ON
SHAKER TABLES AS WE'RE BUILDING.
SO, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT --
CERTAINLY WHAT WE LEARNED TO DO
WAS COLLABORATE AT AN
ENGINEERING LEVEL.
THERE IS NO WAY ANY ONE COMPANY
COULD HAVE DONE THE JAMES WEBB
TELESCOPE.
AS A COMPANY WE HAVE DECADES OF
EXPERIENCE OF BUILDING THINGS
TOGETHER.
WHICH SOMETIMES CAN CREATE
TENSION BUT YOU HOPE IT'S A
HEALTHY TENSION AS ENGINEERS
DEBATE AND THAT BRINGS OUT THE
BEST OF YOU.
AND THEN IT'S OKAY, WHAT WE
AGREED TO AND BILL AND I WILL
OFTEN BROKER THAT FOR THE TEAMS
AND THEN GO FOCUS ON IT AND GET
IT DONE.
SO I THINK THAT RELATIONSHIP GOT
PERFECTED OVER THE YEARS.
FROM A LESSONS LEARNED
PERSPECTIVE I ALWAYS LOOK AT THE
MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVE AND WHAT
DOES IT TAKE TO MANAGE SOMETHING
THIS BIG AND COMPLEX.
HOW DO YOU MAKE RISK-BASED
DECISIONS.
THERE WASN'T A MEETING WE DIDN'T
WALK OUT WHERE WE DIDN'T KNOW
WHERE WAS PLAN B?
WHERE WERE WE GOING TO BE READY
IF SOMETHING -- THE RESULT
DOESN'T COME OUT.
WE DON'T WANT TO RUN A TEST
KNOWING WHAT THE RESULTS ARE SO
WE'RE NOT REACTING AFTER THE
FACT BUT PREPARING BEFORE THE
FACT AND THAT'S WHERE WE BROUGHT
THE BEST OUT OF EACH OTHER.
I'LL LET MIKE OR BILL TALK ABOUT
THE VISUALIZATION TOOL.
BUT IN TERMS OF THE FUTURE WE
ARE PART OF THE OPERATIONS.
WE HAVE A TEST BED.
WE HAVE AN ELECTRICAL TEST BED
IN ADDITION TO A MECHANICAL TEST
BED THAT WE'LL HAVE UP AND
RUNNING IF THERE ARE SOFTWARE
PATCHES OR QUESTIONS IN ORBIT.
WE'LL RUN THOSE BACK.
YOU DON'T WANT TO DO SOMETHING
FIRST TIME IN A VEHICLE YOU
DON'T HAVE TO DO SO WE'LL
DEMONSTRATE THAT.
>> I WOULD JUST SAY CERTAINLY
THERE IS A LOT OF LESSONS
LEARNED FROM AN INT PERSPECTIVE
WHICH IS MOST OF MY BACKGROUND.
IT WAS INCREDIBLY COMPLEX.
JUST FOR US FOR THE IVA BILL WAS
TALKING ABOUT, IT TOOK THAT TEAM
45 DAYS TO FOLD IT BACK UP AND
STOW IT SO THAT WE COULD DEPLOY
AS WE WATCHED THE DEPLOYMENTS
BACK LIFE.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE GUTS OF
SUNSHIELD IT'S FEET AND FEET OF
PULLEYS AND CABLES AND ALL THIS
STUFF THAT HAS TO WORK PERFECT.
IT IS COMPLEX BUT IT'S A TRIBUTE
TO THE TECHNICIANS AND ENGINEERS
THAT LAST TOUCHED THE SATELLITE
AT SPACE PARK.
THEY MADE SURE THAT EVERYTHING
THEY DID WAS GOING TO BE PERFECT
AND THAT'S WHY WE HAD THE BEST
DEPLOYMENT OF THE SUNSHIELD THAT
WE HAD IN THE 4 TIMES THAT WE
HAVE DONE IT.
SO CONGRATULATIONS TO THOSE
GUYS.
>> OUR NEXT QUESTION--
>> THE VISUALIZATION TOOL IS
ACTUALLY PART OF THE GROUND
SYSTEM AND PROVIDED BY RAYTHEON
OUT OF DENVER AND BASICALLY IT'S
MADE UP OF OUR VARIOUS DRAWINGS
OF THE TELESCOPE THAT WE HAVE
TAKEN AND CONVERTED INTO AN
ANIMATION.
BUT THE WHOLE THING IS DRIVEN BY
TELEMETRY FROM THE SPACECRAFT.
SUCH THAT AS IT CHANGED ON THE
SPACECRAFT WE COULD SEE IT
CHANGE ON THE GROUND.
>> THIS THANK YOU.
OUR NEXT QUESTION IS FROM ALICIA
SOWERS.
>> HI.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING MY
QUESTION.
CONGRATULATIONS.
THE OBSERVATORY HASN'T REACHED
ITS DESTINATION AND ALL THESE
DEPLOYMENTS OCCURRED WHILE WEBB
IS TRAVELING TO L2.
SO I'M JUST KIND OF WONDERING IS
THERE ANY RISK THAT THE
STRUCTURES COULD BE DAMAGED OR
COME OUT OF ALIGNMENT AS IT
CONTINUES TOWARD ITS
DESTINATION.
THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO ASK,
YOU GOT A LARGE AUDIENCE RIGHT
NOW ON THE EDGE OF THEIR SEATS
FOR WEBB AND I'M JUST WONDERING,
THERE'S LONG TIME BETWEEN NOW
AND JUNE, WHEN WE ARE GOING TO
SEE THOSE IMAGES.
I'M WONDERING IF THERE ARE ANY
UPCOMING MILESTONES THAT PEOPLE
CAN LOOK FORWARD TO IN THE
MEANTIME?
>> THANK YOU.
>> FIRST THERE ARE NO DANGERS TO
THE STRUCTURE BY VIRTUE WHERE WE
ARE IN THE ORBIT.
WE'RE LITERALLY AFTER THE MCC2
WE'LL FALL INTO ORBIT AROUND THE
L2 POINT.
THEN FOR THE OTHER QUESTION WAS
WHAT'S COMING UP.
THAT'S A BETTER QUESTION FOR THE
NEXT PANEL COMING UP.
>> THANK YOU.
OUR NEXT QUESTION IS FROM IRENE,
AVIATION WEEK.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON.
FOR NORTHROP GRUMMAN, PROBABLY
MR. WILLOWBY DOES IT COMPLETE
THE CONTRACT AND THEN YOU SWITCH
OVER TO THE TECHNICAL SUPPORT OR
US IS IT PART OF THE SAME
CONTRACT OR DID THAT INITIAL
CONTRACT COMPLETE WHEN THE
TELESCOPE WAS TURNED OVER TO
NASA?
>> OUR PRIMARY CONTRACT GOES TO
LAUNCH PLUS ONE YEAR.
WE DID HAVE A SIGNING PARTY DOWN
AT THE LAUNCH PLACE WHEN WE DO
THE TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP OF THE
VEHICLE BECAUSE WE -- AS WE
COMPLETED OUTPUTTING FINAL ML I
AND PARTS ON THE VEHICLE, BUT
WITH THAT THAT'S UNDER OUR PRIME
CONTRACT.
IN TERMS OF THAT RESPONSIBILITY,
CERTAINLY COMMISSIONING FOR THE
NEXT 6 MONTHS AND 6 MONTHS OF
SCIENCE MISSIONS AND THEN WE'LL
TRANSITION TO WHAT'S CALLED INTO
THE O & M PART OF IT.
>> THANK YOU.
OUR NEXT QUESTION IS FROM KEN
KRAMER SPACE UP CLOSE.
>> HI.
THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS AND
TAKING MY QUESTION AND
CONGRATULATIONS ON A SPECTACULAR
SUCCESS THERE.
MY QUESTION IS ABOUT LESSONS
LEARNED.
YOU ACCOMPLISHED THIS.
WHAT ARE THE LESSONS LEARNED
GOING FORWARD AND HOW WOULD YOU
APPLY THIS TO LARGER DEPLOYABLE
TELESCOPES.
CAN YOU SPECULATE WHAT IS
POSSIBLE BEYOND WEBB NOW THAT
YOU HAVE ACCOMPLISHED THIS?
THANK YOU.
>> WELL, IN TERMS OF LESSONS
LEARNED WE'RE COMPILING THAT
NOW.
I THINK IT'S A LITTLE TOO
PREMATURE FOR ME TO COMMENT ON
THAT HONESTLY.
OUR DEPLOYMENTS WENT SO SMOOTH,
IT WOULD BE HARD RIGHT NOW TO
HAVE SOME OBVIOUS LESSONS
LEARNED FROM THAT.
WE PROBABLY -- WE START
COMPILING OUR LESSONS LEARNED IT
MIGHT BE SOME IS OF THE
TELEMETRIES THAT WE FOUND FUNNY.
MAYBE SECONDARY TELEMETRY
PROCEDURES THAT WE MIGHT WANT TO
DO, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO RIGHT NOW THE HONEST ANSWER
WOULD BE TOO EARLY FOR ME TO
GIVE YOU SOME REAL DEFINITIVE
LESSONS LEARNED BUT OVERALL IT
WENT SMOOTHLY AND I THINK THE
LESSONS LEARNED WOULD BE
SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF
HEY, HERE'S HOW WE SHOULD PLAN
CONTINGENCIES AND HERE'S HOW WE
SHOULD PROVIDE OTHER TELEMETRY
POINTS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
>> I'D LIKE TO ADD A LITTLE BIT.
YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT'S NEXT.
WE PROVE THAT WE CAN BUILD A
TELESCOPE BIGGER THAN THE TOP OF
THE ROCKET.
SOMETHING THAT HAD TO BE FOLDED
AND IS THE SUNSHIELD THAT HAD TO
BE STOWED.
IN THAT WE LEARNED IN A POSITIVE
WAY THAT HOW YOU TEST AND HOW
YOU TEST LIKE YOU FLY, WHICH IS
ALWAYS A NUMBER ONE MANTRA IN
WHAT YOU DO RIGHT ON THE GROUND,
WE HAD TO COME UP WITH ALTERNATE
WAYS.
WHEN WE HAD A SUNSHIELD TOO BIG
FOR THE CHAMBER, WE TOOK IT AND
SCALED IT ONE THIRD, EVERY
FEATURE PERFECT SCALED AND TOOK
OUR COMPUTER MODEL AND SCALED
THAT AND TEST CORRELATED THE
MONITOR SO WE DID HAVE AND THEN
DIMENSIONALLY CONTROLLED IT AS
WE SCALED IT OUT.
SO, THE TEAM FOUND SOLUTIONS
WHERE WE WERE TO SOME DEGREE
LIMITED BY THE PHYSICS AND THE
ABILITY FOR CHAMBERS ON THERE.
I DON'T THINK OUR APPETITE IS
GOING TO GET SMALLER FROM WEBB.
WHEN YOU LOOK THAT THE WE'LL
HAVE SIMILAR LIMITATIONS AND WE
HAVE NOW EVIDENCE AND WE'LL BE
BUILDING MORE IS CERTAINLY OVER
THE NEXT 5.5 MONTHS HOW OUR
ABILITY TO CORRELATE MODELS AND
THEN SCALE IT UP AND PREDICTED
IT RIGHT NOW.
THERMAL HAS GOT A LOT OF THUMB'S
UP IN MATERIALS OF HOW THE
BEHAVIOR IS PERFORMING.
>> THANK YOU.
OUR NEXT QUESTION IS FROM DANIEL
FROM OUR DRONE UY.
>> THANK YOU.
MY QUESTION IS, THERE ARE PEOPLE
WONDERING HERE, WHAT PROGRAMMING
LANGUAGES WERE USEFUL ON BOARD
AND HOW DO YOU HANDLE THE
REDUNDANCY.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR AMAZING WORK
AND I HOPE YOU --
>> I BELIEVE AND IT'S C++ AND I
WASN'T SURE I CAUGHT THE OTHER
PART OF YOUR QUESTIONS.
THE REDUNDANCIES?
OUR COMPUTERS WERE FULLY
REDUNDANT AND I THINK THAT'S
ABOUT AS MUCH AS I UNDERSTOOD
THE QUESTION.
>> IT'S OKAY. THANK YOU FOR
ALL.
SOMEONE MAKE THE QUESTION, WHAT
NEXT ON JAMES WEBB TELESCOPE,
AND I'M WONDERING IF YOU CAN
EXPAND ANYMORE ON THE JAMES WEBB
TELESCOPE'S LIFE?
WHEN IT COMES TO THE JAMES WEBB
SPACE TELESCOPE LIFE, RIGHT NOW
OUR LIMITING RESOURCE WAS
PROPELLANT AND RIGHT NOW BECAUSE
OF THE EFFICIENCY OR ACCURACY
AND OUR ACCURACY AND
EFFECTIVENESS IMPLEMENTING OUR
MID COURSE CORRECTIONS, WE HAVE
QUITE A BIT OF FUEL MARGIN RIGHT
NOW RELATIVE TO 10 YEARS.
ROUGHLY SPEAKING IT'S AROUND 20
YEARS OF PROPELLANT AND THAT'S
TBD.
>> OUR NEXT QUESTION IS FROM LEE
ROOF FROM AL.COM
>> YES.
HELLO.
THANKS FOR DOING THIS AND THANKS
FOR TAKING MY QUESTION.
I'M TALKING TO YOU FROM
HUNTSVILLE WHERE WE HAVE BEEN
FOLLOWING THIS, PEOPLE HAVE BEEN
FOLLOWING THIS REALLY CLOSELY
SINCE THE LAUNCH, AND I KNOW
THAT WE OH SOME FOLKS DOWN HERE
BUILT THE SUNSHIELDS AND SOME
OTHER CONTRIBUTIONS.
IS THERE ANYONE THAT COULD TELL
ME HOW DID EVERYTHING THAT WE
CONTRIBUTED TO YOU GUYS, HOW DID
IT ALL WORK OUT?
>> YEAH, THERE WAS A LOFT
CONTRIBUTIONS FROM HUNTSVILLE.
I REMEMBER GOING DOWN AFTER WE
COMPLETED THE FIRST SUNSHIELD
LAYER SO THOSE BIG SILVER
DIAMOND SHAPED PATTERNS, 5 OF
THEM THAT LOOK WONDERFUL RIGHT
NOW.
WE'RE ALREADY SEEING SOMETHING
ON THE ORDER OF ABOUT 500
DEGREES IN THE DIFFERENTIAL
BETWEEN THOSE LAYERS.
THEY DID A WONDERFUL JOB.
THE OPTICS WERE ALSO TESTED AT
MARSHALL SPACEFLIGHT CENTER.
6 AT A TIME.
ONCE WITH JUST IS BEAR BERYLLIUM
TO 150 NANOMETERS AND THEN AFTER
BEING COATED WITH THEIR GOLD
REFLECTIVE LAYERS DOWN TO 20
NANOMETERS.
THAT'S WHERE TECHNIQUES WERE
PERFECTED THEY'RE USED FOR
OPHTHALMOLOGY AND LASIK.
I REMEMBER BEING DOWN THERE FOR
THAT WHEN I GO THE A COIN FROM
THE MAYOR OF HUNTSVILLE AND I
STILL HAVE IT ON MY SHELF WITH
ALL MY OTHER COINS.
IT WAS A PROUD MOMENT FOR ME AND
THE CITY.
>> THANK YOU.
AND THAT IS ALL THE TIME WE HAVE
FOR THE FIRST
QUESTION-AND-ANSWER SESSION.
WE'LL NOW MOVE ON TO THE NEXT
SET OF SPEAKERS AND HOLD ANOTHER
Q&A SESSION LATER IN THE
PROGRAM.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
THANK YOU TO ALL THE SPEAKERS.
I WILL ENCOURAGE YOU TO STEP OFF
AND WE'LL GET OUR NEW GROUP
HERE. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
CONGRATULATIONS.
>> WE HAVE THE NEXT GROUP COMING
IN FILING IN BEHIND ME.
AS WE MENTIONED, THIS WILL BE
SECTION WHERE WE START FOCUSSING
ON WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT.
FOR ANYBODY FOR THE LAST SESSION
WHO DIDN'T GET A QUESTION
COMPLETELY ANSWERED OR HAS SOME
MORE FOLLOW-UP WRITE SOMEONE IN
THE NASA'S OFFICE OF
COMMUNICATION AND WE'LL GET YOU
AN ANSWER.
BUT FOR NOW MOVING ON TO OUR
SECOND GROUP.
WE HAVE TODAY JOHN DURNING THE
WEB DEPUTY PROJECT MANAGER AT
NASA GODDARD.
LEIF FINEBERG THE WEB OPTICAL
TELESCOPE ELEMENT MANAGER AT
NASA GODDARD.
JANE RIGBY, WEB OPERATIONS
PROJECT SCIENTIST AT NASA
GODDARD AND HEIDI HAMMEL THE
VICE PRESIDENT OF SCIENCE.
WE'LL HAVE THE EXACT SAME PLAN
AS BEFORE.
WE'LL HAVE A COUPLE OF OPENING
REMARKS FROM JOHN DURNING AND
SWITCH RIGHT INTO THE BULK OF
THE TIME FOR QUESTIONINGS.
AS BEFORE YOU WOULD PRESS STAR 1
TO GET YOURSELF INTO THE CUE FOR
QUESTIONS.
WITH THAT, PASSING OFF.
>> HELLO.
MY NAME IS JOHN DURNING.
LET'S SEE THE LAST TWO WEEKS, 14
DAYS HAVE BEEN A SPECTACULAR
SUCCESS AND SET THE TABLE FOR
THE FANTASTIC SCIENCES TO COME.
BUT IN THE NEXT 15 DAYS WE'RE
GOING TO GET TO OUR -- OR AT 15
DAYS, JANUARY 23RD WE'LL ARRIVE
AT OUR L2 INSERTION LOCATION AND
FIRE AS WE TALKED ABOUT
PREVIOUSLY.
WHILE GETTING TO THAT, THE NEXT
15 DAYS WE'LL BE PHASING THE
MIRROR.
TAKING THOSE 15 MIRROR SEGMENTS
AND ALIGNING THEM SO THEY
PERFORM AS ONE MONOLITH LEE IS
ON THE PANEL TO TALK ABOUT THOSE
AND I'M SURE THERE ARE QUESTIONS
ABOUT THAT AND HELP YOU
UNDERSTAND HOW THAT WORKS.
SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADEU THAT'S
WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE FUTURE.
I SHOULD SAY ALSO WE'LL START
TURNING ON THE INSTRUMENTS THE
NEXT WEEK OR SO AND AS WE GET
INTO L2 THEY'LL START TURN ON
ALL THE VARIOUS INSTRUMENTS THAT
WE CAN COOL DOWN AND DO THEIR
OWN CALIBRATION ACTIVITIES TO
END THE COMMISSIONING WHEN
THEY'RE READY FOR THAT FIRST
LIGHT.
WITH THAT I'LL TURN IT OVER TO
THE QUESTIONS.
>> TO ASK A QUESTION PLEASE
PRESS STAR 1 AND OUR NEXT
QUESTION IS FROM ELIZABETH
HOWELL FROM SPACE.COM
>> CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN THIS IS
PROBABLY FOR JOHN.
YOU GAVE US A GOOD ROAD MAP OF
WHAT TO EXPECT.
CAN YOU GIVE US A SENSE WHICH
ONE OF THESE MILESTONES IF ANY
WOULD BE THE MOST TECHNICALLY
COMPLEX OR THE ONES THAT COULD
BE POTENTIAL DIFFICULTIES, THE
ONES THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO
MANAGE THE MOST, I SUPPOSE?
>> LET'S SEE, WITH THE MOST
DIFFICULT MILESTONES AHEAD.
EACH ONE HAS THEIR OWN SET OF
MILESTONES THAT WILL BE
CHALLENGING TO THEM ONCE THEY
REACH TEMPERATURE MAKING SURE
THEY GET IT ALL ALIGNED.
BUT THERE IS NOTHING PROJECT OR
MISSION WISE THAT IS A MAJOR
MILESTONE ONCE WE GET TO L2 AND
START COOLING DOWN.
THE MIRROR THEMSELVES I'LL LEE
TOUCH BASE ON WHAT ARE THE
SIGNIFICANT MILESTONES AS THEY
ALIGN THE TELESCOPES.
WITH THAT, LEE DO YOU WANT TO
TALK ABOUT IT?
>> YEAH.
STARTING ON TUESDAY, WE'LL START
DEPLOYING THE MIRRORS SO THEY'RE
IN A LAUNCH CONFIGURATION AND
THERE IS A 10-12 DAY PROCESS TO
GET ALL THE MIRRORS FORWARD BY
ROUGHLY HALF AN INCH AND THAT
PUTS THEM IN A POSITION WHERE WE
CAN DO THE DETAILED OPTICAL
ALIGNMENT SO THIS IS THE FIRST
STEP.
WE CALL IT MIRROR DEPLOYMENT.
BUT THEN AFTER THAT THERE'S
ACTUAL A3 MONTH PROCESS TO ALIGN
THE MIRRORS STARTING WITH THE
VERY FIRST LIGHT ON ALL 18
SEGMENTS.
AND AT ROUGHLY 4 MONTHS INTO THE
MISSION AROUND DAY 120 IS WHEN
WE THINK THE ENTIRE TELESCOPE
WILL BE ALIGNED BUT THAT IS
HAPPENING IN PARALLEL TO THE
COMMISSIONING OF INSTRUMENTS.
SO WE'LL BE WORKING CLOSELY WITH
OUR INSTRUMENT TEAM PARTNERS AND
TURNING ON DIFFERENT INSTRUMENTS
AND TURNING ON THE COOLER AND
WE'LL USE THOSE TO ALIGN THE
TELESCOPE AND FURTHER REFINE THE
TELESCOPE.
>> THANK YOU.
OUR NEXT QUESTION IS FROM MARINA
FROM THE ATLANTIC.
>> HEY, EVERYONE.
CONGRATULATIONS.
FIRST ONE IS FOR LEE.
WHY DID THE DESIGNERS GO WITH
HEXAGON SHAPED MIRRORS AND HOW
ARE YOU FEELING ABOUT MAKING
THOSE SEGMENT ADJUSTMENTS IN THE
COMING DAYS?
AND THEN A QUESTION FOR JOHN.
HOW MANY PEOPLE IN THE MOC HAVE
TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID IN THE
LAST TWO WEEKS AND HOW ARE YOU
HANDLING SHIFTS AND MOVING
FORWARD AS PEOPLE HAVE TO GO
INTO ISOLATION?
THANK YOU.
>> I GUESS I'LL TAKE THE
SOFTBALL.
HEXAGONS, THERE ARE A COUPLE
DIFFERENT CONFIGURATIONS EARLY
ON.
IT WASN'T ONLY HEXAGONS BUT
THEY'RE A NICE SHAPE FOR MAKING
A MIRROR THAT YOU WANT TO MAKE
IN PIECES.
IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE DIFFERENT
GEOMETRIES LIKE YOU COULD USE
LIKE TRIANGLES AND SQUARES THEY
HAVE SHARP CORNERS WHICH WE
GENERALLY DON'T LIKE.
WE LIKE THEM SYMMETRICAL.
AND WE WERE ABLE TO PUT 3
MIRRORS ON EACH WING WHICH
REALLY WAS NICE TO BE ABLE TO
FOLD IT UP.
SO THAT ALL WORKED PRETTY
EASILY.
>> FOR THE COVID QUESTION, TURNS
OUT WE OVERCAME MANY CHALLENGES
FROM HURRICANES TO EARTHQUAKES,
YOU NAME IT.
SO THIS IS JUST ANOTHER
CHALLENGE THAT WE FACED AND WE
WERE BASICALLY ARE FOLLOWING THE
CDC GUIDELINES AS FAR AS
DISTANCING, WEARING MASKS ALL
THE TIME AS YOU CAN AS WELL AS
CLOSE CONTACT AND PROXIMITY.
WE HAVE HAD POSITIVE TESTS HERE
AT THE INSTITUTE BUT FORTUNATELY
WE HAVE TESTING PEOPLE BEFORE
THEY COME ON AND HAVE TO BE
TESTED BEFORE THEY GET IN THE
FACILITY OR SHOW WHEN THEY LEFT
THEIR HOTEL THAT THEY TESTED AND
TEST POSITIVE THEY IDENTIFY --
THEY CALL THE ORGANIZATION HERE
THE HR GROUP AND SAY THEY'VE
BEEN POSITIVE AND WE HAVE THESE
TRACTORS, PROXIMITY TRACTORS SO
THEY CAN TAKE THAT INFORMATION
AND THEN WE TAKE THE PROTOCOL WE
NEED TO DO WHICH IS ISOLATE THEM
AND MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T
HAVE -- THEY HAVE TO GO AND STAY
IN ISOLATION AND TAKE TESTS TO
MAKE SURE THEY'RE NEGATIVE.
SO WE HAD EXERCISE A COUPLE OF
TIMES IN THE PAST TWO WEEKS.
AND WE'VE ACTUALLY WORKED OUT
VERY HE VERY WELL.
THERE WERE INTENSE PERIODS TO DO
WHAT WE DID AND WE WERE ABLE TO
ACCOMPLISH THAT EVEN WITH THESE
POSITIVE TESTS BECAUSE WE'VE
BEEN PROACTIVE AS WELL AS WE
HAVE WORK STATIONS AND LAP TOPS
THAT WE CAN REMOTELY AND STILL
DO THE JOB WE NEED TO DO AND
JUST AS FANCY AS THE WORK
STATIONS THAT YOU SEE BEHIND US
BUT THEY'RE SUFFICIENT AND WE
CAN GET THE TELEMETRY AND
EVERYBODY CAN GET THEIR JOB BE
DONE AND BE SUCCESSFUL.
WE HAVE TAKEN THE MEASURES
STARTING TODAY GIVEN THE SURGE
OF COVID THAT'S IN THE AIR THAT
WE HAVE DECIDED TO PROACTIVELY
REDUCE THE IN-PRESENCE STAFFING
IN THIS ROOM DISTRIBUTED ACROSS
THE PART OF THE BUILDING AND
REMOTELY TO HOME SO THAT WE KEEP
GREATER DISTANCE FOR THE CDC
GUIDELINES FOR THE NEXT COUPLE
WEEKS AS WE WORK THROUGH THE
RECENT SURGE.
BUT WE'VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL
ACCOMPLISHING OUR TASKS.
FORTUNATELY WHILE THERE HAVE
BEEN PEOPLE WITH SYMPTOMS WITH
COVID MOST EVERYBODY HAS
RECOVERED AND THEY SEEM TO BE --
IF THEY'RE NOT BACK AT WORK
THEY'RE TRENDING IN THE RIGHT
DIRECTION TO COME BACK TO WORK.
IT'S A CHALLENGE WE OVERCOME
JUST LIKE ALL THE OTHERS.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU.
OUR NEXT QUESTION IS FROM JEFF
FAUST FROM SPACE NEWS.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON.
QUESTION FOR LEE.
I WONDER IF YOU CAN GO INTO MORE
DETAIL THE OPTICAL ALIGNMENT
PROCESS, WHAT STEPS ARE INVOLVED
IN GETTING ALL THE MIRRORS
ALIGNED AND WHAT SORT OF UPDATE
CAN WE EXPECT ALONG THE WAY
BEFORE YOU REACH THE FINAL
ALIGNMENT IN A FEW MONTH'S TIME.
THANK YOU.
>> YEAH, I'LL GO THROUGH THE
ALIGNMENT AND I'LL PASS IT TO
JANE HOW WE'LL BE UPDATING.
BUT BASICALLY THE FIRST THING
IT'S KIND OF A UNIQUE THING
BECAUSE WE HAVE THIS 18 SEGMENTS
AND WE EXPECT THEM TO BE VERY
MISS ALIGNED.
WE JUST LITERALLY DEPLOYED AN
INCH SO THIS IS NOT A PERFECT
MONOLITHIC MIRROR AT THIS POINT.
WHAT WE TAKE WHAT WE CALL THE
FIRST FLIGHT OF THE TELESCOPE
WE'RE EXPECTING TO SEE 18
SEPARATE SPOTS THAT WILL
PROBABLY BE PRETTY BLURRY.
BUT IT'S ESSENTIALLY LIKE WE'LL
HAVE 18 SEPARATE TELESCOPES AND
FIRST THING WE'LL HAVE TO DO IS
ALIGN THOSE INDIVIDUAL
TELESCOPES THAT THOSE PRIMARY
MIRROR SEGMENTS AND TAKE ALL
THOSE 18 SPOTS AND PUT THEM ON
TOP OF EACH OTHER AND WE CALL
THAT STACKING.
AT THAT POINT WE DON'T HAVE A
NICE TIGHT -- THE STAR DOESN'T
LOOK LIKE A STAR AND HAS TO LOOK
PRETTY BLURRY AND WE HAVE TO GO
THROUGH THE PROCESS OF ALIGNING
THE MIRRORS WHERE THEY'RE ALIGN
TO DO A FRACTION OF A WAVE
LENGTH OF LIGHT.
WE USE A SERIES OF ALGORITHMS
AND WE DEMONSTRATED THEM ON A
SCALE TEST BED.
SO AND WE HAVE MODELS THAT
SIMULATE ALL THIS.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A LONG
PROCESS BUT IN THE END WE EXPECT
TO SEE THE IMAGE OF A STAR THAT
LOOKS LIKE A STAR AND ALL 4
INSTRUMENTS WILL HAVE BEAUTIFUL
IMAGES AND I'LL PASS IT TO JANE
TO TALK ABOUT HOW WE'LL BE
COMMUNICATING THIS INFORMATION
TO YOU.
>> I SHOULD JUST ADD THAT TO ADD
A LITTLE BIT TO WHAT LEE SAID,
JUST THE CHANGE OF ALIGNMENT.
WE START WITH THE MIRRORS OFF BY
MILLIMETERS AND STRIVING THEM TO
BE ALIGNED TO WITHIN LESS THAN A
SIZE OF A CORONAVIRUS, LIKE 10S
OF NANOMETERS.
IS THIS VERY DELIBERATE PROCESS
THAT IS TIME CONSUMING.
SO, YEAH, LIKE, SO EVERYBODY
KNOWS, IS THE FIRST IMAGES THAT
WE TAKE ARE NOT -- THIS
TELESCOPE IS NOT READY OUT OF
THE BOX.
THE FIRST IMAGES WILL BE UGLY.
IT'S GOING TO BE BLURRY AND AS
LEE SAID, 18 OF THESE LITTLE
IMAGES ALL OVER THE SKY.
SO WE HAVE DRIVE THAT INTO ONE
TELESCOPE.
I LIKE TO THINK OF IT IS -- IT'S
LIKE WE HAVE 18 MIRRORS RIGHT
NOW A LITTLE PRIMA DONNAS
SINGING THEIR OWN KEY AND WE
HAVE TO MAKE THEM WORK LIKE A
CHORUS AND THAT IS A MYTHODICAL
PROCESS.
THE FIRST IMAGES THAT THE WORLD
CEASE AND HUMANITY SEES ARE DUE
JUSTICE TO THIS $10 BILLION
TELESCOPE AND ARE NOT THOSE HEY,
LOOK A STAR.
SO WE ARE PLANNING A SERIES OF
WOW IMAGES TO BE RELEASED AT THE
END OF COMMISSIONING WHEN WE
START NORMAL SCIENCE OPERATIONS
THAT ARE DESIGNED TO SHOWCASE
WHAT THIS TELESCOPE CAN DO AND
SHOWCASE ALL 4 SCIENCE
INSTRUMENTS AND REALLY KNOCK
EVERYBODY'S SOCKS OFF.
>> OUR NEXT QUESTION IS ALEX
ANDER WITH NATURE MAGAZINE.
>> HI.
THANKS.
THE I HAVE A FOLLOW-UP ON THAT.
I'M CURIOUS ON WHERE THE FOTONS
ARE COMING FROM AND WHAT
ARE THE ASTRONOMICAL TARGETS AND
WHERE ARE THEY COMING FROM THAT
WILL BE BOUNCING AROUND IN THE
SCOPE FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF
MONTHS?
>> THE FIRST IMAGES -- THE FIRST
TARGETS ARE SOME STARS THAT
ARE-- THE BRIGHTNESS THAT LEE
AND TEAM NEED.
THEY'RE NOT -- THEY'RE FAINTER
THAN YOUR EYE CAN SEE BUT NOT A
WHOLE LIGHT.
THEY'RE REASONABLY BRIGHT.
THAT'S IT WE LOOK AT STARS.
THEN AS WE GET INTO SCIENCE
INSTRUMENT COMMISSIONING, WHICH
IS THE LAST 6 WEEKS OF THIS 6
MONTH PROCESS, THEN WE START
LOOKING AT A LARGER VARIETY OF
TARGETS.
THAT'S EXCHANGING ALL 4 SCIENCE
INSTRUMENTS ARE WORKING
DIRECTLY.
THEY ARE CHOSEN NOT BECAUSE
THEY'RE SCIENTIFICALLY AMAZING
BUT BECAUSE THEY'RE USEFUL.
THINGS LIKE WAVE LENGTH
CALIBRATION AND SOME SOURCES ARE
NICE AND UNIFORM BRIGHTNESS SO
THERE IS A BUNCH OF CALIBRATION
AND CHECK OUTS.
A LOT OF THOSE TARGETS ARE IN
THE CLOUD BECAUSE WE CAN ALWAYS
SEE THE NORTH AND SOUTH ECLIPTIC
POLES.
THEY'RE ALWAYS AVAILABLE.
LOOKING OUT OF THE PLAIN OF THE
SOLAR SYSTEM UP AND DOWN IS
ALWAYS AVAILABLE.
A LOT OF OUR TARGETS ARE THERE
BECAUSE THEN WE DIDN'T HAVE TO
KEEP REPLANNING IF THE LAUNCH
DATE CHANGED.
>> THANK YOU.
OUR NEXT QUESTION IS FROM JIM
SEGAL, NASA TECH.
>> AND THANK YOU.
OBVIOUSLY THE NUMBER OF
SCIENTIFIC ENGINEERING AND EVEN
EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS WILL BE
VERY SIGNIFICANT FROM JAMES
WEBB.
HOWEVER I'D LIKE TO ASK YOU TO
THE ORDINARY PEOPLE SORT OF
SPEAK ON EARTH, THE REST OF US
EARTHLINGS, WHAT CAN I TELL MY
READERS OF THOSE PEOPLE ABOUT
WHAT THIS JAMES WEBB TELESCOPE
MEANS TO THEM?
THANK YOU.
>> WHAT YOU CAN TELL ORDINARY
PEOPLE ABOUT THIS TELESCOPE IS
THAT IT'S AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT
NASA AND ITS COLLABORATORS CAN
DO WHEN THEY WORK TOGETHER, WHEN
NASA AND ISA AND THE CANADIAN
SPACE AGENCY WORK TOGETHER, THEY
CAN ACHIEVE REMARKABLE THINGS.
YOU'VE HEARD PEOPLE TALKING
ABOUT HOW, OH, IT LOOKS SO EASY.
IT IS NOT EASY.
THE NASA MAKES IT LOOK EASY AND
SOMETIMES THEY'RE A VICTIM OF
THEIR OWN SUCCESS BECAUSE IT
LOOKS EASY BUT IT'S NOT EASY.
IT'S VERY CHALLENGING.
AND I THINK THAT WE ALL AS
HUMANITY CAN BE PROUD THAT WE
ARE WORKING COLLECTIVELY TO DO
GREAT THINGS, TO EXPAND OUR
KNOWLEDGE OF THE UNIVERSE, TO
MAKE THE UNIVERSE FOR ACCESSIBLE
TO ALL OF US.
ALL OF THE PICTURES AND ALL OF
THE DATA AND THE KNOWLEDGE FROM
THIS TELESCOPE WILL BE SHARED
WITH ALL OF THE TAXPAYERS WHO
PAID FOR IT.
SO THIS BECOMES A PART OF OUR
LEGACY TO THE FUTURE.
THIS EXPLORATION THAT WE AS A
TEAM HAVE BEEN DOING.
SO, I THINK THAT THAT'S
SOMETHING YOU CAN SHARE WITH
YOUR PERSON.
>> NEXT QUESTION IS FROM IRENE
FROM AVIATION WEEK.
>> CAN HAVE YOU ACTUALLY
SELECTED A TARGET THAT'S GOING
TO BE USED FOR THE MIRROR
ALIGNMENT.
THANKS.
>> THERE ARE A LIST OF STARS
BRIGHT ENOUGH AND WE'LL PICK ONE
OF THEM.
BUT JUST TO GO BACK TO THE
PREVIOUS QUESTION I'M GOING TO
ADD A LITTLE BIT AND SAY THAT I
THINK IF YOU LOOK AT A REALLY
BIG PICTURE WHAT IS THE SCIENCE
THAT WE'RE DOING WITH THIS
TELESCOPE IT'S UNDERSTANDING
WHAT IS OUR PLACE, WHERE DO WE
ALL COME FROM AND LIKE HOW DO WE
FIT IN TO THE UNIVERSE.
HOW DID WE GET HERE, HOW WEIRD
ARE PLANETS LIKE THE EARTH AND
HOW DID OUR GALAXY AND SOLAR
SYSTEM COME TO BE?
AND SO FOR AN AVERAGE PERSON
THAT'S ALSO VERY PERSONAL.
HOW DID I GET HERE?
WHAT IS MY HISTORY NOT JUST OF
MY OWN LIFE OR ANCESTORS BUT HOW
DID WE ALL GET HERE AND HOW DID
IT ALL HAPPEN?
THAT'S THE BIG, BIG, BIG PICTURE
WE'RE WORKING ON NEWS IN
WASHINGTON, D.C. I'M WONDERING
GIVEN THE LAUNCH ACCURACY AND
THE ACCURACY AND ON THE WAY TO
L2 ARE THERE ANY -- IS THERE ANY
POSSIBILITY YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO
SEE THE FIRST CLEAR IMAGES FROM
THE JAMES WEBB A LITTLE BIT
EARLY AHEAD OF SCHEDULE SOME
TIME IN JUNE.
>> ONE OF THE THINGS WE PAY
CLOSE ATTENTION TO IS HOW THE
TELESCOPE AND INSTRUMENTS ARE
COOLING.
WHAT PREVENTS US FROM GETTING
IMAGES SOONER IS HOW LONG THEY
TAKE TO COOL.
TURNS OUT YOU ACTUALLY EARLY IN
THE MISSION WE FOUND THINGS WERE
COOLING FASTER THAN OUR MODELS
PREDICTED SO IT DOES LOOK LIKE
THERE IS A POTENTIAL MAYBE OF A
DAY OR TWO FASTER.
BUT NOT A SIGNIFICANT -- NOT
SIGNIFICANTLY FASTER.
SO BASICALLY OUR ORIGINAL
TIMELINE IS CLOSE AND WE MIGHT
BE A COUPLE DAYS BEFORE THAT.
>> THANK YOU.
OUR NEXT QUESTION IS FROM FELIPE
FROM POLISH PUBLIC TV.
>> HELLO AND I HOPE YOU CAN HEAR
ME.
MY NAME IS FELIPE FROM THE
SCIENCE CHANNEL OF THE POLISH
PUBLIC TELEVISION.
FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD LIKE TO
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO
SPEAK AND WE REPAIRING ABOUT THE
MISSION OF -- I'M VERY HAPPY
ABOUT IT.
ARE THERE ANY FUTURE STEPS OF
DEPLOYMENT OR WE CAN DO 100%
SURE -- AND MAYBE WHAT ARE YOU
THE MOST PROUD OF WHEN IT COMES
TO THE WHOLE MISSION?
>> IS CAN YOU REPEAT, 100% SURE
OF WHAT?
>> CAN WE BE 100% SURE THAT
THERE IS DEPLOYMENT IS COMPLETE
ACCESS?
>> YES, WE CAN CONFIRM THAT THE
DEPLOYMENTS HAVE TAKEN PLACE HAS
BEEN 100% SUCCESSFUL.
WE HAVE TELEMETRY AND THE
PERFORMANCE THAT MATCHES OUR
PREDICTIONS.
SO WE KNOW FOR SURE THAT
TELESCOPE IS DEPLOYED THE WAY WE
WANTED IT TO SHALL DEPLOYED.
>> THERE WHAT ARE WE MOST PROUD
OF.
OH MY GOSH.
WE ARE MOST PROUD OF THE
COLLABORATIVE EFFORT TO REACH
THIS MOMENT.
FOR ME IT'S BEEN 15 YEARS.
FOR LEE IT'S BEEN LONGER.
AND FOR JANE AND HEIDI IT'S BEEN
EQUALLY MANY YEARS PUT IN OF
LABOR TO GET TO THIS POINT.
WE'RE MOST PROUD OF LOOKING AT
THAT SCREEN THAT SHOWS AN IMAGE
BUT KNOWING BASED ON TELEMETRY
THAT'S WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.
THAT'S WHAT I'M VERY PROUD OF.
FROM AFTERNOON OPTICAL
PERSPECTIVE WE STILL HAVE A LONG
WAY TO GO.
THIS WAS AN INCREDIBLE
ACHIEVEMENT.
ONE OF THE MOST AMAZING
ACHIEVEMENTS IN SPACE THAT I'VE
PERSONALLY EVER WITNESSED.
BUT WE'RE NOT THERE YET.
WE STILL HAVE TO DEPLOY ALL THE
MIRRORS AND ALIGN ALL THE
MIRRORS AND GET ALL THE
INSTRUMENTS WORKING AND SO, I
WILL TELL YOU THE ENGINEERING
TEAM IS NOT RESTING.
WE'RE STILL -- WE STILL HAVE
THAT DRIVE AND WE HAVE A FEW
LONG MONTHS IN FRONT OF US.
I THINK WHEN WE HAVE IMAGES THAT
LOOK LIKE THAT FINE IMAGES
THAT'S WHAT WHEN WE ARE GOING TO
BE 100% CONFIDENT IN EVERYTHING.
I'M JUST A SCIENTIST AND I
WASN'T INVOLVED IN BUILDING THIS
TELESCOPE ALTHOUGH I WAS IN THE
ADVISORY PROCESS FOR OVER 20
YEARS.
BUT WHAT I'M REALLY PROUD OF IS
THE FACT THAT THIS ENGINEERING
TEAM THAT WE ARE CELEBRATING
TODAY HAS DONE SUCH A FANTASTIC
JOB OF GETTING US FROM JUST
CONCEPTS 30 YEARS AGO AND THEN
JUST DRAWINGS AND THEN PIECES TO
A FULLY DEPLOYED TELESCOPE THAT
LEE AND HIS TEAM IS NOW GOING TO
FOCUS AND SCIENTISTS WILL GET TO
USE.
I THINK WE'RE ALL PROUD TO BE A
PART OF THAT TEAM AND IS PROUD
OF THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE
ENGINEERS TODAY TO GET US TO
THIS POINT.
>> WE'RE AT ABOUT 3:30 BUT WE
HAVE QUITE A FEW QUESTIONS LEFT
SO WE'LL EXTEND AND KEEP
ANSWERING QUESTIONS.
SO HAVE AT IT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> OUR IN EQUITY QUESTION IS
FROM MARSHA DUNN FROM ASSOCIATED
PRESS.
>> I THINK WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE
NEXT QUESTION.
OUR NEXT QUESTION IS FROM STEVEN
CLARK FROM SPACEFLIGHT NOW.
>> THANK YOU.
CONGRATS AGAIN.
CUP YOU WILL OF QUICK QUESTIONS
HOPEFULLY.
FIRST OF ALL, CAN SOMEONE
CONFIRM ON THE RECORD THAT NASA
IS NOT PLANNING TO RELEASE ANY
OF THE EARLY IMAGES OF
STARLIGHT.
JUST WANT TO CONFIRM THOSE ARE
RELEASED PUBLICLY OR WILL WE NOT
SEE ANY IMAGES UNTIL THAT PUBLIC
RELEASE IN THE SUMMERTIME.
AND ALSO IS THERE A CHANCE THAT
THE L2 INSERTION ON THE 23RD OF
JANUARY BASED ON WHAT YOU'RE
SEEING WITH THE TRAJECTORY IS
THERE A CHANCE THAT COULD BE
DELETED OR DEFERRED THAT WOULD
AFFORD YOU FURTHER FUEL SAVINGS?
WONDERING ABOUT THAT.
THANKS.
>> TO YOUR FIRST QUESTION THE
PLAN IS TO ISSUE THE RELEASES AT
ONE TIME AND NOT ON THE WAY AND
THE OTHER ANSWER IS THE BURN IS
TARGETED FOR THE 23RD AND IT HAS
TO HAPPEN.
BUT IT IS A LOW RISK BURN AND WE
HAVE TOLERANCE IF WE MISS IT BY
A DAY OR SO FOR WHATEVER REASON
WE'RE FINE.
BUT, YES, SO THE BURN IS
TARGETED FOR THE 23RD BUT
FLEXIBILITY AROUND IT.
>> I THINK ONE OF THE WATCH
WORDS IS FLEXIBILITY.
THINGS WON'T GO EXACT EXACTLY
THE WAY WE EXPECTED AND THAT'S
OKAY. WE HAVE A TIMELINE FOR
COMMISSIONING THAT IS THIS EXCEL
SPREADSHEET THAT HAS DOWN TO THE
MINUTE HOW WE'LL BE SPENDING THE
NEXT 6 MONTHS OF OUR LIVES AND
WE KNOW THAT IS ACTUALLY THE
TIMELINE WE'LL EXECUTE BUT
THAT'S THE PLAN AND WE WILL MOVE
IT AROUND AS WE NEED BE.
THE CURRENT PLAN IS, YES, WE'LL
HOLD THE IMAGES TO RELEASE AT 6
MONTHS WHEN ALL 4 INSTRUMENTS
ARE READY FOR SCIENCE.
BUT WE HAVE TO BE FLEXIBLE
DURING THIS PROCESS AND I'LL
LEAVE IT AT THAT.
>> OUR NEXT QUESTION COMES FROM
MANUEL FROM DEBATE.
>> HELLO, EVERYBODY.
CONGRATULATIONS ON THIS
INCREDIBLE DAY.
I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THE SPEED OF
THE TELESCOPE.
WE KNOW THAT IT'S SLOWING DOWN
DAY BY DAY.
WE WENT FROM 7 KILOMETERS PER
HOUR TO .4 KILOMETERS PER HOUR
RIGHT NOW PER SECOND.
AND I WAS WONDERING WHAT IS THE
SPEED THAT YOU'RE PLANNING THE
TELESCOPE TO HAVE WHEN IT
REACHES AND IT HAS TO BE A
PRECISE SPEED IN ORDER TO
EXACTLY TO DO BETTER.
>> I DON'T KNOW THE PRECISE
SPEED BUT IT IS DRIVEN BY
PHYSICS.
IT'S GOING TO SLOW DOWN BY JUST
ORBIT DYNAMICS PHENOMENA AT THE
TRAJECTORY WE'RE AT AND WE CAN
CALCULATE WHAT THAT IS.
I DON'T KNOW FIRST HAND, BUT WE
HAVE OUR BURN MANEUVER FACTORING
IN THANKS.
>> OUR NEXT QUESTION IS FROM LEO
ENRITE FROM IRISH BE TELEVISION.
>> THANKS, AGAIN.
TODAY WOULD HAVE BEEN STEPHEN
HAWKING'S 80TH BIRTHDAY.
STEPHEN ABSOLUTELY LOVED
COINCIDENCES SO I'M QUITE SURE
HE WOULD HAVE BEEN SHOCKED BY
THIS COINCIDENCE.
THE QUESTION IS ALMOST
IMPOSSIBLE I THINK WHICH IS WHY
IT'S MOSTLY FOR HEIDI.
CAN YOU TALK -- IS THERE
ANYTHING ELSE YOU CAN SAY ABOUT
WHAT JWST WILL BE DOING THAT
WOULD GIVE US FURTHER
INFORMATION ABOUT THE STUFF THAT
STEPHEN HAWKING CARED SO MUCH.
BLACK HOLES AND THERMODYNAMICS
AND ALL THAT GOOD STUFF.
>> I'M GOING TO TAKE THAT ONE
BECAUSE I LOVE BLACK HOLES.
RIGHT.
FOR THE FIRST YEAR WE'LL BE
DOING MORE THAN 300 DIFFERENT
SCIENCE PROGRAMS THAT WERE
SUBMITTED BY RESEARCHERS FROM
ALL OVER THE GLOBE.
IT WAS A CUT THROAT COMPETITION.
WE REJECTED 3 QUARTERS OF ALL
THE ACCEPTED PROPOSALS AND
TAKING THE TOP RANKED QUARTER.
THOSE INCLUDE QUITE A FEW TO
STUDY BLACK HOLES.
MOST OF THOSE ARE TO STUDY THEM
IN THE CENTERS OF GALAXIES AND
TURNS OUT THAT EVERY GALAXY HAS
A BLACK HOLE LURKING IN ITS
CENTER.
WE DON'T KNOW WHY.
BUT WHEN I TELL THIS TO SCHOOL
KIDS THEY'RE LIKE THAT'S FAIR,
IT'S SHARING.
BUT WE DON'T KNOW HOW THAT
EVOLVES TO BE.
THE ONE OF THE PROJECTS I'M
INTERESTED IN IS A PROJECT TO
LOOK AT THE FIRST -- THE MOST
DISTANT QUASARS THAT HAVE BEEN
FOUND.
THESE ARE BILLION WITH A B
THAT'S WE AS THEY LOOKED ONLY A
COUPLE MILLION YEARS AFTER THE
BIG BANG.
THAT LIGHT HAS BEEN TRAVELING
THROUGH TIME FOR -- FOR ALMOST
THE WHOLE WITH HISTORY OF THE
UNIVERSE.
AND NOBODY REALLY KNOWS HOW DO
YOU MAKE A QUASAR.
HOW DO YOU PUT A BILLION SUNS
WORTH OF STUFF IN A BLACK HOLE
AND GET ALL THAT DONE IN COUPLE
HUNDRED YEARS.
THAT'S GOING TO BE ONE TARGET TO
STUDY THOSE AND THERE ARE OTHER
PROGRAMS TO SEE HOW THOSE BLACK
HOLES AND GALAXIES HAVE
CO-EVOLVED THROUGH THE HISTORY
OF THE UNIVERSE.
I'M GOING TO JUMP IN HERE TO
MAKE A PITCH TO REMIND PEOPLE
THAT THE CORE SCIENCE OF THIS
TELESCOPE WAS TO SEE THE VERY
FIRST LIGHT IN THE UNIVERSE.
THE FIRST GALAXIES THAT FORMED
WITH SOME CLEVER PROJECTS
PERHAPS EVEN THE FIRST STARS
THAT FORMED.
AND THAT'S WHY IT WAS BUILT THE
WAY IT WAS BUILT.
BUT THIS IS A GREAT OBSERVATORY
THAT NOT ONLY CAN DO THAT
SCIENCE BUT ALSO THE BLACK HOLE
SCIENCE THAT JANE WAS TALKING
ABOUT.
ALSO THE COSMIC ILLUSION OF
GALAXIES OVER TIME AND ALSO
PROBING THE ATMOSPHERES OF
PLANETS AROUND OTHER STARS,
LOOKING FOR THE FIRST STARS THAT
ARE FORMING INSIDE DUSTY ANYBODY
LA WITHIN OUR GALAXY AND MANY
THINGS IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM.
BUT WE'LL HAVE A ROBUST PROGRAM
OF SOLAR SYSTEM OBSERVATIONS TO
COMPLIMENT THE INSITU SPACE WORK
THAT WE'RE DOING WITH THE NASA
PLANETARY SCIENCE DIVISION AND
THIS IS THE POWER OF WEB JUST
LIKE HUBBLE, WITH THE GREAT
OBSERVATORY YOU CAN DO AMAZING
SCIENCE OVER A VAST RANGE OF
ASTRO PHYSICAL TOPICS AND THAT
IS WHY WE, AS A COMMUNITY, HAVE
BEEN SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS DAY
GETTING TO THE POINT WHERE THIS
TELESCOPE IS ON ITS WAY TO GET
OUR SCIENCE DONE STARTING ABOUT
6 MONTHS FROM NOW.
THANK YOU.
>> OUR NEXT QUESTION IS FROM DON
FROM CVC
>> SHOULD THANK YOU FOR TAKING
MY QUESTION AND CONGRATULATIONS.
MY FIRST QUESTION IS FROM JOHN
OR LEE.
ARE YOU ABLE TO PROVIDE AN
APPROXIMATE DATE FOR WHEN
INSTRUMENTS LIKE THE FINE
GUIDANCE WILL BE CALIBRATED?
AND MY NEXT QUESTION FOR HEIDI.
ARE THERE ANY PLANS TO USE HUB
TOTAL TAKE AN IMAGE OF ITS
SUCCESSOR AT L2.
THANK YOU.
>> YEAH, SO THE GUIDANCE SENSOR
THE KEY THERE IS TO GET THE
DETECTORS COLD ENOUGH.
THE FIRST INSTRUMENT IS THE
INFRARED CAMERAS WHICH TAKES THE
IMAGES AND THAT COMES ON THROUGH
30 THROUGH DAY 40.
THE SENSOR WILL COME ON 10 DAYS
AFTER THAT AND WE HAVE TO GET
THE DETECTORS COLD ENOUGH AND AS
SOON AS IT COMES ON WE'LL START
USING IT WHILE DOING THE
ALIGNMENT PROCESS.
THE QUESTION WHETHER HUBBLE WILL
LOOK TO LOOK AT WEB IS A
QUESTION THAT HAS BEEN ASKED A
LOT IN SOCIAL MEDIA AND ALSO IN
SOCIAL MEDIA THERE ARE MANY,
MANY IMAGES FROM EVEN AMATEUR
ASTRONOMERS WHO HAVE BEEN
TRACKING JAMES WEBB'S SPACE
TELESCOPE ALREADY IMAGING IT.
THE CHALLENGE HERE IS THAT JAMES
WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE IS SO FAR
AWAY THAT EVEN FOR THE POWER OF
THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE, WE
CANNOT RESOLVE IT TO MORE THAN A
POINT SOURCE.
AND SO, WE COULD SEE A POINT
SOURCE AND SEE IT MOVING, BUT
THAT WOULD NOT BE SCIENTIFICALLY
USEFUL FOR US.
WHAT IF YOU WOULD SAY, WELL,
MAYBE YOU CAN SEE THE BRIGHTNESS
VARIATIONS.
WE CAN DO THAT WITH GROUND BASED
TELESCOPES.
AND SO WE DON'T NEED TO USE THE
HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE TO DO
THOSE OBSERVATIONS OF THE JAMES
WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE.
AND WE HAVE MANY, MANY OTHER
ASTRO PHYSICAL THINGS THAT WE
WANT TO USE HUBBLE FOR.
SO I THINK IT IS UNLIKELY THAT
WE WILL USE HUBBLE TO LOOK AT
WEBB BECAUSE THERE IS NO
SCIENTIFIC OR ENGINEERING REASON
FOR IT.
WHAT WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT IS
USING BOTH HUBBLE AND WEBB
TOGETHER TO STUDY THE UNIVERSE
SIMULTANEOUSLY.
THAT'S BECAUSE WE CARE ABOUT THE
COLORS OF THE LIGHT FROM OBJECTS
IN THE OUTER SPACE.
AND THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
IS FOCUSSED PRIMARILY ON THE
EXTRA VIOLET AND VISIBLE LIGHT
AND LITTLE BIT OF NEAR INFRARED
LIGHT AND THEN WEBB PICKS UP AT
THE NEAR INFRARED AND PUSHES OUT
INTO THE MID INFRARED.
SO YOU GET A MUCH BROADER WAVE
LENGTH COVERAGE OF YOUR ASTRO
PHYSICAL OBJECTS BY USING BOTH
OF THESE TELESCOPES TOGETHER AND
THAT'S WHY WE'RE VERY EXCITED
ABOUT BOTH WILL BE OPERATIONAL
AT THE SAME TIME.
>> THANK YOU.
OUR NEXT QUESTION IS FROM KEN
KRAMER FROM SPACE UP CLOSE.
>> THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS AND
CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN.
MY QUESTION IS FOR JANE AND
HEIDI.
I WONDER IF YOU COULD TALK A
LITTLE BIT ABOUT USING THE
TELESCOPE TO LOOK FOR LIFE
BEYOND EARTH IN OUR SOLAR
SYSTEM.
SO I'M WONDERING WHEN THAT MIGHT
HAPPEN AND WHICH INSTRUMENTS
WILL YOU USE, IF WE COULD TALK
SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THAT, WHAT
YOU HOPE TO LEARN IF THERE'S AN
EMISSION THERE AND TALK ABOUT
OTHER TARGETS YOU MIGHT LOOK AT
IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM FOR THAT AN
>> ONE OF THE PROGRAMS WE PLAN
DO WITH SOME OF OUR GUARANTEED
TIME IS TO TARGET THE AREAS IN
THE SOUTHERN PART OF EUROPA'S
JUPITER'S MOON EUROPA AND
SATURN'S MOON.
WE HAVE EVIDENCE THAT THERE IS
WATER JETS EMITTING WATER FROM
POSSIBLY FROM THE SUB SURFACE
OCEAN OF EUROPA.
THAT'S HUBBLE OBSERVATIONS, FOR
THE CASSINI SPACECRAFT GOT
IMAGES OF JETS OF WATER ERUPTING
FROM THE SOUTHERN POLE.
IT FLEW THROUGH THAT AND SAMPLED
IT AND DETERMINED THAT IT WAS
WATER.
WHAT WE WILL TRY TO DO WITH THIS
TIME IS IMAGE THE PLUME AREA AND
MORE SO THAN IMAGES, THAT'S NOT
THE IMPORTANT PART.
THE IMPORTANT PART IS WE'RE
GOING TO TRY TO DO SPECTROSCOPY.
THAT MEANS TAKING THE LIGHT FROM
THAT REGION OF THE SOUTHERN
POLES AND SPREADING IT OUT INTO
A RAINBOW OF COLORS AND THEN
LOOKING AT THAT RAINBOW OF LIGHT
FOR THE CHEMICAL FINGER PRINTS
OF MOLECULES IN THAT WATER.
WE'LL BE LOOKING TO SEE IF THERE
IS CARBON DIOXIDE, IS THERE
METHANE, IS THERE FER MALL DA
HIDE.
THEY COULD BE EVIDENCE OF
ACTIVITY IN THE SUB ICE ON THE
GROUNDS ON THOSE WORLDS.
WE'RE VERY INTERESTED IN THOSE
WORLDS AND SO WHAT WEBB CAN DO
IS IT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
ABOUT THOSE PLUMES AND WHAT
MATERIAL COULD BE DREDGED UP
FROM THOSE SUB ICE ON THE
GROUNDS INTO THIS PLUME
MATERIAL.
I WILL SAY IT'S A RISKY
OPERATION.
RISK IN THIS WAY.
NOT TO THE TELESCOPE BUT RISKY
IN THE SENSE THAT WE MAY NOT SEE
ANYTHING.
THOSE PLUMES AREN'T ALWAYS
ACTIVE, AT LEAST IN THE CASE OF
EUROPA IT SEEMS AND WE MAY MAKE
AN OBSERVATION AND SEE NOTHING.
THAT IS -- THAT'S TOUGH.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE USING THE
GUARANTEED TIME THAT I HAVE, A
PROPOSAL TO DO THIS LIKE JAMES
EXPLAINING, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO
GET A PROPOSAL APPROVED FOR
SOMETHING THAT MAY NOT GIVE YOU
ANY SCIENCE.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE USING THIS
GUARANTEED TIME TO DO THAT.
TRITAN, WE'LL BE LOOK AT IT,
BUT TOO FAR AWAY TO DO THIS KIND
OF CHEMISTRY.
WE'LL BE LOOKING AT SURFACE
CHEMISTRY OF TRITAN JUST LIKE
ALL PLUTO AND ITS MOON SHARON
AND ANY OBJECT THAT HAS A NAME
WE'RE LIKELY GOING TO BE LOOKING
AT IT WITH WEBB.
WE'LL BE LOOKING AT SATURN'S
MOON.
WE'LL BE ABLE TO LOOK AT
ATMOSPHERIC CLOUDS WITH INFRARED
POWER OF WEBB WE CAN LOOK
THROUGH THESE CLOUDS TO THE
SURFACE PERHAPS EVEN DETECT THE
EVIDENCE FOR LAKES ON THAT MOON.
WE KNOW THERE ARE LAKES THERE
FROM THE CASSINI MISSION.
THAT'S ANOTHER VERY INTERESTING
ASTRO BIOLOGICAL TARGET BECAUSE
OF THE INTERESTING PRE BIOTIC
CHEMISTRY IN THAT ATMOSPHERE.
DID YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT
EXOPLANETS?
>> SURE.
HEIDI TALKED ABOUT OUR OWN SOLAR
SYSTEM.
WE KNOW THAT SOLAR SYSTEMS ARE
REALLY COMMON IN OUR GALAXY.
ON AVERAGE THERE IS A PLANET FOR
EVERY STAR WHICH BLOWS MY MIND
AND SO ABOUT A QUARTER OF ALL
THE TIME IN THE FIRST YEAR OF
WEBB SCIENCE OPERATIONS WILL BE
SPENT STUDYING PLANETS ORBITING
OTHER STARS, EXOPLANETS.
AND SO THOSE OBSERVATIONS
INCLUDE SETTING PLANETS THAT ARE
NOTHING LIKE THE EARTH THAT ARE
MASSIVE JUPITER OR SATURN OR
NEPTUNE LIKE OBJECTS AND INCLUDE
PLANETS THAT ARE MORE LIKE THE
EARTH THAT COULD BE ROCKY.
IN PARTICULAR FOR WEB, WEB CAN
STUDY PLANETS IN THE HABITABLE
ZONE THAT MIGHT HAVE LIQUID
WATER AND AT THE RIGHT
TEMPERATURE DISTANCE FROM THE
SUN TO HAVE LIQUID WATER.
WEBB CAN DO THAT FOR SOLAR
SYSTEMS THAT ARE NOT LIKE OURS.
FROM ARE PROGRAMS TO DO THAT.
THAT'S WHERE WE'LL HAVE OUR BEST
SHOT AT LOOKING AT ROCKY
PLANETS.
HOW DOES IT PROCESS WORK AND AS
PART OF THAT, IF SOMEONE
PROPOSES SOMETHING TO USE BOTH
WEBB AND HUBBLE DOES THAT GET
PRIORITY BECAUSE HUBBLE WAS SO
OLD AND WE DON'T KNOW HOW LONG'S
GOING TO LAST?
ARE ANY OF THE 300 YOU'LL BE
DOING IN THE FIRST YEAR USING
BOTH WEBB AND HUBBLE?
>> THE PEOPLE WHO WERE SERVING
ON THE SCIENCE ONCE THAT WAS SET
IN STONE THEN ALL OF THE --
THERE WAS A CALL TO PROPOSALS
THAT WENT OUT TO THE WORLD AND
EVERYBODY COULD APPLY FOR TIME.
THIS IS A PROCESS THAT'S
OVERSEEN HERE AT THE SPACE
TELESCOPE SCIENCE INSTITUTE.
WHICH IS MANAGED BY ORA BUT
SPACE TELESCOPE HERE THE PEOPLE
HERE FORM THE REVIEW PANELS AND
ASSESS EVERY ONE OF THOSE
PROPOSALS.
THEY READ THEM.
THEY DON'T KNOW WHO WROTE THEM.
THESE PROPOSALS ARE EVALUATED IN
A DUAL ANONYMOUS WAY.
SO THAT ALL YOU CAN SEE IS THE
SCIENCE AND THEY RANK THEM.
AND THE REALLY GREAT ONES GET
THE TIME.
THE ONES THAT NEEDED SOME MORE
WORK OR DIDN'T EVEN NEED WEBB
DON'T GET TIME AND THEY DEBATE
THE ONES IN THE MIDDLE.
IN TERMS OF HUBBLE AND WEBB
TOGETHER.
REALLY FOCUSSING FOR EXAMPLE ON
HUBBLE'S UV CAPABILITY, SO THAT
ALL OF THOSE OBSERVATIONS ARE IN
PLACE SO THAT WHEN WEBB DOES
OBSERVATIONS THERE'S
COMPLIMENTARY HUBBLE
OBSERVATIONS AS WELL.
I'M NOT -- DO YOU KNOW ABOUT
HUBBLE AND WEBB TOGETHER.
I'LL LET JANE ANSWER THE NEXT
PART.
SO, I GOT TO BE AN OBSERVER
WATCHING THAT WHOLE PROCESS
HAPPENING.
SITTING IN A LOT OF THOSE
MEETINGS.
AS FAR AS DOING JOINT TIME, IT
IS A COMMON THING THAT WE DO
WITH MORE ESTABLISHED MISSIONS
TO DO JOINT TIME SO THAT
OBSERVERS CAN APPLY AND WRITE
ONE PROPOSAL TO GET TO TIME ON
TWO NASA FACILITIES.
WE DIDN'T DO THAT FOR THE FIRST
CYCLE OF WEBB BECAUSE WE FIGURED
IT WOULD BE REALLY
OVERSUBSCRIBED AND MANY
PROPOSALS.
WE GOT OVER A THOUSAND AND WE
WANTED TO KEEP THINGS A LITTLE
SIMPLE.
THAT IS SOMETHING WE'RE
EXPLORING FOR THE SECOND YEAR OF
DOING JOINT PROPOSALS WITH WEB
WEBB AND OTHER MISSIONS LIKE
HUBBLE.
WHAT IS THE DISTANCE OF THE
JAMES WEBB TELESCOPE.
THE BUT MY QUESTION ON THIS,
WHAT IS THE POSITION OF THE
GALAXY, NOT TO THE CENTER OF THE
GALAXY, IS BUT THE PEOPLES NAMES
BEYOND -- THE OTHER ONE, THE
LAST ONE, IS REGARDING OBJECTS
IS THE VEHICLE OF SCIENCE THEY
IN CASE WE HAVE IN ADVANCE
INFORMATION OF ONE OBJECT COMING
TO OUR -- THANK YOU FOR YOUR
TIME AND YOUR WONDERFUL WORK.
>> SO THE EFFECT IS ABOUT 134
METERS.
>> I CAN ANSWER THE THIRD ONE
ABOUT INTERSTELLAR OBJECT.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE WHAT WE CALL A
TARGET OF OPPORTUNITY PROPOSAL.
AND THEREFORE ONCE WE OH IF WE
FIND AN INTER STELLAR OBJECT
WE'RE READY TO DO THE SCIENCE
OBSERVATIONS FOR THAT.
>> FOLLOW OF-UP ON THAT, THERE
IS DISCRETIONARY TIME THAT THE
DIRECTOR CAN CHOOSE.
GENERALLY FOR THINGS THAT COULD
NOT HAVE BEEN FORESEEN AT THE
TIME OF OUR ANNUAL CALL FOR
PROPOSALS WHICH TENDS TO BE
STUFF BLOWING STUFF, STUFF GOING
BOOM OR STUFF ZIPPING FROM OUR
SOLAR SYSTEM SO THERE IS
OPPORTUNITY FOR THOSE
UNPRECEDENTED ALTHOUGH IN THIS
CASE IT WAS PRECEDENTED AND THEY
PLANNED IT BUT THINGS FOR TRULY
NO ONE COULD HAVE FORESEEN THAT,
THERE IS AN AVENUE FOR THOSE TO
GET THOSE OBSERVATIONS OUT IN A
TIMELY MANNER.
>> OUR FINAL QUESTION IS FROM
AVIATION WEEK.
>> THANK YOU.
JUST REAL QUICK.
I WANTED TO CLARIFY THE DATE OF
THE MCC2 BURN, THE NASA EXPLORER
TOOL.
L PLUS 29 IS THE PLAN.
>> THANK YOU ALL.
SO MUCH.
THESE ARE REALLY GREAT QUESTIONS
AND WONDERFUL ANSWERS.
I REALLY ENJOYED LISTENING TO
THEM.
WE ARE GOING TO FINISH UP THIS
TELE CON.
YOU CAN GET DETAILS HAMMERED OUT
BY SENDING AN E-MAIL TO THE
OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS.
YOU CAN TRAVEL ALONG WITH US
THROUGH THE REST OF THE JOURNEY
AT NASA.GOV/WEBB.
LOTS OF INFORMATION.
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING