![]() In the case of the sunshield, for example, Arenberg explained, “We built a one-third scale unit and tested it in a vacuum chamber.” Those tests helped to drive future iterations of this key component. Because nothing like Webb had been built before, at every stage, testing actually helped to drive the design process and generate a better end product. Testing wasn’t just about proving that the design worked. This was especially challenging since there is no facility in the world large enough to test the entire observatory under the conditions it would encounter in space. To ensure the mission went smoothly, Northrop Grumman, alongside NASA, developed a testing regime for a telescope that had to unfold in space - the first time that had ever been done. To say it’s a complex operation understates the matter: there were more than 344 possible single points of failure in the system, meaning if anything went wrong it could jeopardize the entire mission. To make that happen, Webb must unfurl from its compact stowed configuration, a complex series of mechanical articulations that starts with solar array to provide power and includes the tennis court sized sunshield that shades the cold part of the Observatory from the heat and light of the sun. Webb’s primary mirror detects infrared light and reflects it onto a smaller secondary mirror, which then directs the light into the scientific instrument compartment for processing. To appreciate the magnitude of testing, it’s important to understand how Webb works.
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