Multiwavelength Astronomy Multimedia


Title

James Webb Space Telescope Mirrors

Description

The JWST will have a large mirror, 6.5 meters (21.3 feet) in diameter. The mirror is being built in segments and will be mounted on a structure that will fold up to fit into a rocket. The mirror will then unfold after launch. In this picture, a team of engineers and technicians from NASA and Ball Aerospace prepare to load three of the JWST mirror segments into a test chamber at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. There, they will subject the segments to temperatures reaching minus 414 degrees Fahrenheit -- ensuring the mirror segments can withstand the extreme temperatures of space.

Subject

  • James Webb Space Telescope
  • Mirror

Credits

NASA/MSFC/David Higginbotham/Emmett Given

Type

Photographic

Associated Lesson

X-ray Tools

This material is based upon work supported by NASA under Grant Nos. NNX09AD33G and NNX10AE80G issued through the SMD ROSES 2009 Program.

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