New Technologies for James Webb Space Telescope Approved Early

New Technologies for James Webb Space Telescope Approved Early

More than a year ahead of schedule, a team of independent experts has approved all ten new technologies developed for NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. Many of the technologies are revolutionary and have never before been used on any satellite or space telescope. The early approval can reduce the risk of increased costs and schedule delays before the program is approved for further development.

NASA commissioned the team of engineers, scientists and project managers to conduct the technical review. The group evaluated the telescope’s near and mid-infrared detectors, sunshield materials, lightweight cryogenic mirrors, microshutter arrays, cryogenic detector readout application-specific integrated circuits, cryogenic heat switches, a large precision cryogenic structure, a cryocooler for the mid-infrared instrument, and wavefront sensing and control. They determined the technologies were tested successfully in a space-like environment and are mature enough to include on the telescope’s upcoming mission.

The actual hardware and software that will fly on the telescope now can be engineered from working prototypes. These technologies will allow the observatory to peer back in time to about 400 million years after the Big Bang, enabling scientists to study the first generation of stars and galaxies.

“The technology non-advocate review was our attempt to address one common problem that NASA missions encounter that leads to cost growth,” said Eric Smith, Webb program scientist at NASA Headquarters, Washington. “That problem is late maturation of technology in a program’s life-cycle. By conducting an external review of our technologies more than a year ahead of the Preliminary Design Review – when they are traditionally examined – we hope to better manage that aspect of the program’s costs.”

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