James Webb Space

Northrop Grumman has delivered the structure of James Webb Space Telescope to Nasa’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, US.

The company has completed the integration and testing of the structure, which accommodates optical assemblies such as instruments and mirrors.

The telescope’s 18 hexagonal mirrors will be integrated to help scientists observe the formation of first stars and galaxies more than 13.5 billion years ago.

Northrop Grumman aerospace systems telescope manager Scott Texter said: "The telescope’s beryllium mirrors are held together nearly motionlessly in space by the telescope structure, which also acts as a stable platform during ground test operations and launch.

"The stability of this hardware contributes to the Webb Telescope’s ability to provide an unprecedented look at our own solar system, as well as discover exoplanets well beyond this solar system."

The company said that the transformer-like telescope structure complies with thermal stability requirements to minimise distortion. Its folding design enables to fit inside the 15ft fairing of the launch vehicle.

"The stability of this hardware contributes to the Webb Telescope’s ability to provide an unprecedented look at our own solar system."

Other components of the telescope include secondary mirror structure and deployable tower assembly (DTA), which put its mirrors and instruments away from the heat of the main spacecraft.

Said to be the largest telescope in space, the Webb Telescope is the next-generation space observatory and successor to the Hubble Space Telescope.

Northrop Grumman is responsible for designing the optics, sunshield and spacecraft for the telescope.

The Webb Telescope is jointly managed by Nasa, the European Space Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency.

Image: The James Webb Space Telescope structure. Photo: courtesy of Northrop Grumman Corp.