Three of the four science instruments on NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have completed their operational activities and are ready for science.
Each of Webb’s instruments has multiple modes of operation, which must be tested, calibrated and ultimately verified before they can begin conducting science. The latest instrument to complete this process, the Near Infrared Spectrometer, or NIRSpec, has four basic modes that the team has officially confirmed as ready to go.
“We’ve done it: NIRSpec is ready for science! This is an amazing moment, the result of the hard work of so many people and teams at JWST and NIRSpec for more than two decades. I’m very proud of everyone,” said Pierre Ferruit, Webb Program Scientist with ESA (European Space Agency) and Principal Investigator for NIRSpec. “Now is the time for science and I can’t wait to see the first scientific results coming from NIRSpec observations. I have no doubt they will be fantastic. Many thanks to everyone who has made this possible over the years – great job!”
The final function verified for NIRSpec was the multi-object spectroscopy function, a key capability that allows Webb to capture spectra, or rainbows of infrared light, from hundreds of different cosmic targets simultaneously. In its multi-object spectroscopy mode, NIRSpec can individually open and close about 250,000 tiny shutters, all just the width of a human hair, to see some parts of the sky while blocking out others. By controlling this “microshutter array,” Webb can observe many specific targets while reducing interference from others.
Confirmation of NIRSpec’s multi-object spectroscopy function marks the first time this capability has been verified for use from space. It will allow NIRSpec to characterize everything from the faintest objects in the universe to the formation of galaxies and star clusters.
NIRSpec was built for ESA by a consortium of European companies led by Airbus Defense and Space, with NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, providing the detector and microaperture subsystems.
Of the 17 total instrument modes on Webb’s four instruments, only one mode remains to be verified, for the Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam). When the team confirms this remaining mode, Webb’s months-long process of preparing it for science will officially be complete.
Webb’s commissioning process culminates on July 12, with the release of the telescope’s first color images and spectroscopic data and the official launch of its science mission.
Webb’s NIRISS instrument is poised to see the universe in more than 2,000 infrared colors
Report: Three of four instruments on NASA’s Webb Telescope ready for science (2022 July 8) Retrieved July 8, 2022 by
This document is subject to copyright. Except for any fair dealing for purposes of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without written permission. Content is provided for informational purposes only.
