James Webb Space Telescope begins historic mission

[jmc]

Seems pretty quick to get hit already, albeit a small one. Maybe just a lucky shot by Mother Entropy but if it happens again soon, it may foretell death by a thousand cuts.

 

[ArlyA]

Seems pretty quick to get hit already, albeit a small one. Maybe just a lucky shot by Mother Entropy but if it happens again soon, it may fortell death by a thousand cuts.

I had the same thought.

 

[sd455dan]

Can't wait

If it does as well as Hubble did considering having to overcome Hubbles original defects

We should be in for many major treats.

 

[cqaigy2]

or maybe it will be 1000 year before it gets hit again.

 

[otlski]

Seems like such impacts will be pretty common. Linked is a Hubble solar panel returned to earth after its servicing mission. Scroll down a bit after the page loads.

Hubble's impactful life alongside space debris

During its 30 years in orbit around Earth, the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has witnessed the changing nature of spaceflight as the skies have filled with greater numbers of satellites, the International Space Station was born and in-space crashes and explosions have created clouds of...

www.esa.int

 

[bcp]

People shooting into the air. Can't have nice things anywhere.



Bruce

 

[dstig1]

Hubble is in earth orbit whereas Webb is way out there. Earth orbit is littered with space debris from satellites and launches. Where Webb is should only be subject to natural phenomena, I would guess. Now I don't know how common micrometerorites are way out there, I know for sure that earth orbit is pretty hazardous to stuff up there due to the amount of debris.

 

[BravoXray]

Meteor update!
----------------------------
A tiny rock fragment has hit the new James Webb Space Telescope's main mirror.
The damage inflicted by the dust-sized micrometeoroid is producing a noticeable effect in the observatory's data but is not expected to limit the mission's overall performance.
James Webb was launched in December to succeed the revolutionary - but now ageing - Hubble Space Telescope.
Astronomers are due to release its first views of the cosmos on 12 July.
The US space agency Nasa said these images would be no less stunning because of what's just happened.

Maybe it was some redneck aliens doing a fly-by shooting.

 

[dstig1]

Maybe it was some redneck aliens doing a fly-by shooting.

Here! Hold my Romulan Ale and watch this!

 

[CalG]

No Service missions are going to take place to repair or upgrade the JWST.

It's out of reach.