We designed and built the advanced optical technology, lightweight mirror system and cryogenic flight boxes for the James Webb Space Telescope.
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, launched December 25, 2021, is the most ambitious and complex space science observatory ever built, capable of detecting light from the first stars and galaxies that formed in the universe and exploring planets around distant stars.
With unmatched sensitivity, Webb set out to study every phase of our cosmic history, from the first stars and galaxies that formed out of the darkness of the early universe, to the birth of planetary systems capable of supporting life, to the evolution of our own stellar neighborhood. Much like its predecessor, the Hubble Space Telescope, Webb is unlocking discoveries scientists have yet to imagine.
What We Did
Our extensive space hardware experience on all four of NASA’s Great Observatories made BAE Systems the best choice for leading the development, design and manufacture of Webb’s Optical Telescope Element (OTE) system, including the primary, secondary, tertiary and fine-steering mirrors. Measuring approximately 6.5 meters (21.3 ft.), the primary mirror is comprised of 18 hexagonal mirror segments, each approximately 1.3 meters (4.2 ft.) wide. BAE Systems is a principal subcontractor to Northrop Grumman Space Systems, the prime contractor for this mission.
Not only did we build the 18 beryllium mirror segments, but the algorithims and systems used to align the mirrors were also developed by BAE Systems. Using a process called Wavefront Sensing and Control, our advanced software calculates the optimum position of each of the mirrors. To accurately align the telescope, each primary mirror segment has seven cryogenic actuators (tiny, mechanical motors) built by BAE Systems with both coarse- and fine-positioning capability to enable Webb’s high-quality, sharp images. The actuators adjust the mirrors in 10 nanometer steps —that’s 1/10,000 the thickness of a human hair.
We enable Webb to discover objects from the dawn of the universe with the largest, most innovative, deployable and adaptive mirror system ever developed.