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New James Webb Space Telescope Images Reveal Deeper Look At Universe

The universe and its history have a new face.

This week NASA released the first images from the James Webb Space Telescope, giving new insights into the universe and the deepest look humanity has ever seen.

L3Harris integrated components made by various partners to form the Optical Telescope Element (OTE) and combined components of the Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM). L3Harris later administered about 100 days of testing in a cryogenic vacuum chamber at Johnson Space Center to ensure the telescope elements perform in the harsh environment found in space.

The OTE serves as the eye of the telescope observatory, collecting light to create sharp images of deep space and light from atmospheres of exoplanets never seen before. The ISIM holds the four science instruments that will gather light delivered by the telescope and produce images and spectra.

Webb is the largest space telescope ever built — two-and-a-half times larger in diameter and six times larger in area than the Hubble Space Telescope.

An L3Harris team and hundreds of engineers and scientists have worked on the Webb telescope to form an international consortium of NASA, the European Space Agency, the Canadian Space Agency, 300 universities, organizations and companies in 29 U.S. states and 14 countries. 

L3Harris is also building the optical telescope for the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which will study dark energy, dark matter, exoplanets and infrared astrophysics. The company is also supporting NASA Orion’s first crewed flight, and designing and building the engineering development unit telescopes for the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna, which will demonstrate the ability to measure gravitational waves in space.

More On James Webb Space Telescope

Carina Nebula

Press release | 07. 12. 2022

L3Harris Integrated and Tested Critical Instruments on NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope; First Images Unveiled

L3Harris Technologies engineers and technicians integrated the complex system of mirrors and rigorously tested the telescope’s hardware to simulate the harsh conditions of space.

Carina Nebula

Press release | 07. 12. 2022

L3Harris Integrated and Tested Critical Instruments on NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope; First Images Unveiled

Telescope alignment evaluation image. Credit: NASA/STScI

Press release | 03. 22. 2022

L3Harris’ Successful ‘Eye’ Integration, Extreme Testing Enabled James Webb Space Telescope Images

JWST

Editorial | 01. 18. 2022

L3Harris Plays Integral Role in NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope

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