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Ball Aerospace Names Two Washington D.C.-Based Directors to Washington Operations
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Optical Mirror System Provider
Ball designed and built the advanced optical technology and lightweight mirror system that will enable Webb to look 13.5 billion years back in time. 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. A set of cryogenic actuators is mounted on each segment to control individual mirror positioning and curvature radius within one ten-thousandth the width of a human hair. In December 2013 we completed shipment of the finished mirrors to NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. To date, all Ball Aerospace hardware has been delivered. We continue to support NASA through integration and test. We also designed Webb’s mirror control electronics to operate in a deep-freeze cryogenic space environment. These 22 one-of-a kind cryogenic electronic flight boxes are responsible for aligning the mirror segments on orbit so that they function as one mirror. Each box operates between -405.6 degrees F. (30K) and room temperature to multiplex signals from the warm control electronics to one mirror actuator at a time. To develop, validate and demonstrate technologies used to develop Webb’s pioneering optical system, we drew on our in-depth experience with space hardware designed for all four of NASA's Great Observatories.
Download this PDF to learn about the Ball-built optical system aboard James Webb Space Telescope.
Download this PDF to learn why Ball is an industry leader in providing affordable instruments.
Click this link to learn more about the James Webb Space Telescope on the NASA website.
Click this link to learn how James Webb differs from Hubble.
Learn more about our highly advanced optical systems
Learn about our pioneering work on Hubble's science instruments
Find out how our optical expertise can help you meet your mission goals.
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