By Marcia Dunn, The Associated Press
NASAB次元官网网址檚 new space telescope opened its huge, gold-plated, flower-shaped mirror Saturday, the final step in the observatoryB次元官网网址檚 dramatic unfurling.
The last portion of the 21-foot (6.5-meter) mirror swung into place at flight controllersB次元官网网址� command, completing the unfolding of the James Webb Space Telescope.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 emotional about it. What an amazing milestone. We see that beautiful pattern out there in the sky now,B次元官网网址� said Thomas Zurbuchen, chief of NASAB次元官网网址檚 science missions.
More powerful than the Hubble Space Telescope, the $10 billion Webb will scan the cosmos for light streaming from the first stars and galaxies formed 13.7 billion years ago. To accomplish this, NASA had to outfit Webb with the largest and most sensitive mirror ever launched B次元官网网址� its B次元官网网址済olden eye,B次元官网网址� as scientists call it.
Webb is so big that it had to be folded orgami-style to fit in the rocket that soared from South America two weeks ago. The riskiest operation occurred earlier in the week, when the tennis court-size sunshield unfurled, providing subzero shade for the mirror and infrared detectors.
Flight controllers in Baltimore began opening the primary mirror Friday, unfolding the left side like a drop-leaf table. The mood was even more upbeat Saturday, with peppy music filling the control room as the right side snapped into place. After applauding, the controllers immediately got back to work, latching everything down. They jumped to their feet and cheered when the operation was finally complete two hours later.
B次元官网网址淲e have a deployed telescope on orbit, a magnificent telescope the likes of which the world has never seen,B次元官网网址� Zurbuchen said, congratulating the team. B次元官网网址淪o how does it feel to make history, everybody? You just did it.B次元官网网址�
His counterpart at the European Space Agency, astronomer Antonella Nota, noted that after years of preparation, the team made everything look B次元官网网址渟o amazingly easy.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淭his is the moment we have been waiting for, for so long,B次元官网网址� she said.
WebbB次元官网网址檚 main mirror is made of beryllium, a lightweight yet sturdy and cold-resistant metal. Each of its 18 segments is coated with an ultra-thin layer of gold, highly reflective of infrared light. The hexagonal, coffee table-size segments must be adjusted in the days and weeks ahead so they can focus as one on stars, galaxies and alien worlds that might hold atmospheric signs of life.
Webb should reach its destination 1 million miles (1.6 million kilometres) away in another two weeks itB次元官网网址檚 already more than 667,000 miles (1 million kilometres) from Earth since its Christmas Day launch. If all continues to go well, science observations will begin this summer. Astronomers hope to peer back to within 100 million years of the universe-forming Big Bang, closer than Hubble has achieved.
