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  • Northrop Tests Electrical Interface Between NASA Webb Telescope Systems - top government contractors - best government contracting event
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    Northrop Tests Electrical Interface Between NASA Webb Telescope Systems

    Northrop Grumman and NASA have demonstrated the operability of electrical interfaces between two key components of the James Webb Space Telescope. The Optical Telescope element/Integrated Science instrument module and Spacecraft element demonstration marked as the first integration and testing effort ahead of an observatory-level evaluation that will begin once the system is fully integrated, Northrop […] More

  • NASA Tests Communications Capability of Webb Observatory’s Spacecraft, Telescope Components - top government contractors - best government contracting event
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    NASA Tests Communications Capability of Webb Observatory’s Spacecraft, Telescope Components

    NASA has worked with Northrop Grumman and Ball Aerospace to assess the capability of the James Webb Space Telescope’s two main components to communicate with each other. Engineers and technicians used ground wires to temporarily connect the spacecraft to the telescope as part of the optional “risk reduction” test, NASA said Wednesday. “Specifically in this […] More

  • Northrop CEO Wes Bush Open to Make Webb Telescope Contract Fees Contingent on Mission Outcome - top government contractors - best government contracting event
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    Northrop CEO Wes Bush Open to Make Webb Telescope Contract Fees Contingent on Mission Outcome

    Northrop Grumman CEO Wes Bush has said he would be open to making the company’s award fees from the James Webb Space Telescope development contract depend on the successful commissioning of NASA’s space observatory following launch, SpaceNews reported Thursday. “As a mechanism to ensure we are all aligned on mission success, Northrop Grumman has actually […] More

  • Northrop Switches on Webb Telescope's Main Components - top government contractors - best government contracting event
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    Northrop Switches on Webb Telescope’s Main Components

    Northrop Grumman has powered up two main components of NASA‘s James Webb Space Telescope as part of the program’s test and integration phase. The company said Wednesday it switched on the Optical Telescope element/Integrated Science instrument module and Spacecraft Element separately at facilities located in  Redondo Beach, Calif. Engineers used external power tools to generate compatible energy that would start […] More

  • Ball Aerospace to Produce Optical Instrument for NASA's Infrared Space Observatory - top government contractors - best government contracting event
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    Ball Aerospace to Produce Optical Instrument for NASA’s Infrared Space Observatory

    NASA has selected Ball Aerospace to produce an optical technology for a new space observatory designed to help scientists conduct research into dark energy, exoplanets and infrared astrophysics. The company said Wednesday it will build the Optical Mechanical Assembly for the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope and support WFI integration and test efforts. Jim Oschmann, vice president and general manager […] More

  • NASA Moves Webb Telescope Launch to May 2020 - top government contractors - best government contracting event
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    NASA Moves Webb Telescope Launch to May 2020

    NASA has pushed back from 2019 to May 2020 the launch of its James Webb Space Telescope to give the program’s engineers more time to test and integrate the telescope and spacecraft components. “All the observatory’s flight hardware is now complete, however, the issues brought to light with the spacecraft element are prompting us to take […] More

  • NASA Ships Webb Telescope's OTIS Instrument Module to Northrop Facility - top government contractors - best government contracting event
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    NASA Ships Webb Telescope’s OTIS Instrument Module to Northrop Facility

    An instrument module of NASA‘s James Webb Space Telescope arrived at Northrop Grumman‘s Redondo Beach, California-based facility Friday ahead of scheduled tests. NASA shipped the combined Optical Telescope and Integrated Science instrument module from the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, after the agency completed cryogenic tests on the hardware, Northrop said Monday. OTIS was encased in a […] More

  • NASA to Ship Webb Telescope to Northrop Facility for Spacecraft Tech Integration - top government contractors - best government contracting event
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    NASA to Ship Webb Telescope to Northrop Facility for Spacecraft Tech Integration

    NASA engineers have removed the James Webb Space Telescope from the space agency’s thermal vacuum testing platform installed at the Johnson Space Center following completion of a 100-day cryogenic test. The agency said Saturday it tested JWST’s optical structure and scientific instruments at Chamber A to determine if the future space observatory could function in a simulated space environment. NASA […] More

  • Harris-NASA Team Completes Thermal Vacuum Test on James Webb Space Telescope - top government contractors - best government contracting event
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    Harris-NASA Team Completes Thermal Vacuum Test on James Webb Space Telescope

    NASA and Harris have conducted thermal vacuum tests on the future James Webb Space Telescope to evaluate the system’s capacity to operate within the space environment. Harris said Monday the telescope is designed to function as a space observatory over the next decade and conduct studies on star, planet and galaxy formations. The telescope will be shipped to […] More

  • Report: NASA Eyes Transfer of IR Observatory Project to Private Organization - top government contractors - best government contracting event
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    Report: NASA Eyes Transfer of IR Observatory Project to Private Organization

    NASA has posted a request for information on U.S.-based private organizations that can take over operations of the agency’s infrared observatory, SpaceNews reported Tuesday. The space agency aims to hand over operations of the Spitzer Space Telescope because agency funding for the spacecraft will end in 2019. NASA currently plans to operate Spitzer through March 2019 to carry […] More

  • Northrop Deploys Sunshield Subsystem for NASA James Webb Space Telescope - top government contractors - best government contracting event
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    Northrop Deploys Sunshield Subsystem for NASA James Webb Space Telescope

    Northrop Grumman has deployed a sunshield subsystem and tensioned five sunshield layers for the NASA James Webb Space Telescope at the company’s highbay facilities in Redondo Beach, California. The company said Thursday the sunshield subsystem will work to divide the JWST observatory into a warm sun-facing side and a cold space-facing side that features optics and […] More

  • Northrop Integrates Webb Space Telescope Sunshield Layers - top government contractors - best government contracting event
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    Northrop Integrates Webb Space Telescope Sunshield Layers

    Northrop Grumman has integrated the last defense layers of a sun shield system built to protect optics and instruments of the James Webb Space Telescope from heat. The company said Monday its aerospace systems business designed the sun shield layers that will work to help reduce the temperatures between cold and hot JWST components. Huntsville, Alabama-based NeXolve manufactured the […] More