Nichols Martin
Northrop Grumman facilitated the thermal vacuum testing of a NASA spacecraft element designed to support a space science observatory.
James Webb Space Telescope’s spacecraft element was subjected to extreme temperatures during the trial in Redondo Beach, Calif., the company said Thursday.
The test chamber used heater panels and liquid nitrogen shrouds to simulate both hot and cold temperatures of space. Engineers used the spacecraft’s flight sensors to monitor electrical functionality during the test.
When completed, the James Webb Space Telescope will work to explore the solar system and planets revolving around other stars over the next decade.
“The world’s largest space telescope has to perform in extreme temperatures,†said Scott Willoughby, vice president and program manager for the James Webb Space Telescope at Northrop Grumman.
