30 Pics from the Construction of the James Webb Space Telescope

Neill Lynskey Published 20 hours ago in Science & Technology

Go behind the scenes of one of the biggest group projects in history.

The James Webb Space Telescope is a massive, gold-coated telescope currently in orbit nearly a million miles away from Earth. It can show us clear images of the first stars in existence, other galaxies, and potentially habitable planets. But before it was launched, there was a long, impressively conducted period of construction and the photos of it look like they’re straight out of a sci-fi movie.

Here’s some scientists operating massive cranes, installing gargantuan golden mirrors, and taking cool selfies all in the name of furthering our knowledge of space.

All images provided by NASA.

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1. The OSIM going in the vacuum chamber for testing.
2. James Webb Space Telescope Cryogenic Mirror testing
3. Engineers take a selfie in the Gold-coated Engineering Design Unit
4. Webb's Mirrors Arriving at MSFC for Cryo Testing
5. Webb's Mirrors being recieved for Cryo Testing
6. Webb's Mirrors undergoing Cryo Testing
7. Engineers from Ball Aerospace inspect the first James Webb Space Telescope mirror segment
8. Three James Webb Space Telescope mirror segments are mounted on a test stand
9. The ISIM placed in a "Helium Shroud" which was then placed into the Space Environment Simulator (SES) Chamber.
10. Six of the 18 Webb telescope mirrors are readied for shipment.
11. Ball Aerospace lead optical test engineer Dave Chaney inspects six primary mirror segments
12. Goddard technicians install instrument mass simulators onto the James Webb Space Telescope ISIM structure.
13. The flight mirrors for the James Webb Space Telescope undergo cryogenic testing
14. Videographer Mike McClare's with the primary mirror segments.
15. Gold-coated Engineering Design Unit (EDU) Primary Mirror Segment
16. Project scientist Mark Clampin is reflected in the flight mirrors at Marshall Space Flight Center.
17. James Webb Space Telescope Secondary Mirror
18. The James Webb Space Telescope's Sunshield Membrane
19. Mirror Segments removed from the X-ray and Cryogenic test Facility
20. Primary Mirror Segment Cryogenic Testing
21. The OSIM going in the vacuum chamber for testing.
22. The James Webb Space Telescope Backplane Pathfinder
23. Full-scale James Webb Space Telescope Backplane Mock-up
24. Scanning Webb's Surrogate Eye
25. NASA's MIRI Instrument Gets Clean Bill of Health
26. Mirror segments packed up in special shipping canisters for shipping to NASA.
27. The Webb Telescope's 'Golden Spider'
28. Flight Mirror Segment Inspection
29. Testing of the James Webb Space Telescope's Center of Curvature Optical Assembly
30. James Webb Space Telescope Mirrors Undergoing Cryogenic Testing

1. The OSIM going in the vacuum chamber for testing.
2. James Webb Space Telescope Cryogenic Mirror testing
3. Engineers take a selfie in the Gold-coated Engineering Design Unit
4. Webb's Mirrors Arriving at MSFC for Cryo Testing
5. Webb's Mirrors being recieved for Cryo Testing
6. Webb's Mirrors undergoing Cryo Testing
7. Engineers from Ball Aerospace inspect the first James Webb Space Telescope mirror segment
8. Three James Webb Space Telescope mirror segments are mounted on a test stand
9. The ISIM placed in a "Helium Shroud" which was then placed into the Space Environment Simulator (SES) Chamber.
10. Six of the 18 Webb telescope mirrors are readied for shipment.
11. Ball Aerospace lead optical test engineer Dave Chaney inspects six primary mirror segments
12. Goddard technicians install instrument mass simulators onto the James Webb Space Telescope ISIM structure.
13. The flight mirrors for the James Webb Space Telescope undergo cryogenic testing
14. Videographer Mike McClare's with the primary mirror segments.
15. Gold-coated Engineering Design Unit (EDU) Primary Mirror Segment
16. Project scientist Mark Clampin is reflected in the flight mirrors at Marshall Space Flight Center.
17. James Webb Space Telescope Secondary Mirror
18. The James Webb Space Telescope's Sunshield Membrane
19. Mirror Segments removed from the X-ray and Cryogenic test Facility
20. Primary Mirror Segment Cryogenic Testing
21. The OSIM going in the vacuum chamber for testing.
22. The James Webb Space Telescope Backplane Pathfinder
23. Full-scale James Webb Space Telescope Backplane Mock-up
24. Scanning Webb's Surrogate Eye
25. NASA's MIRI Instrument Gets Clean Bill of Health
26. Mirror segments packed up in special shipping canisters for shipping to NASA.
27. The Webb Telescope's 'Golden Spider'
28. Flight Mirror Segment Inspection
29. Testing of the James Webb Space Telescope's Center of Curvature Optical Assembly
30. James Webb Space Telescope Mirrors Undergoing Cryogenic Testing