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An Instrumental Milestone

Recently the James Webb Space Telescope mission hit another milestone. Not only are all four flight instruments here at NASA Goddard, but they were integrated into the structure that will hold them on the spacecraft – and they were just put into the giant vacuum chamber for a months long test at cryogenic temperatures!

The James Webb Space Telescope will see primarily infrared light – like the faint heat signals of the first stars and galaxies that formed in the Universe. To be able to detect such faint IR light, the telescope itself must be very cold (39 Kelvin, or nearly -400 Fahrenheit). To make sure the instruments will work properly at these temperatures, we do a lot of cryogenic tests before launch.

ISIM and Instrument locations
Credit: NASA

Here is a team photo with the completed ISIM or instrument module:

JWST Team Photo with Completed Flight Instrument module
Credit: NASA/Chris Gunn

Here the ISIM gets moved out of the cleanroom:

ISIM Moves Into Cryovac Chamber
Credit: Amber Straughn

ISIM Moves Into Cryovac Chamber
Credit: Amber Straughn

Here the ISIM is being lifted by a crane:

ISIM Moves Into Cryovac Chamber
Credit: Amber Straughn

Lifted up, up, and over into the thermal vacuum chamber:

ISIM Moves Into Cryovac Chamber
Credit: Mike McClare

ISIM Moves Into Cryovac Chamber
Credit: Amber Straughn

Down it goes!

ISIM Moves Into Cryovac Chamber
Credit: Mike McClare

You can see the lid to the cryo vac chamber off to the right.

ISIM Moves Into Cryovac Chamber
Credit: Maggie Masetti

You can read more about the instruments on the James Webb Space Telescope on the website. Also check out the live webcam of the giant cleanroom at NASA Goddard, where JWST is being built.

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