The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) had a delayed launch, but it seems that all that extra work was not in vain. According to NASA, the launch went so well
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) had a delayed launch, but it seems that all that extra work was not in vain. According to NASA, the launch went so well that as a result, the expected lifespan of the telescope just went up. Thanks to excess fuel, NASA now predicts that JWST may significantly surpass its initial science lifetime. If proven true, the gains may be quite substantial. Webb’s telescope has a minimum lifetime expectation of five years, but even prior to this discovery, NASA stated that we can expect it to support operations for up to 10 years. With the latest findings, it’s possible that the telescope will surpass all expectations and continue to function for much longer than even the generous initial 10-year prediction. The team behind the Webb telescope has analyzed its trajectory after the launch on December 25,2021. Since the launch, the telescope has already gone through two mid-course correction maneuvers, giving the analysts further data as to how much propellant JWST is using to operate and reach its final destination around 1 million miles away from Earth. Based on the latest analysis, NASA has learned that the telescope requires less fuel than originally planned.
