James Webb Space Telescope Completes An Additional Stage Of Instrument Alignment

Another phase of commissioning for the James Webb Space Telescope has just been completed.

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Engineers successfully aligned all but 1 of the instruments on the $10 billion space telescope. NASA reported Friday, April 1, as Webb continues to cool down to deep-space temperatures.

Engineers were so pleased with the interim instrument adjustment that they decided not to need to realign Webb’s secondary mirror. This was only an option if Webb was out of alignment. NASA calls it “multi-instrument alignment” and will continue this phase after the telescope’s final instrument cools. According to NASA, the cooling milestone should occur in the “weeks ahead”.