The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) was successfully inserted into an L2 orbit 1 Million miles from Earth and has been undergoing an intense multi-month commissioning process. All instruments are functioning well and image quality is exceeding the expectations of the program scientists. See Nasa’s Webb Blog for the most recent updates. Blue Line’s ECSS II Sensor Systems are in 4 different mechanisms on the NICAM instrument aboard the telescope: The Pupil Imaging Lens (PIL, the Filter Wheel Assembly (FWA), the Focus and Alignment Mechanism (FAM). The Fine Steering Mirror (FSM), which is used to point and stabilize the image during science operation also utilizes the ECSS II for position feedback.
“Engineering images of sharply focused stars in the field of view of each instrument demonstrate that the telescope is fully aligned and in focus”
Credit: NASA/STScI