How Webb's Telescope Passed Through the Panama Canal
A global project, not just American. Learn how Webb was built and how it made its way to space.
“After the launch of the JWST pass through the Panama Canal. The limitless potential of this astronomical marvel leaves everyone in awe. It will delve into the hidden depths of the universe, ponder the possibility of worlds beyond Earth, and much more.
However, the building wasn’t in space. The crafting is on Earth in various countries. The James Webb Telescope orbits around the second Lagrange point (L2) before settling into its designated position. It transporting to the launch site took place, which is very risky. At the European Space Agency in Kourou, French Guiana. The journey began in the cleanroom at Northrop Grumman in Redondo Beach, California.
This 9300-kilometer journey posed the risk of irreversible damage to the JWST at any moment. Fortunately, the $10 billion tool survived the trip, but it wasn’t an easy mission, according to NASA.”
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NASA transported the JWST in a climate-controlled environment regulated by dry nitrogen.
The JWST project didn’t take place in a single facility, state, or even country. According to Jonathan Gardner, the Deputy Senior Project Scientist for Webb, in a NASA blog, ‘Webb is a product of the world. with cameras from Europe and Canada. And contributions from most U.S. states.’ As per his comments in October 2021. The shipment of the James Webb Telescope was en route to the final launch site in Kourou. But new satellite components had been transported before.
‘Webb’s components have traveled before,’ says Gardner. “The complex, 15-segment mirror’s journey.” After a decade-long process of assembly and testing, James Webb was packed into the Starz transport container.
With the James Webb Telescope safely secured in a padded support structure and a climate-controlled environment of dry nitrogen, the truck driver reached a maximum speed of 7 miles per hour on a midnight journey from Northrop Grumman’s cleanroom to the port at Seal Beach.
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JWST makes its way through the Panama Canal in 8 hours.
The JWST had a fragile beam—perhaps the most sensitive in history (although that statement is difficult to quantify). That’s why NASA took every precaution to ensure the telescope wouldn’t get scratched on its flight, from extremely slow speeds to extra padding. Plus dry nitrogen climate control, and maybe a little luck. After driving at 10 km/h, James Webb was loaded into its cargo hold and departed on September 26, 2021.
Then Gardner said, “MN Colibri sailed along Baja California and reached the Panama Canal.” It took Webb eight hours to cross three channel locks and enter the Atlantic Ocean on October 6. This was a crucial element of his journey, as more unexpected events could occur in the open ocean.
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From NASA to Kuru, Webb’s beginnings portended greatness
“After continuing down the South American coast, Webb arrived at Kourou on October 12 [2021], and its cargo was unloaded among palm trees and tropical birds in French Guiana,” Gardner explains on NASA’s website. Upon arrival at the Ariane Space Processing Facility, the James Webb Telescope still had to undergo some last-minute electrical tests, seal insulation, and refuel the spacecraft.
The end of the beginning. The James Webb Space Telescope lifted off atop an Ariane 5 rocket on December 25, 2021, and arrived at L2 on January 24, less than a month later. Its primary challenges in space relate to activating its parts, unfolding in its final form, and synchronizing its mirrors with golden shells. But it’s important to note that the trip to the launch pad—even for major NASA missions—can be very shaky.
“When I saw the video from the Webb telescope being loaded into the hull of MN Colibri heading out to sea, I was about to cry,” Gardner explains in a NASA post about Webb’s flight. We can be sure to expect similar moments as the new telescope array reveals unimaginable new wonders about the universe.
