Why is there no camera on the James Webb Space Telescope?

Why is there no camera on the James Webb Space Telescope?

Because of many practical problems, engineers have to use traditional telemetry technology.

The public is now used to observing space at close range, thanks to the camera observing everything, from deploying satellites to "dummies" cruising in Tesla in spacesuits-so why isn't there a camera on NASA's huge new observatory?

Weber was launched on February 25th, 65438+, and is currently on a one-month trip to an observation destination near the Earth 1 10,000 miles (1.5,000 kilometers).

But the engineers in charge of the nerve-racking telescope development have no available photos.

Van Campen pointed out that weber number's ten-year development began when portable cameras were not widely used.

However, even if the camera is installed on the plane, it may interfere with Weber's sensitive optical system, because this optical system is sensitive to infrared light and can look back at the young universe.

Therefore, the first challenge of the airborne camera will be to overcome the problem that the telescope actually runs in black: "Looking at the telescope, it will be dark," Van Campen explained when talking about the theoretical camera perspective.

"We need to install some kind of lighting system on the camera system," Van Campen continued.

"Obviously, if we want to do flash photography, we will encounter problems. Our mirrors are very sensitive. Our internal optical components are very sensitive, and most importantly, the detectors deep in our instruments are also very sensitive. "

Another problem with deploying the camera is that it will interfere with Weber's staying calm.

Weber must work at a very low temperature so as not to interfere with his infrared observation, which means that it will be very complicated to install the camera.

Van Campen said, "Plastics will decompose in a cold environment, and they will shrink and destroy the glue ... It takes a lot of engineering and design work to make something that can work at the cold side of the sun visor."

In order to keep the temperature of the camera, laying a thermal cable may cause Weber to accidentally study the thermal characteristics of the thermal cable, rather than the characteristics of the universe.

Therefore, Van Kamben said, engineers rely on traditional data transmitted from telescopes.

These data, called telemetry technology, can do the job-although it may not be satisfactory.