JWST Update

The JWST project passed some important milestones recently. The project PDR (technical) and NAR (budget and management) were held by NASA in April and have passed, with launch still expected in June 2013.  On the Canadian side, our TFI instrument had its CDR in late March. We still have software and etalon reviews this summer, before we go ahead with flight model fabrication. We are already building the engineering model of the guider camera. Other instruments are in similar stages of design and construction and are looking in good shape.  NASA budget is very tight this year (peak spending year at the mid-point), and we are proposing to help out with operations by posting extra support scientists to STScI, and in participating in some telescope-wide optical tests.  The flight primary mirror segments are all in phased stages of polishing.  The sunshade has had its final design and review and the picture shows the expected  appearance of the observatory.   Operations planning is under way between STScI and the various instrument teams.  Overall, the performance of JWST is meeting all expectations, and the Canadian partnership is proceeding as planned.  Canadians on 3 of the 4 science instrument teams are participating in performance reviews and science planning.

Figure 1:One of the technical drawings of the JWST

 

John Hutchings and Rene Doyon