The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), which is 15 million kilometres from Earth, has recovered from a major glitch that affected its supercold Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) camera. The scientific observations on the telescope have resumed following the Webb team’s investigation and mitigation.
The Mid-Infrared Instrument Suite is a collection of instruments that cover the mid-infrared wavelength range of 5 to 28.3 microns, allowing the telescope to look into the infrared. MIRI is used to generate mid-infrared images and spectra with unprecedented sharpness and sensitivity.
The glitch occurred on August 24 as a result of a change in the frictional torque in one of the grating wheels of MIRI’s Medium Resolution Spectrometer (MRS). Because the telescope displayed an error, the team paused science observations.
Since then, a team of experts has investigated the mechanism design, as well as historical and post-launch data. According to the Space Telescope Science Institute, which operates the Webb observatory in space, the team concluded that increased contact forces between the wheel central bearing assembly’s sub-components under certain conditions are the most likely root cause of the observed issue.
‘A set of recommendations on how to use the affected mechanism during science operations is being defined. An engineering test demonstrating new operational parameters for the grating wheel mechanism was successfully executed on November 2, 2022,’ the STScI said in a statement.
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