James Webb Telescope Collides in Space

In a blog post published in mid-November, a representative of the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) said that the $10 billion James Webb telescope had collided with space rocks 14 times , causing irreparable damage.

Illustration of the James Webb Space Telescope in space. (Photo: NASA).

"We saw 14 microscopic collisions with the mirror , which averages out to one or two per month ," said Mike Menzel, chief engineer for the James Webb mission at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.

According to Menzel, the damage from most collisions is within NASA's calculations. One particular collision occurred in May, classified as an "unavoidable random event" that caused James Webb to veer off course.

To fix the problem, the team of engineers adjusted 18 mirrors to fit the new position. According to Forbes, the collisions all occurred on James Webb's gold-plated mirrors.

Collisions with micrometeoroids are a common hazard for instruments operating in near-Earth orbit. Other risks include cosmic radiation, ultraviolet light, and charged particles from the Sun.

According to Live Science, the Space Surveillance Network tracks more than 23,000 pieces of space debris, each larger than a softball. However, there are millions of smaller objects that the system cannot observe. Therefore, NASA and other space agencies always have plans to deal with collisions in space.

While developing James Webb, engineers collided the mirror with objects the size of space microparticles to assess their impact on the telescope's performance.

The May incident was a rare occurrence, but engineers adjusted the mirror's position to avoid the path of space microparticles, which can travel at higher speeds.

A collision in May left James Webb's C3 mirror dented. (Photo: NASA).

"Space microparticles traveling in the opposite direction of the telescope hit the mirror with twice the relative velocity and four times the kinetic energy. Therefore, avoiding the direction when possible will help prolong the mirror's optical performance for decades," said Lee Feinberg, director of the James Webb Optical Team at NASA.

Another big risk is meteor showers, which could pose a hazard when James Webb passes by asteroids from Halley's comet in May 2023 and May 2024. Adjustments could change the telescope's operating schedule, including the order in which objects are observed, prioritizing safety over scientific urgency.

James Webb has a 6.5m wide mirror, allowing it to collect more light from objects in space. Collecting more light means the telescope can observe more detail. This mirror is 60 times larger than previous telescopes

The James Webb Space Telescope was launched in December 2021 and has been operational since early July after calibration. James Webb's main mission is to provide detailed images, helping us better understand the origin of the universe, finding clues about the formation, existence of humans and life outside of Earth.