The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is a general astrophysics mission which consists of a 6.6m diameter, segmented, deployable telescope for cryogenic IR space astronomy (~35K). The JWST Observatory architecture includes the Optical Telescope Element and the Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM) element that contains four science instruments (SI) including a Guider.The alignment philosophy of ISIM is such that the cryogenic changes in the alignment of the SI interfaces are captured in the ISIM alignment error budget. The SIs are aligned to the structure's coordinate system under ambient, clean room conditions using laser tracker and theodolite metrology. The ISIM structure is thermally cycled and temperature-induced structural changes are concurrently measured with a photogrammetry metrology system to ensure they are within requirements.We compare the ISIM photogrammetry system performance to the ISIM metrology requirements and describe the cryogenic data acquired to verify photogrammetry system level requirements, including measurement uncertainty. The ISIM photogrammetry system is the baseline concept for future tests involving the Optical Telescope Element (OTE) and Observatory level testing at Johnson Space Flight Center.
NASA's return to the Moon coincides with explosive growth in exoplanet discovery.Missions are being formulated to search for habitable planets orbiting other stars, making this the ideal time to deploy an instrument suite to the lunar surface to help us recognize a habitable exoplanet when we see it. We present EarthShine, a technically mature, three-instrument suite to observe the whole Earth from the Moon as an exoplanet proxy. EarthShine data will validate and improve models critical for designing missions to image and characterize exoplanets, thus informing observing strategies for flagship missions to directly image exoplanets. EarthShine will answer interconnected questions in Earth and lunar science, exoplanets, and astrobiology, related to the credo "follow the water." EarthShine can take advantage of current NASA programs to conduct science from the Moon with low-cost, mature space hardware to reduce risk and assure success. Like the 1968 Apollo Earthrise image of our home planet, lonely in the black sky, the appeal of EarthShine to a multidisciplinary array of researchers in Earth Science, Planetary Science, and astrophysics will maximize both its scientific impact and its impact on the general public.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.