The James Webb telescope was hit by a larger-than-normal micrometeorite in late May, space agency reported NASA Wednesday. This caused damage to one of the telescope’s eighteen mirrors.
NASA emphasizes that the telescope has been hit by at least four different micrometeorites since its launch in December. These are usually small fragments of an asteroid, often smaller than a grain of sand.
The micrometeorites were all small and fit the space agency’s expectations. It is inevitable for a telescope of this size to come into contact with micrometeorites.
In late May, however, the telescope was hit by a larger micrometeorite than NASA was counting on. The exact size of the micrometeorite could not be determined, but it did damage a mirror of the telescope.
The impact does not directly affect the operation of the James Webb telescope, but the mirror must be readjusted because of the deformation. The mirrors are built in such a way that they should in principle be able to withstand contact with space dust.
The James Webb is the successor to the famous Hubble Space Telescope. The new telescope is intended to search for planets on which life might be possible, distant galaxies and traces of the Big Bang. The project will cost a total of approximately 8 billion euros.
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