Preparing the JWST observatory for science observations

Erin C. Smith; Michael McElwain; Randy Kimble; Jane Rigby; Charles Bowers; Jonathan Gardner; Susan Neff; Malcolm Niedner; Stefanie Milam; John Mather; Amber Straughn; Scott D. Friedman; Knicole Colon

doi:10.1117/12.2562384

15 December 2020 Preparing the JWST observatory for science observations

Erin C. Smith, Michael McElwain, Randy Kimble, Jane Rigby, Charles Bowers, Jonathan Gardner, Susan Neff, Malcolm Niedner, Stefanie Milam, John Mather, Amber Straughn, Scott D. Friedman, Knicole Colon

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 11443, Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2020: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wave; 114430W (2020) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2562384
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2020, Online Only

Abstract

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is a large (6.5 m) near- and mid-infrared telescope scheduled for launch in 2021. JWST will be used to explore fundamental questions in astrophysics and planetary science, including the evolution of galaxies, the first light of stars, the formation of stars and planets as well as the characterization of exoplanets. To achieve these scientific goals, NASA and its international partners, the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and the European Space Agency (ESA), have developed four science instruments for JWST and have prepared detailed commissioning plans for each. The NASA Project Science team has also outlined activities to characterize the performance of the Observatory as a whole. These activities include: 1) monitoring of the instrument and telescope cooldown for contamination mitigation; 2) measurements of straylight and other backgrounds for validation of the JWST stray light models as well as instrument background subtraction algorithms; 3) characterization of optical thermal distortion between its hot and cold telescope pointings within the observable field of regard and 4) trending of observatory performance parameters. Each of these activities has been planned in close collaboration with the observatory wavefront, commissioning planning, and science instrument teams. Here we present the plans for these activities, the expected results and how they will impact future guest observer (GO) proposals and JWST science community.

Conference Presentation

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Erin C. Smith, Michael McElwain, Randy Kimble, Jane Rigby, Charles Bowers, Jonathan Gardner, Susan Neff, Malcolm Niedner, Stefanie Milam, John Mather, Amber Straughn, Scott D. Friedman, and Knicole Colon "Preparing the JWST observatory for science observations", Proc. SPIE 11443, Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2020: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wave, 114430W (15 December 2020); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2562384

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