James Webb Telescope's gimbaled antenna successfully released and tested, says NASA

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) stated that the antenna assembly of the James Webb Space Telescope has been successfully tested as it continues its voyage to its final observing site, located approx one million miles distant from Earth. The space agency informed that the Webb crew began the process of releasing the Gimbaled Antenna Assembly (GAA), which incorporates Webb's high-data-rate dish antenna, shortly after 10 a.m. EST on Sunday, December 26. At least 28.6 Gbytes of science data will be sent down from the observatory twice a day using this antenna. The crew has now released and tested the antenna assembly's motion, which took roughly an hour to complete, NASA stated in its release.  

It further informed that the telescope's temperature sensors and strain gauges have also been turned on for the first time and engineers monitoring Webb's thermal and structural systems now have access to temperature and strain data. It is to be mentioned here that the James Webb Space Telescope, the most powerful space telescope ever built, was launched from the Guiana Space Center in South America on December 25. The instrument was launched aboard the Ariane 5 rocket and has now been separated from its upper stage booster and is on its way to its orbit. The telescope is safely in space, turned on, and communicating with ground controllers, according to NASA. 

Webb is the successor to the Hubble Telescope

The groundbreaking instrument was launched into space by an Ariane rocket from the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana, ushering in a new age of astronomical exploration. Webb is the successor to the Hubble Telescope, which was named after one of the Apollo Moon landing architects. In the coming decade, the revolutionary world's first-of-its-kind space-science observatory will record the earliest galaxies thought to have formed during the early universe's formation. 

The telescope will provide help to scientists in their research

The new telescope will also aid scientists in their research into the structures and origins of the universe, as well as our location within it. In addition, Webb can also examine the atmosphere of distant planets, allowing scientists to learn more about them and determine whether they are habitable. Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron also congratulated everyone involved in carrying out the operation to successfully launch the Telescope. He stated that the launch of the new telescope will go down in history as a watershed moment in space exploration.

Image: Twitter/@NASAWebb