Webb Telescope Finishes Sun-Shield Procedure

[1.AAC0832]

https://phys.org/news/2022-01-webb-telescope-fully-deploys-sunshield.html

"All five layers of the sunshield are fully tensioned,"
said an announcer at the observatory's control center in
Baltimore, where team members cheered, a live feed showed.

. . .

Very good. All that unfolding WAS a big question mark.
Even thus, they STILL had some issues with overheating
the little motors that pulled and tightened everything
and had to do it in careful little steps.

Still have to get the solars set just right and finally
the mirror assembly.

No current way to service the thing alas, no way to
give some stuck part a little push. They should have
included a little telepresence robot.

In five years or so, Musk MIGHT have something that
can take people and parts out to this distant orbit.
Start the funding drive now ....

Now ... when do we replace Hubble with a newer/better
model ? Webb is good for what it's good for but a
scope for the optical/UV wavelengths will still be
extremely useful and productive. Hubble IS where we
can get at it too. One slightly bigger mirror or
try the Webb fold-out arrangement ? The latest
detectors ought to provide a decent boost as well.

Oh, and this time, design from the get-go for easy
servicing by humans OR robots.