Photo: Northrop Grumman
All of us with the slightest bit of knowledge about what's going on in the world around us knows that the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is floating in space at a distance of one million miles (1.5 million km from Earth). And that makes it even more surprising for us to learn that the impressive space tool can also be found on the ground, in a city at the feet of the Rocky Mountains called Colorado Springs.
The JWST launched in December 2021 as the planet's largest and most expensive (it cost around $10 billion to make) tool of this kind ever deployed. And every little thing about it is incredibly impressive, from its ten-year mission to the hardware it packs.
The telescope launched with a total payload mass of 13,700 pounds (6,200 kg). It has a sunshield that measures a massive 70 by 46 feet (21 by 14 meters), and features a 21.3 feet (6.5 meters) primary mirror, it alone weighing a staggering 1,554 pounds (705 kg).
All of the above numbers are here to make it clear that if by some miracle the Webb would come back to Earth and land safely, it would be impossible to miss. And for the people of Colorado Springs, it kind of looks like the telescope did just that.
You see, before the launch of the actual thing the people behind the project, including the company we know as Northrop Grumman, built a full-scale replica of the Webb. The object traveled the world, from New York to Paris and sideways, trying to gain public support for the long-delayed and very costly real-life project, but also to advertise its potential for life-altering discoveries.
Naturally, this being a replica and all it's not as heavy as the real thing (exact wight or the materials used to make it were not disclosed), but all the other dimensions are the same, and that makes it a sight for the ages for anyone looking.
We're talking about the replica and Colorado Springs because Northrop Grumman announced this week that it is giving it away to an organization based in the city. Having no use for it anymore, the company donated the Earth-based James Webb to the Space Foundation so that it could be permanently displayed in front of live audiences.
The Space Foundation has been around for about 40 years and it is in the business of providing "a hands-on, interactive space and science center focused on inspiring, educating and preparing the next generation of explorers and innovators." A perfect home, then, for such an impressive piece of engineering, even in replica form.
After all, it is a copy of a piece of equipment that may forever alter our understanding of the Universe, and might just get our species out into the stars with a bit more knowledge than we had before it.
The telescope launched with a total payload mass of 13,700 pounds (6,200 kg). It has a sunshield that measures a massive 70 by 46 feet (21 by 14 meters), and features a 21.3 feet (6.5 meters) primary mirror, it alone weighing a staggering 1,554 pounds (705 kg).
All of the above numbers are here to make it clear that if by some miracle the Webb would come back to Earth and land safely, it would be impossible to miss. And for the people of Colorado Springs, it kind of looks like the telescope did just that.
You see, before the launch of the actual thing the people behind the project, including the company we know as Northrop Grumman, built a full-scale replica of the Webb. The object traveled the world, from New York to Paris and sideways, trying to gain public support for the long-delayed and very costly real-life project, but also to advertise its potential for life-altering discoveries.
Naturally, this being a replica and all it's not as heavy as the real thing (exact wight or the materials used to make it were not disclosed), but all the other dimensions are the same, and that makes it a sight for the ages for anyone looking.
We're talking about the replica and Colorado Springs because Northrop Grumman announced this week that it is giving it away to an organization based in the city. Having no use for it anymore, the company donated the Earth-based James Webb to the Space Foundation so that it could be permanently displayed in front of live audiences.
The Space Foundation has been around for about 40 years and it is in the business of providing "a hands-on, interactive space and science center focused on inspiring, educating and preparing the next generation of explorers and innovators." A perfect home, then, for such an impressive piece of engineering, even in replica form.
After all, it is a copy of a piece of equipment that may forever alter our understanding of the Universe, and might just get our species out into the stars with a bit more knowledge than we had before it.
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