If it's to survive all the space debris slamming into it, NASA's largest space telescope must be one of the toughest. The James Webb Space Telescope will get hit by a micrometeorite every month because it's just days shy of an estimated date for its first official images.
The May micrometeorite strike was much bigger than expected, and scientists are on high alert. The telescope's functions weren't impaired, but researchers were forced to question their initial risk calculations. The researchers at NASA estimated that the giant mirrors could be hit once a month.
"Time will tell whether that last impact was just kind of an outlier," said Mike Menzel, the lead systems engineer.
Particles travel about as fast as a bullet in space. Even though the micrometeorites and other bits of space dust that attack the Webb are small, they are still dangerous.
Scientists can adjust the mirrors with incredible accuracy and use maneuvers to protect it from larger trails of debris. It's a skill that's been required for a long time for the International Space Station, which has had to take evasive action to avoid being hit.
Many of the issues that create can be adjusted for in the years to come even though small damages will accumulate on the mirrors.
Scientists say the new James Webb images were so powerful that they were emotional just looking at them.
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