Thanks to some ingenuity at NASA, one of the James Webb Space Telescope's most important instruments is back to full functioning.
The "supercold" Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) camera, which lets astronomer see the universe from the wavelength of their choice, went offline on August 24 after its grating wheel malfunctioned.
According to the European Space Agency, the "coolest" instrument is the MIri camera, which is responsible for some of the most stunning images. It was missed because it was offline.
NASA took the instrument offline after they discovered the problem. Increased contact forces between the wheel central bearing assembly's sub-components were found to be the cause of the wheel's problem.
In English, that means there was too much force between the wheel and the grate, which caused the camera to hit it.
After more than two months of being shut off, the camera was finally brought back online on November 2nd after NASA enacted some new operational rules for the instrument.
The instrument that spent two months on the bench will be able to observe the polar regions of the planet.
When you put eyes on the shot, it is much better.
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