The 20-foot Solar Array Powering the James Webb Space Telescope

  • Released Wednesday, May 15, 2019

The James Webb Space Telescope's 20-foot solar array will provide all the power the observatory needs, by converting sunlight into electricity. Webb's solar array is its first and most important deployment. The small yet effective array will release itself like an accordian to a straightened configuration shortly after launch. The power it creates will help operate the telescope's propulsion and communication subsystems, as well as its scientific instruments.



Credits

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

Release date

This page was originally published on Wednesday, May 15, 2019.
This page was last updated on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at 1:45 PM EDT.


Missions

This visualization is related to the following missions: