And that puts the space telescope better on course towards its final destination: a place near the so-called second Lagrange point.

The mighty James Webb telescope started its long journey to Lagrangian Point 2 a few days ago; a virtual point in space about 1.5 million kilometers from Earth. To get here, however, the telescope has to perform some crucial maneuvers. And recently James Webb successfully completed the second course correction.

Lagrangian point 2

As mentioned, James Webb is heading for a spot near the so-called second Lagrange point. At this second Lagrange point, the gravitational forces between the Earth and the Sun are in equilibrium, keeping the telescope in a stable position and providing virtually unobstructed long-term views of the night sky. In addition, calibration of and communication with the space observatory in L2 is easier. In addition, a space-oriented observation satellite at this point always has the sun, the earth and the moon behind it. This makes shielding easier and observations can continue around the clock.

a little further

Incidentally, the place where James Webb is heading is not exactly on L2, but a little further. The telescope will operate from a loose orbit – many hundreds of thousands of kilometers in diameter – around L2. Here James Webb is bathed in constant sunlight and even better communication between James Webb and the earth is possible.

The exact spot from which the James Webb telescope will begin to study the night sky. Image: NASA

In total there are three course corrections on the program: MCC-1a, MCC-1b and MCC-2. The first — and most important — of the three was operating the James Webb telescope quite shortly, about 12 hours after its launch. During this 65-minute maneuver, the telescope was aligned to reach the target Lagrange point within 30 days. Any deviations in trajectory caused by the launch were corrected thanks to this course correction.

Second course correction

The team now comes with great news again. For James Webb also recently successfully completed his second course correction. The telescope performed MCC-1b sixty hours after its launch. The course correction lasted 9 minutes and 27 seconds; slightly shorter than MCC-1a. Thanks to this maneuver, the telescope refines its path to L2.

Third course correction

James Webb will continue to head for his final destination for the foreseeable future. Meanwhile, more and more parts that the telescope is equipped with will be unfolded. The final course correction, MCC-2, will then be made just before James Webb arrives at L2. For the time being, this last maneuver is planned for 29 days after launch, although the precise moment is not time-critical. And then the observations can almost begin…

Curious where the telescope is currently located? on this page you can follow exactly where James Webb is and when parts will be unfolded again.

Incidentally, we will have to be patient for a while before the telescope comes up with its first discoveries. When the telescope arrives at its intended orbital location, it first undergoes a six-month acclimatization period. During these months, James Webb prepares for his upcoming duties. It means it will take some time before James Webb is actually operational. Researchers will continue to monitor the telescope closely from the ground. And if James Webb is completely ready, the scientific observations can start after six months.