NASA experts confirmed the information about the impact with an object the size of a grain of sand, saying that this will not affect the scientific program in any way. The telescope is still operating at a level exceeding all requirements, despite the resulting defect in the data. The analysis of the situation and all kinds of measurements continue.
The engineers were prepared for such events, and the mirror is designed so that it can withstand such cases. Moreover, JWST can adjust mirror segments to reduce the impact of impacts, compensating for distortion.
“Since the launch of the telescope, we have had 4 impacts with micrometeorites, for which we were ready. But the latter case exceeds the indicators, nevertheless, this impact will not affect the work of JWST and its scientific program in any way,” says the engineer of the Goddard Center, Cesari Taddeu.
