2020•Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2020: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter WaveRequires access
Commissioning the scientific instruments of the James Webb Space Telescope
Randy A. Kimble, S. D. Friedman, Catarina Alves de Oliveira, Stephan M. Birkmann, Torsten Boeker, Martha L. Boyer, René Doyon, Alistair Glasse, Sarah Kendrew, A. R. Martel, Edmund Nelan, A. Noriega‐Crespo, Charles Proffitt, Corbett Smith, John Stansberry, Begoña Vila, Christopher Willott
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Abstract
The James Webb Space Telescope features a powerful complement of focal-plane instruments: the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), the Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam), the Near-Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph (NIRISS), the Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec), and the Fine Guidance Sensor (FGS). These instruments offer an exciting suite of scientific capabilities for imaging, high-contrast imaging, and spectroscopy. To bring these capabilities on-line after launch, a carefully scoped and sequenced set of commissioning activities has been developed. These activities will confirm the functionality of the instruments, characterize their performance (optimizing where possible), obtain initial calibrations at a level required to properly plan observations, and demonstrate essential operational sequences such as target acquisition. We present a high-level overview of these activities and the planned commissioning timeline to execute them.