What NASA is really saying about the space rock hitting the Webb telescope
Yes, tiny rock particles hit the Webb telescope. No, the mission almost failed. You may have read misleading headlines emphasizing that the James Webb Space Telescope – the most powerful observatory ever built – has suffered permanent damage. That’s a bit of a cherry on a new 55-page report that describes the instrument’s excellent scientific performance over the past six months, as engineers prepare and test unprecedented cosmic observation capabilities. The Webb telescope, overall, is in excellent condition. Here’s what you should know about observatory conditions that will revolutionize our understanding of the cosmos. SEE ALSO: The first stunning cosmic image from the James Webb telescope is here What do scientists conclude about the state of the Webb telescope? NASA and its collaborative partners, the Canadian Space Agency and the European Space Agency, concluded that Webb – even after micrometeroids (small rock particles often the size of dus...