The James Webb Space Telescope was fuelled at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana by specialists. Webb’s thrusters will be used to make critical course-corrections after separation it’s from Ariane 5, as per scientists. They will use it to maintain its prescribed orbit about one and a half million kilometres from Earth. It will also help to maintain its momentum during operations.
Fuelling any satellite is a very delicate process. This fuelling needs setup of the equipment and connections. Then it will need the fuel and pressurization.
Webb’s fuel tanks had been filled with 79.5 litters of dinitrogen tetroxide oxidiser and 159 litters hydrazine. Oxidiser will enhance the burning efficiency of the hydrazine fuel.
These propellants were so toxic that the specialists had to wear Self-Contained Atmospheric Protective Ensemble or ‘scape’ suits to protect themselves. To complete the fuelling process, it took ten days.
Scientists say, the next step will be ‘combined operations’. By this term, they mean that specialists are going to work separately to prepare Webb and Ariane 5 and later they will come together as one team. The team is going to place Webb on the top of Ariane 5 launch vehicle encapsulate it inside Ariane 5.
Soon, Webb will be joined with Ariane 5 launch vehicle and it will be transferred to the Final Assembly building for the final preparations before it will be launched.
According to scientists, Webb will be the largest and most powerful telescope ever launched into space.
