STTARS Goes to NASA Johnson
The James Webb Space Telescope's pathfinder (or test) backplane, which has two test mirrors mounted on it, was flown via C-5 to NASA Johnson for cryogenic testing. Here it is being loaded into the airplane at Andrews Air Force Base. The pathfinder is in a special transport container called STTARS - Space Telescope Transporter for Air Road and Sea.
It was previously in the cleanroom at NASA Goddard where the mirrors were mounted and tests were done to perfect the process for when the flight mirrors are mounted to the flight backplane.
Next the pathfinder will undergo cryogenic tests at NASA Johnson's giant Chamber A.
Image credit: NASA/Desiree Stover
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Taken on February 4, 2015