Engineer Kenneth Harris Works on the James Webb Space Telescope
The Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM) is sometimes referred to as the "heart" of the James Webb Space Telescope. The ISIM houses the telescope's four science instruments. The highly complex ISIM system was split into three regions by engineers for simplification. Here, Kenneth Harris is working to "fit check" harnesses in Region 2 during the integration of ISIM to the telescope. Region 2, better known as the IEC (ISIM Electronics Compartment) enables the science instrument electronics to operate at room temperature while remaining within an observatory that operates at cryogenic temperatures. Successfully integrating the IEC into the telescope is paramount for its ability to effectively radiate the heat generated by the electronics safely away from extremely sensitive instruments. Kenneth Harris was one of the youngest Mechanical Engineers on the project.
The James Webb Space Telescope is the scientific complement to NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. It will be the most powerful space telescope ever built. Webb is an international project led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and the Canadian Space Agency.
Image credit: NASA/Chris Gunn
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