A Lockheed Martin-built instrument gives us a
closer look at the universe's origins
DENVER, July 11,
2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today at a White House press
event, NASA released the first image of some of the earliest light
in our universe, taken with an instrument that Lockheed Martin
(NYSE: LMT) designed and built. The debut photo from the James Webb
Space Telescope's Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam) is the first from
one of the most sensitive infrared cameras ever built to observe
the universe.
The company created the scientific instrument at its Advanced
Technology Center (ATC) in Palo Alto,
California, for the University of Arizona.
"NIRCam is a first-of-its-kind camera, and we are proud to have
built this primary imager on the Webb telescope," said Alison Nordt, space science and instrumentation
director for Lockheed Martin. "Our camera is key for observing the
first galaxies that formed after the Big Bang and for achieving all
the telescope's science objectives. NIRCam also played a crucial
role aligning Webb's optics, as it informed what adjustments needed
to be made. The image released today demonstrates that NIRCam's
performance is excellent for all types of planned science
observations."
Capturing the Past to Improve the Future
Webb is the largest, most powerful space telescope ever built,
and it will reveal what our universe looked like some 13.5 billion
years ago. Throughout the mission, it will seek light from the
universe's first stars and galaxies, investigate how galaxies form,
explore the birth of stars and study planetary systems – as well as
objects in our own solar system.
After playing a major role in aligning Webb's intricate array of
mirrors earlier this year, NIRCam will now take science images
throughout the entire mission. At one million miles away from Earth
in space, it holds the responsibility of functioning with utmost
precision and stability in extreme temperatures.
It is critical that Webb continues to provide crystal clear
images for the duration of its mission. To enable operations in
deep space, Lockheed Martin developed a new technique for bonding
NIRCam's optics mounts together. This method guarantees that
neither cold nor slight vibrations cause shifts in the
microscopically precise alignment of NIRCam's lenses.
NIRCam Continues Lockheed Martin's Exploration
Story
NIRCam continues the success of the company's space observation
platforms, from the Lockheed Martin-designed, -built and -operated
Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes staring deep into space, to
earth-facing technologies, which we're building now to observe
weather and carbon emissions on our own planet.
Lockheed Martin is also famed for producing some of the most
sophisticated science and weather instruments in the industry. Most
recently, these include the first-of-its-kind Geostationary
Lightning Mapper and the Solar Ultraviolet Imager instruments on
NOAA's current GOES-R weather satellites.
For over 50 years, Lockheed Martin has also helped NASA explore
every planet of our solar system, and continues to develop new
technologies for future space missions.
About Lockheed Martin
Headquartered in Bethesda,
Maryland, Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) is a global security
and aerospace company that employs approximately 114,000 people
worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design,
development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced
technology systems, products and services.
Please follow @LMNews on Twitter for the latest
announcements and news across the corporation, and
follow @LMSpace to learn more about the latest technologies,
missions and people driving the future of space.
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SOURCE Lockheed Martin