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Woody
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Why are eclipses of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWT) by the Earth or Moon not permitted during the mission?

In Seasonal variations of the James Webb Space Telescope orbital dynamics it is stated

Shadows, or eclipses of the spacecraft by either the Earth or the Moon, are not permitted at all during the mission… these constraints conspire to limit the maneuverability of the spacecraft and couple the orbital dynamics to the rhythms of the Earth, Moon, and Sun.

How come? The cold “science” side of the spacecraft is already eclipsed by the sunshield. Communications interruption should not be an issue since communications are intermittent anyway.

The Earth's umbra extends 1.4 Mkm,400,000km and the JWT is 1.5 Mkm,500,000km from Earth, so the telescope would never be completely eclipsed in the worst case. Since it is in a 0.8 Mkm800,000km halo orbit with a period of 6 months, it would take about 18 hours to traverse one Earth diameter or 36 hours to pass through the penumbra.

Why are eclipses of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWT) by the Earth or Moon not permitted during the mission?

In Seasonal variations of the James Webb Space Telescope orbital dynamics it is stated

Shadows, or eclipses of the spacecraft by either the Earth or the Moon, are not permitted at all during the mission… these constraints conspire to limit the maneuverability of the spacecraft and couple the orbital dynamics to the rhythms of the Earth, Moon, and Sun.

How come? The cold “science” side of the spacecraft is already eclipsed by the sunshield. Communications interruption should not be an issue since communications are intermittent anyway.

The Earth's umbra extends 1.4 Mkm and the JWT is 1.5 Mkm from Earth, so the telescope would never be completely eclipsed in the worst case. Since it is in a 0.8 Mkm halo orbit with a period of 6 months, it would take about 18 hours to traverse one Earth diameter or 36 hours to pass through the penumbra.

Why are eclipses of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWT) by the Earth or Moon not permitted during the mission?

In Seasonal variations of the James Webb Space Telescope orbital dynamics it is stated

Shadows, or eclipses of the spacecraft by either the Earth or the Moon, are not permitted at all during the mission… these constraints conspire to limit the maneuverability of the spacecraft and couple the orbital dynamics to the rhythms of the Earth, Moon, and Sun.

How come? The cold “science” side of the spacecraft is already eclipsed by the sunshield. Communications interruption should not be an issue since communications are intermittent anyway.

The Earth's umbra extends 1,400,000km and the JWT is 1,500,000km from Earth, so the telescope would never be completely eclipsed in the worst case. Since it is in a 800,000km halo orbit with a period of 6 months, it would take about 18 hours to traverse one Earth diameter or 36 hours to pass through the penumbra.

Copy edited (e.g. ref. <http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/15953>). There isn't any need to declare a question. Dressed the naked links.
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Question: Why are eclipses of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWT) by the Earth or Moon not permitted during the mission?

In https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20150017756/downloads/20150017756.pdf.Seasonal variations of the James Webb Space Telescope orbital dynamics it is stated

Shadows, or eclipses of the spacecraft by either the Earth or the Moon, are not permitted at all during the mission… these constraints conspire to limit the maneuverability of the spacecraft and couple the orbital dynamics to the rhythms of the Earth, Moon, and Sun.

How come? The cold “science” side of the spacecraft is already eclipsed by the sunshield. Communications interruption should not be an issue since communications are intermittent anyway.

The Earth's umbra extends 1.4Mkm https://en.wikipediaumbra extends 1.org/wiki/Umbra,_penumbra_and_antumbra4 Mkm and the JWT is 1.5Mkm5 Mkm from Earth, so the telescope would never be completely eclipsed in the worst case. Since it is in a 0.8Mkm8 Mkm halo orbit with a period of 6 months, it would take about 18 hours to traverse one Earth diameter or 36 hours to pass through the penumbra.

Question: Why are eclipses of the James Webb by the Earth or Moon not permitted during the mission?

In https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20150017756/downloads/20150017756.pdf. it is stated

Shadows, or eclipses of the spacecraft by either the Earth or the Moon, are not permitted at all during the mission… these constraints conspire to limit the maneuverability of the spacecraft and couple the orbital dynamics to the rhythms of the Earth, Moon, and Sun.

How come? The cold “science” side of the spacecraft is already eclipsed by the sunshield. Communications interruption should not be an issue since communications are intermittent anyway.

The Earth's umbra extends 1.4Mkm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umbra,_penumbra_and_antumbra and the JWT is 1.5Mkm from Earth, so the telescope would never be completely eclipsed in the worst case. Since it is in a 0.8Mkm halo orbit with a period of 6 months, it would take about 18 hours to traverse one Earth diameter or 36 hours to pass through the penumbra.

Why are eclipses of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWT) by the Earth or Moon not permitted during the mission?

In Seasonal variations of the James Webb Space Telescope orbital dynamics it is stated

Shadows, or eclipses of the spacecraft by either the Earth or the Moon, are not permitted at all during the mission… these constraints conspire to limit the maneuverability of the spacecraft and couple the orbital dynamics to the rhythms of the Earth, Moon, and Sun.

How come? The cold “science” side of the spacecraft is already eclipsed by the sunshield. Communications interruption should not be an issue since communications are intermittent anyway.

The Earth's umbra extends 1.4 Mkm and the JWT is 1.5 Mkm from Earth, so the telescope would never be completely eclipsed in the worst case. Since it is in a 0.8 Mkm halo orbit with a period of 6 months, it would take about 18 hours to traverse one Earth diameter or 36 hours to pass through the penumbra.

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Woody
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Question: Why are eclipses of the James Webb by the Earth or Moon not permitted during the mission?

In https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20150017756/downloads/20150017756.pdf. it is stated

Shadows, or eclipses of the spacecraft by either the Earth or the Moon, are not permitted at all during the mission… these constraints conspire to limit the maneuverability of the spacecraft and couple the orbital dynamics to the rhythms of the Earth, Moon, and Sun.

How come? The cold “science” side of the spacecraft is already eclipsed by the sunshield. Communications interruption should not be an issue since communications are intermittent anyway. I assume there

The Earth's umbra extends 1.4Mkm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umbra,_penumbra_and_antumbra and the JWT is enough battery capacity that solar panel eclipse1.5Mkm from Earth, so the telescope would never be completely eclipsed in the worst case. Since it is in a non-issue0. Likewise8Mkm halo orbit with light sail pressure eclipsea period of 6 months, it would take about 18 hours to traverse one Earth diameter or 36 hours to pass through the penumbra.

Question: Why are eclipses of the James Webb by the Earth or Moon not permitted during the mission?

In https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20150017756/downloads/20150017756.pdf. it is stated

Shadows, or eclipses of the spacecraft by either the Earth or the Moon, are not permitted at all during the mission… these constraints conspire to limit the maneuverability of the spacecraft and couple the orbital dynamics to the rhythms of the Earth, Moon, and Sun.

How come? The cold “science” side of the spacecraft is already eclipsed by the sunshield. Communications interruption should not be an issue since communications are intermittent anyway. I assume there is enough battery capacity that solar panel eclipse is a non-issue. Likewise with light sail pressure eclipse.

Question: Why are eclipses of the James Webb by the Earth or Moon not permitted during the mission?

In https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20150017756/downloads/20150017756.pdf. it is stated

Shadows, or eclipses of the spacecraft by either the Earth or the Moon, are not permitted at all during the mission… these constraints conspire to limit the maneuverability of the spacecraft and couple the orbital dynamics to the rhythms of the Earth, Moon, and Sun.

How come? The cold “science” side of the spacecraft is already eclipsed by the sunshield. Communications interruption should not be an issue since communications are intermittent anyway.

The Earth's umbra extends 1.4Mkm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umbra,_penumbra_and_antumbra and the JWT is 1.5Mkm from Earth, so the telescope would never be completely eclipsed in the worst case. Since it is in a 0.8Mkm halo orbit with a period of 6 months, it would take about 18 hours to traverse one Earth diameter or 36 hours to pass through the penumbra.

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Woody
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