Controlling the James Webb Space Telescope

[@dexio85]

I'm in awe how humble all the crew there felt while doing such an important job. Thanks for everyone involved in the JWST project!

[@kevinclass2010]

They're handling a billion dollar device. Any mistake could be career ending

[@chicobicalho5621]

Watching the scenes from this control center bought to mind the number of people, like me, who has accompanied the JWST fabrication, launch deployment, testing, and the prayers for this instrument that it all worked out as planned during every step. After all the jolts, and nightmares that occured during the Hubble early months, the lengthy period prior to the heroic repair, it is so comforting to see this serene environment where everything looks "green" and OK, so we normal people can be enchanted beyond belief by this amazing tour de force science instrument, and be blown away by images, like the Tarantula Nebula recently unveiled. That a thrill.

[@erichaynes7502]

My fondest memory of this room is launch day last Xmas. I saw a shift turnover, one outgoing guy briefed the incoming guy then grabbed his backpack and went home. I worked in several air operations centers in the Air Force(Qatar, N. Italy, Honolulu, S. Korea) and it worked in a similar fashion but we sure didn't have any windows. I also like that this control room isn't super fancy, it's close quarters and functional with smart and dedicated professionals. Webb is in good hands.

[@LaunchPadAstronomy]

Thank you for your service!

[@misterphmpg8106]

in the years before you worked so hard not only in your job but also building up a very high level of confidence in all your colleagues who trust you and your team to now these days let you visit the heart of jwst. That is both a great honor and achievement of yours which now gives us the incredible opportunity to share these awesome insights. thank you so much!!

[@LaunchPadAstronomy]

Thank you so much. And I agree, it really is an honor to visit the room where it happens.

[@MandaRajeshReddy]

This is a super cool video to watch! Thanks a lot for all the efforts put into making this video.

[@LaunchPadAstronomy]

My pleasure, and thanks for watching !

[@beesod6412]

That's a really nice setup they have in the control room, What an absolute treat, Thanks Christian for showing us!

[@LaunchPadAstronomy]

Thanks. I was really lucky to visit!

[@justexactlyperfectbrothersband]

Oh man, where can i get one of those 'aliveness tests'? Thanks for taking us to the places we'd never get to see, and hearing from the people who make stuff happen! Do you think JWST could be used as well to count the angels dancing on a pin?

[@LaunchPadAstronomy]

Possibly, but its sunshield allows Webb to stand inside the rain and listen to the thunder shout "I am! I am! I am! I am!" So there's that.

[@goannaj3243]

Thankyou for the tour, those people seem ultra professional, calm and capable.

[@bravo_01]

Happy New Year!

[@LaunchPadAstronomy]

Thanks and to you as well!

[@judgej1710]

Awesome office. Reminds me of a control centre I used to work at a few years back. It's nice to see it has windows. The one I used to work at was known as an ARC and completely blocked off from daylight. I used to work nights, 12 hour shifts mostly. I'd go to work in the dark, come home in the dark, sleep through the day, and get up when it was dark. I'd go weeks sometimes if I was doing overtime before I'd see daylight. A guy I worked with ended up quitting because his actual hair was falling out through lack of sunlight B2! This was great to see, so modern, with decent seating. Seating is so important in an environment like this.

[@LaunchPadAstronomy]

I felt your pain. I spent two years at NASA/GSFC working in a basement flight control room as well. When we had to do a 2-week overnight shift campaign I was experiencing the same thing. I was so happy when I went across the hallway a year later. Still in the basement but this time there was a ground-level window and I was so happy :) But the JWST MOC is by far the best I've ever seen.

[@erichaynes7502]

Come back when you're ready Christian, no rush. We appreciate you.

[@24AK]

Thanks for the video and Merry Christmas!

[@LaunchPadAstronomy]

My pleasure, and a very Merry Christmas to you as well!

[@physicslover1950]

I am one of the biggest fans of this channel I wana know why you haven't uploaded any video for months.... I can't wait for new videos from you... I also have a question? Will James Webb look in the Direction of the Great Attractor?

[@Clone683]

Working somewhere like this would be an absolute dream job for me. Those guys hit the jackpot.

[@rushi1306]

Thank you soo much for taking us along with you in THE ROOM!

[@crnocommentary]

So glad I got treated to a new video from you! Great stuff here

[@bigounce1292]

Stressfull job, hats off to them

[@LaunchPadAstronomy]

They're steely-eyed missile men.

[@mickmacy6161]

Beautiful launch, commissioning and control. The delay's, re-engineering and testing paid off!

[@physicslover1950]

That was a very valuable piece of new information ... I loved that from you Christan Ready... Thank you so much... Before watching this video I didn't know how JWST team communicates will Webb .. Now I know that they are using three different powerful antennas to connect to JWST... The Antenna that connects to JWST at a time is always on the Night Side of the Earth.... Will you please make a video on the Pillars of Creation Image, New Southern Ring Nebula image and the New Carina Nebula Image ; what we have discovered and learnt new form these regions of space using JWST and when is the team gonna release the new science form Webb and new things we learnt about the early universe ... Recently we came to know that Nuclear fusion ignition has been tested successfully. After this discovery, what is your point of view about the future of rocket launching technologies and telescopes life extension using nuclear fusion power?

[@hiddenbear5306]

A in sight view of the JWST command, that's cool !

[@NewMessage]

Ok, this was an early xmas pressie!

[@LaunchPadAstronomy]

Thanks!

[@astrobotnautics5291]

This is fantastic. I haven't watched your channel in a while, but what a piece of content!

[@seawalkarrg]

I live downtown Baltimore and have always wanted to visit there. Thanks for sharing!!

[@LaunchPadAstronomy]

You bet!

[@ridhvikg]

Thank you for bringing these amazing BTS of one of the most significant tools of humankind! I am very grateful!

[@aripaule]

You're the BEST one. Please keep doing this excellent job, greetings from Brazil!

[@LaunchPadAstronomy]

Thank you very much!

[@peterstockschlaeder956]

Pretty neat. Of course, as a server guy, I wanna see the datacenter.... 🙂

[@techdefined9420]

Fantastic video, always wondered how commands are sent. The tour was very interesting and to know their procedures.

[@dalekman8945]

This was so cool to see! Great vid

[@sortedsortof3474]

I am always just awed by the fact that these missions consume so many years of work and commitment. JWST was 20 or so years in development and many years prior to that in conception. There will be MANY years yet to come in operation and analysis. I believe that many of the people working with the Pioneer spacecraft were not even born yet when it launched. Very hard for me to comprehend it all. Thank you for keeping us all informed on space stuff.

[@physicslover1950]

In which state of America is this flight control room located?

[@jennymcelligott]

@@physicslover1950 Baltimore, Maryland.

[@physicslover1950]

@@jennymcelligott Thanks for replying. 💖

[@andrewnoonan971]

Very good video and production quality professor, nice to see the channel is still going strong. Keep up the good work!!

[@LaunchPadAstronomy]

Much appreciated Andrew, and great to hear from you!

[@NOT_NativeEN_Speaker]

UNREAL !! Thank you for arranging and recording such an incredible visit for us, sir 👍💖💖💖 BTW What was that empty room there, Backup setup?

[@LaunchPadAstronomy]

Glad you enjoyed it! That back room is the engineering room where they did the instrument commissioning, among other things.

[@NOT_NativeEN_Speaker]

@@LaunchPadAstronomy Oh IC 👍 Thank you again and let me wish you Happy 2023 🎉

[@guyh3403]

Thank you so much for this insight! Happy holidays to you and your family sir. Stay safe.

[@LaunchPadAstronomy]

Thank you and likewise!

[@jupiter604]

Awesome video!! Especially the ping :)))

[@Jezee213]

This was so freaking cool to see. I always wanted to see this place and now I have so thank you!

[@LaunchPadAstronomy]

Any time!

[@crnocommentary]

I ordered that space places book that's in all of your videos incredible photography in that book

[@-MaXuS-]

Christian, that was super cool to get a sneak peak behind the curtain! So thanks so much for that 😌🙏. I realize this isn’t a new video but when KZbin stops notifying me of the latest content from my favorite channels after a while I sometimes forget to manually check. Which is frustrating to be sure, that KZbin keeps doing that, that is. I’ve been a channel subscriber..🤔..since 2019 I think it is so not super long but not super short either.. But anyways I just wanted to say I’ve always appreciated your content. ✌️🙏🖖

[@LaunchPadAstronomy]

Thanks man , I appreciate you letting me know!

[@bdhaliwal24]

Thanks!

[@LaunchPadAstronomy]

Thank you!

[@kishorkumar-uk9ir]

I watch nearly all your video... Nice to know that we can go that near to jwst through your channel 🙏

[@LaunchPadAstronomy]

Glad to have you along!

[@phanikumar2373]

Hope to see your fabulous videos more often

[@LaunchPadAstronomy]

I will try my best

[@Turdfergusen382]

Transmitting the commands was way faster than I thought

[@HansMilling]

I never imagined, that many people had to be involved in the daily operation of the telescope. Cool to see though.

[@myothersoul1953]

I like seeing the details of operations. Like.

[@bravo_01]

Very cool

[@jacobomolins9447]

Thank you for this!

[@m0neez]

thanks for sharing

[@UnexpectedBooks]

Fascinating! I wonder if somebody who is experienced on Hubble or another space telescope could easily adapt to the JWST control system. Hopefully, there’s a lot of reuse.

[@LaunchPadAstronomy]

Definitely can switch from HST to JWST (I operated 3 different spacecraft simultaneously when I was at Goddard). Every spacecraft is different, but they all share a number of common subsystems and protocols.

[@dexio85]

It would be cool to know what kind of software they use: is it custom written? If so, in that language? what is the communication standard they use to actually talk to the JWST, etc.

[@misterphmpg8106]

that is probably very secret so no one can interfere...

[@anullhandle]

@@misterphmpg8106 databases are xml, 26GHz Ka band using COTS software.

[@DefianceGal]

So how long does the signal take from the telescope to the computer and vice versa? Just curius. I doubt it is that fast.

[@_TeXoN_]

Interesting how many people they need for daily operations. ESA operates four telescopes with only one person on shift and some say that this is still inefficient.

[@lucywucyyy]

id like to know about the software being used im assuming the telescope runs some form of linux? what about the desktops and what software is used for the interfaces

[@TheWonkyAstronomer]

You can see that these machines are running Windows. For example at around 8:53 you can clearly see the Windows task bar. I suspect the telescope itself is using a custom OS.

[@lucywucyyy]

@@TheWonkyAstronomer disappointing

[@willemvandebeek]

This is the first time I am seeing you next to another person and for some reason I imagined you being a very short person before this video, but you are actually the exact opposite and a quite tall man, Christian. o_O Anyway, probably very unnecessary information from me again, my apologies. I just want to wish you all a merry Christmas, Launch Pad Astronomy crew. :)

[@LaunchPadAstronomy]

That’s so funny 😆 I’m 6’ 1” Have a very Merry Christmas!🎄

[@DonDonnieDon]

I’m heavy into late stage stellar evolution. …and biscuits.

[@LaunchPadAstronomy]

Because there can't be any biscuits without late-stage stellar evolution! :)

[@rafangirl1]

STScI doesn't get enough credit for what it does, keeping Webb and Hubble operating. It isn't just NASA, ESA, CSA, etc.

[@LaunchPadAstronomy]

Agreed!

[@physicslover1950]

Just can't wait for you upcoming valuable videos. I have been waiting for you video on JWST pillars of creation for 3 months. Anyway I will wait more for this masterpiece. I am only confused about one thing, an astronomical physical phenomena of everything (every spinning spherical object) whether a black hole, pulsar or a new forming star, why all of these release jets of radiation and materials from their poles only and not from equator or somewhere else on the surface? What is causing this phenomenon? There is not a single video on KZbin explaining this important astronomical phenomenon and I have returned pretty much disappointed from google. Now only you are my last hope Christian Ready!

[@jimmcleod7286]

Everything I saw other than the gifted people was hardware-based. But I do not think I heard a mention of the computers themselves. Is this facility Mac or PC dependent? What computer specifications are required? How about the many monitors? What are their specifications?

[@matiastripaldi406]

i don't work there, of course, but i think they don't require very powerful computers. they're all running windows 10 and the main screens they see seem to be a web-based system, so it seems to me that everything is offloaded onto a central powerful server and all the comptuers we see are just transfering and showing data and commands back and forth

[@LaunchPadAstronomy]

I’d say that’s about right. All of the hardware in the room are HP machines running Windows 10. Obviously a lot of custom software written just to support JWST ops but a lot of “commercial” stuff that’s used for other missions as well.

[@erichaynes7502]

as long as it ain't vista they'll be doing alright

[@800Viffer]

A wee bit of irony in 'Vista' considering it's a telescope 🤗

[@eherrmann01]

I want to work in that room. Instead, I sell lawnmower parts. Oh well. Thanks for sharing this inside view into HST operations.

[@jppitman1]

As long as we are gainfully employed, as you and I are, we play an important part in keeping this country forging ahead so that we CAN have these incredible instruments to probe the universe`s mysteries, mysteries of which we ourselves are a part.

[@jennymcelligott]

There are so many types of roles at NASA- I was a carpenter five years ago and now I'm there doing animation. Keep pushing if it's your dream. Make connections!

[@LaunchPadAstronomy]

What kind of animation do you do @jennymcelligott ?

[@jennymcelligott]

@@LaunchPadAstronomy I’m a multimedia Artist and animator with the conceptual image lab at Goddard! Our team did a lot with the Webb broadcasts launch day and in July. So science animations, motion graphics, and unreal engine stuff for earth science pieces.

[@LaunchPadAstronomy]

@@jennymcelligott I’m in awe of your work!

[@njgjhrjd]

no joystick? whaaat? 😢

[@LaunchPadAstronomy]

There's an icon :)

[@esoteric_Derek]

00:30 - "Thanks for showing us around," he says as they stand before and entire control room's worth of turned off monitors... Lol!

[@Sammy10100]

Who determines what the telescope observes..

[@LaunchPadAstronomy]

There's an annual call for proposals which are anonymously submitted and reviewed based on their scientific justifications. Then they're scheduled based on when the target is visible, pointing requirements, etc.

[@quannga99]

Wondering if the JWST can see our neighbor universe.

[@conanobrien1]

Too bad you didn't ask how they dealt with the actual problems (mini meteor strike and MIRI problem) they had since the launch.

[@LaunchPadAstronomy]

We did chat about it but it didn't make the cut. As for the meteoroid, that problem wasn't noticed in real-time but rather later on during analysis. So while they were certainly sending up commands to tweak the mirrors, the actual problem was being addressed elsewhere in the building :)

[@conanobrien1]

@@LaunchPadAstronomy You can still make "director's cut" version of the conversation... wink wink nudge nudge

[@elmusico9183]

👽👽👽

[@OleOlson]

Can we please just start calling it the Webb Telescope?

[@kayzeaza]

Why? Are you in a hurry?

[@OleOlson]

@@kayzeaza It's cumbersome

[@josephgaydosh7300]

You know it would be nice if you put out a video more often or we are going to unsubscribe.

[@Nightscape_]

I would feel so awkward if a camera crew came into my office. As if there wasn't enough pressure already. Still, nice of them to let us see what our tax dollars are going to.

[@LaunchPadAstronomy]

Fair point, though I think they're pretty used to it by now.

[@gearheadgaming1537]

Not their first rodeo

[@jntaca]

JWST is flat.

[@jamesjoseph5707]

I expected alot More out of Webb in its first year up. I hope it gets better. Right now I'm Not impressed.

[@kayzeaza]

Describe the more you want to see?

[@jennymcelligott]

It was calibrating until July- so it's really only been five months. Either way yeah what are you looking for? Have you seen all of the science results because they're pretty amazing.