Could JWST stay at L2 “forever”?What happens to JWST after it runs out of propellant?How will JWST manage solar pressure effects to maintain attitude and station keep it's unstable orbit?Why should the James Webb Space telescope stay in the unstable L2?The JWST - What happens if/when it breaks?Why won't JWST deploy in LEO where it is potentially serviceable?How much of the sky can the JWST see?How will JWST be serviced?Why isn't the JWST mirror bigger?What happens to JWST after it runs out of propellant?Could a ball of water stay in orbit?Why Orion can't be used to service JWST?How will JWST manage solar pressure effects to maintain attitude and station keep it's unstable orbit?

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Could JWST stay at L2 “forever”?


What happens to JWST after it runs out of propellant?How will JWST manage solar pressure effects to maintain attitude and station keep it's unstable orbit?Why should the James Webb Space telescope stay in the unstable L2?The JWST - What happens if/when it breaks?Why won't JWST deploy in LEO where it is potentially serviceable?How much of the sky can the JWST see?How will JWST be serviced?Why isn't the JWST mirror bigger?What happens to JWST after it runs out of propellant?Could a ball of water stay in orbit?Why Orion can't be used to service JWST?How will JWST manage solar pressure effects to maintain attitude and station keep it's unstable orbit?













4












$begingroup$


Using only reaction wheels powered by solar panel and the sunshield as a sail to generate thrust from solar photon pressure, could JWST stay in its orbit around L2 "forever" (theoretically at least)?



In this case it couldn't fulfill it's main objective, which is to be a space telescope pointing at distant objects for long exposure time. But this is a hypothetical question asking about its orbital dynamics.



Anyway, could this be a practical way to set JWST on "pause" for say 2 years, without burning fuel/ejecting mass to keep its orbit around L2?










share|improve this question











$endgroup$







  • 1




    $begingroup$
    Here are some different, but related questions whose answers may contain information that is also helpful here: How will JWST manage solar pressure effects to maintain attitude and station keep it's unstable orbit? and also What happens to JWST after it runs out of propellant?.
    $endgroup$
    – uhoh
    1 hour ago
















4












$begingroup$


Using only reaction wheels powered by solar panel and the sunshield as a sail to generate thrust from solar photon pressure, could JWST stay in its orbit around L2 "forever" (theoretically at least)?



In this case it couldn't fulfill it's main objective, which is to be a space telescope pointing at distant objects for long exposure time. But this is a hypothetical question asking about its orbital dynamics.



Anyway, could this be a practical way to set JWST on "pause" for say 2 years, without burning fuel/ejecting mass to keep its orbit around L2?










share|improve this question











$endgroup$







  • 1




    $begingroup$
    Here are some different, but related questions whose answers may contain information that is also helpful here: How will JWST manage solar pressure effects to maintain attitude and station keep it's unstable orbit? and also What happens to JWST after it runs out of propellant?.
    $endgroup$
    – uhoh
    1 hour ago














4












4








4





$begingroup$


Using only reaction wheels powered by solar panel and the sunshield as a sail to generate thrust from solar photon pressure, could JWST stay in its orbit around L2 "forever" (theoretically at least)?



In this case it couldn't fulfill it's main objective, which is to be a space telescope pointing at distant objects for long exposure time. But this is a hypothetical question asking about its orbital dynamics.



Anyway, could this be a practical way to set JWST on "pause" for say 2 years, without burning fuel/ejecting mass to keep its orbit around L2?










share|improve this question











$endgroup$




Using only reaction wheels powered by solar panel and the sunshield as a sail to generate thrust from solar photon pressure, could JWST stay in its orbit around L2 "forever" (theoretically at least)?



In this case it couldn't fulfill it's main objective, which is to be a space telescope pointing at distant objects for long exposure time. But this is a hypothetical question asking about its orbital dynamics.



Anyway, could this be a practical way to set JWST on "pause" for say 2 years, without burning fuel/ejecting mass to keep its orbit around L2?







lagrangian-points station-keeping james-webb-telescope






share|improve this question















share|improve this question













share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited 1 hour ago









uhoh

40.5k18151514




40.5k18151514










asked 1 hour ago









qq jkztdqq jkztd

903314




903314







  • 1




    $begingroup$
    Here are some different, but related questions whose answers may contain information that is also helpful here: How will JWST manage solar pressure effects to maintain attitude and station keep it's unstable orbit? and also What happens to JWST after it runs out of propellant?.
    $endgroup$
    – uhoh
    1 hour ago













  • 1




    $begingroup$
    Here are some different, but related questions whose answers may contain information that is also helpful here: How will JWST manage solar pressure effects to maintain attitude and station keep it's unstable orbit? and also What happens to JWST after it runs out of propellant?.
    $endgroup$
    – uhoh
    1 hour ago








1




1




$begingroup$
Here are some different, but related questions whose answers may contain information that is also helpful here: How will JWST manage solar pressure effects to maintain attitude and station keep it's unstable orbit? and also What happens to JWST after it runs out of propellant?.
$endgroup$
– uhoh
1 hour ago





$begingroup$
Here are some different, but related questions whose answers may contain information that is also helpful here: How will JWST manage solar pressure effects to maintain attitude and station keep it's unstable orbit? and also What happens to JWST after it runs out of propellant?.
$endgroup$
– uhoh
1 hour ago











2 Answers
2






active

oldest

votes


















6












$begingroup$

According to Wikipedia, the delta-v requirements to stay at L1 or L2 are about 30-100 m/2. The sun shield has an area of about 300 m^2. The thrust possible is about 0.00279664 N, assuming purely reflective. Mass of JWST is about 6200 kg. Putting all of that together, the possible acceleration is around 14 m/s per year, not quite enough to station keep. Also, this assumes fully reflective sun shields, and pointed straight at the sun. I'm not sure what the actual direction of thrust that would be required to keep it at L2, but it probably wouldn't be straight on, thus reducing this further.



So it couldn't quite work, but actually can produce a sizeable amount of thrust.






share|improve this answer









$endgroup$




















    3












    $begingroup$

    This paper by Heiligers et al. explores Earth-moon libration point orbits with the addition of solar sail thrusting. While it is of course not directly translateable to Sun-Earth L2 (JWST) the dynamics of libration point orbits in both systems are at least comparable. The study shows that an increase in stability can be acquired for some orbits (lunar L2 halo being one of them).



    JWST is however not a typical solar sail spacecraft. These have much higher area/mass ratios and will produce more acceleration, together with a lower mass (I'm assuming also lower inertia) which means they can steer their sails much more effectively.



    I would assume that the conclusions from the paper can be applied to the JWST as well, but the impact on the stability will probably be much smaller than in the case of a regular solar sail spacecraft.






    share|improve this answer









    $endgroup$













      Your Answer





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      2 Answers
      2






      active

      oldest

      votes








      2 Answers
      2






      active

      oldest

      votes









      active

      oldest

      votes






      active

      oldest

      votes









      6












      $begingroup$

      According to Wikipedia, the delta-v requirements to stay at L1 or L2 are about 30-100 m/2. The sun shield has an area of about 300 m^2. The thrust possible is about 0.00279664 N, assuming purely reflective. Mass of JWST is about 6200 kg. Putting all of that together, the possible acceleration is around 14 m/s per year, not quite enough to station keep. Also, this assumes fully reflective sun shields, and pointed straight at the sun. I'm not sure what the actual direction of thrust that would be required to keep it at L2, but it probably wouldn't be straight on, thus reducing this further.



      So it couldn't quite work, but actually can produce a sizeable amount of thrust.






      share|improve this answer









      $endgroup$

















        6












        $begingroup$

        According to Wikipedia, the delta-v requirements to stay at L1 or L2 are about 30-100 m/2. The sun shield has an area of about 300 m^2. The thrust possible is about 0.00279664 N, assuming purely reflective. Mass of JWST is about 6200 kg. Putting all of that together, the possible acceleration is around 14 m/s per year, not quite enough to station keep. Also, this assumes fully reflective sun shields, and pointed straight at the sun. I'm not sure what the actual direction of thrust that would be required to keep it at L2, but it probably wouldn't be straight on, thus reducing this further.



        So it couldn't quite work, but actually can produce a sizeable amount of thrust.






        share|improve this answer









        $endgroup$















          6












          6








          6





          $begingroup$

          According to Wikipedia, the delta-v requirements to stay at L1 or L2 are about 30-100 m/2. The sun shield has an area of about 300 m^2. The thrust possible is about 0.00279664 N, assuming purely reflective. Mass of JWST is about 6200 kg. Putting all of that together, the possible acceleration is around 14 m/s per year, not quite enough to station keep. Also, this assumes fully reflective sun shields, and pointed straight at the sun. I'm not sure what the actual direction of thrust that would be required to keep it at L2, but it probably wouldn't be straight on, thus reducing this further.



          So it couldn't quite work, but actually can produce a sizeable amount of thrust.






          share|improve this answer









          $endgroup$



          According to Wikipedia, the delta-v requirements to stay at L1 or L2 are about 30-100 m/2. The sun shield has an area of about 300 m^2. The thrust possible is about 0.00279664 N, assuming purely reflective. Mass of JWST is about 6200 kg. Putting all of that together, the possible acceleration is around 14 m/s per year, not quite enough to station keep. Also, this assumes fully reflective sun shields, and pointed straight at the sun. I'm not sure what the actual direction of thrust that would be required to keep it at L2, but it probably wouldn't be straight on, thus reducing this further.



          So it couldn't quite work, but actually can produce a sizeable amount of thrust.







          share|improve this answer












          share|improve this answer



          share|improve this answer










          answered 58 mins ago









          PearsonArtPhotoPearsonArtPhoto

          84.4k16243465




          84.4k16243465





















              3












              $begingroup$

              This paper by Heiligers et al. explores Earth-moon libration point orbits with the addition of solar sail thrusting. While it is of course not directly translateable to Sun-Earth L2 (JWST) the dynamics of libration point orbits in both systems are at least comparable. The study shows that an increase in stability can be acquired for some orbits (lunar L2 halo being one of them).



              JWST is however not a typical solar sail spacecraft. These have much higher area/mass ratios and will produce more acceleration, together with a lower mass (I'm assuming also lower inertia) which means they can steer their sails much more effectively.



              I would assume that the conclusions from the paper can be applied to the JWST as well, but the impact on the stability will probably be much smaller than in the case of a regular solar sail spacecraft.






              share|improve this answer









              $endgroup$

















                3












                $begingroup$

                This paper by Heiligers et al. explores Earth-moon libration point orbits with the addition of solar sail thrusting. While it is of course not directly translateable to Sun-Earth L2 (JWST) the dynamics of libration point orbits in both systems are at least comparable. The study shows that an increase in stability can be acquired for some orbits (lunar L2 halo being one of them).



                JWST is however not a typical solar sail spacecraft. These have much higher area/mass ratios and will produce more acceleration, together with a lower mass (I'm assuming also lower inertia) which means they can steer their sails much more effectively.



                I would assume that the conclusions from the paper can be applied to the JWST as well, but the impact on the stability will probably be much smaller than in the case of a regular solar sail spacecraft.






                share|improve this answer









                $endgroup$















                  3












                  3








                  3





                  $begingroup$

                  This paper by Heiligers et al. explores Earth-moon libration point orbits with the addition of solar sail thrusting. While it is of course not directly translateable to Sun-Earth L2 (JWST) the dynamics of libration point orbits in both systems are at least comparable. The study shows that an increase in stability can be acquired for some orbits (lunar L2 halo being one of them).



                  JWST is however not a typical solar sail spacecraft. These have much higher area/mass ratios and will produce more acceleration, together with a lower mass (I'm assuming also lower inertia) which means they can steer their sails much more effectively.



                  I would assume that the conclusions from the paper can be applied to the JWST as well, but the impact on the stability will probably be much smaller than in the case of a regular solar sail spacecraft.






                  share|improve this answer









                  $endgroup$



                  This paper by Heiligers et al. explores Earth-moon libration point orbits with the addition of solar sail thrusting. While it is of course not directly translateable to Sun-Earth L2 (JWST) the dynamics of libration point orbits in both systems are at least comparable. The study shows that an increase in stability can be acquired for some orbits (lunar L2 halo being one of them).



                  JWST is however not a typical solar sail spacecraft. These have much higher area/mass ratios and will produce more acceleration, together with a lower mass (I'm assuming also lower inertia) which means they can steer their sails much more effectively.



                  I would assume that the conclusions from the paper can be applied to the JWST as well, but the impact on the stability will probably be much smaller than in the case of a regular solar sail spacecraft.







                  share|improve this answer












                  share|improve this answer



                  share|improve this answer










                  answered 33 mins ago









                  Alexander VandenbergheAlexander Vandenberghe

                  58129




                  58129



























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