Film & Animation

Behind the Webb: All Sewn Up (Episode 21)

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The James Webb Space Telescope’s tennis court-sized sunshield is made of a special material called Kapton. But finding Kapton this size is impossible, so engineers must assemble pieces in order to make the sunshield the proper size. This episode of Behind the Webb shows us how the sunshield becomes the proper size and how it’s being tested to ensure it will withstand the rigors of space. (Please note: Some parts of the video are obscured due to the proprietary processes used to make the sunshield.)

“Behind the Webb” is an ongoing series that follows the construction of the Webb Space Telescope, Hubble’s successor. Find more episodes at Hubblesite.org.

“Behind the Webb” archive:
http://webbtelescope.org/webb_telescope/behind_the_webb/archive/