Cryogenic photogrammetry and radiometry for the James Webb Space Telescope microshutters
2012
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) relies on several innovations to complete its five year mission. One vital
technology is microshutters, the programmable field selectors that enable the Near Infrared Spectrometer (NIRSpec) to
perform multi-object spectroscopy. Mission success depends on acquiring spectra from large numbers of galaxies by
positioning shutter slits over faint targets. Precise selection of faint targets requires field selectors that are both high in
contrast and stable in position. We have developed test facilities to evaluate microshutter contrast and alignment stability
at their 35K operating temperature. These facilities used a novel application of image registration algorithms to obtain
non-contact, sub-micron measurements in cryogenic conditions. The cryogenic motion of the shutters was successfully
characterized. Optical results also demonstrated that shutter contrast far exceeds the NIRSpec requirements. Our test
program has concluded with the delivery of a flight-qualified field selection subsystem to the NIRSpec bench.
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