JWST Resumes Science after a Brief Period of Paused Observations

June 6, 2023

About This Article

On June 1st,  NIRISS experienced a timeout and was, therefore, not available for science observations. No prime or coordinated parallels were affected by this. Detailed diagnostics show the instrument was healthy and ready to be recovered. Shortly after, on June 3rd, an unrelated combination of factors during the guide star pointing and acquisition resulted in the Fine Guidance Sensor (FGS) set to unavailable. This triggered a pause in JWST science observations. The ensuing analysis demonstrated all checks and software responses were adequate, and we will evaluate whether minor adjustments to the procedure are needed moving forward. The observatory was never at risk. On June 4th, NIRISS and FGS were successfully recovered, and science observations have resumed normally. Skipped visits will generally be rescheduled. Principal Investigators who were impacted should contact their Program Coordinators (PCs) to evaluate the need to request a repeat observation using a Webb Operation Problem Report (WOPR).

Share This Page

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google

Webb Space Telescope insignia

 

For technical assistance, please contact the JWST Help Desk.

 

The NASA James Webb Space Telescope, developed in partnership with ESA and CSA, is operated by AURA’s Space Telescope Science Institute.