That’s right, kind of. They are actually composed of a material known as beryllium. But after the mirrors are polished, they are coated with a thin layer of gold. What this does is control the absorption of infrared light. Recently NASA finished the process of polishing the mirrors for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).
Polishing the mirrors is a big step in the process in preparing the telescope. It is challenging, and accuracy is a must. Less than one millionth of an inch. And the mirror array will be much larger than the single Hubble Space Telescope (HST).The 18 hexagonal mirrors, which unfold to form one large mirror after being launched, measure a total of 21.3 feet. The primary HST mirror is 7 ft.
Not bad considering many professional doubted the mirrors would even be able to be constructed.
13 sections of the 18 are complete, and NASA will have the rest completed next year. Its launch will not take place until 2017 or 2018, but the design is telling us that the discoveries that await us will be truly amazing. Galaxies as ancient as the Universe itself.
The flight mirrors being cryogenically by Ball Aerospace at the X-ray and Cryogenic Facility at Marshall Space Flight Center
HST primary mirror compared to JWST mirror.
NASA Sets Launch Date - July 8th at 1126 EDT, 1526 UTC
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