Robotic Observatories & Rovers

James Webb Space Telescope

Vehicle: Ariane 5 | Launch Site: Cape Canaveral Space Force Station

James Webb Space Telescope mission operations

Spacecraft Architecture & Subsystem Engineering

A breakdown of the electrical power, computing payload, communication networks, and vehicle dynamics of James Webb Space Telescope.

⚡ Electrical Power Subsystem

Gallium arsenide solar array generating 2,000 Watts of electrical power.

💾 Flight Command Computer

Solid State Recorder (SSR) storing up to 68 GB of science data, managed by high-speed radiation-hardened command processors.

📡 Communications Antenna

Ka-band high-rate transmitter and S-band antennas for telemetry, communicating via the Deep Space Network.

⚖️ Mass and Propulsion

6,200 kg.