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_How did galaxies form? How did stars and planets form? Are we alone in the universe? Soon NASA will try to answer these questions that have mystified humankind for centuries.

In 2019 NASA will launch the James Webb Space Telescope (Webb). Webb will begin its exploration of the universe at distances beyond the reaches of the most powerful modern observatories, including the Hubble space telescope, which was launched in 1990.

From its perch about 940,000 miles (1.5 million kilometers) from Earth, in a place called the Second Sun-Earth Lagrange Point or L2, Webb will peer deep into space, allowing NASA to observe the origins of the universe when the very first stars and galaxies began to form shortly after the Big Bang.

This telescope will also help NASA study planets with nearby stars, and determine if these planets have water vapor and atmospheres rich in carbon dioxide and methane, the chemical byproducts of life.

KBRwyle has been part of this grand adventure from the beginning through participation in two Safety and Mission Assurance Services Contracts-SMAS and SMA3.

It's an amazing piece of hardware and quite remarkable to think of this extremely delicate device being launched on a rocket into deep space," said Vernon McDonald, Senior Vice President, KBRwyle. "We are proud to support the development and build of this historic venture."

Assuring reliability a million miles from Earth

The Safety and Mission Assurance Services (SMAS) Contract is based out of Greenbelt, Maryland at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). KBRwyle's team of hardware and software quality engineering experts who support this contract provide end-to-end life-cycle engineering and mission assurance support. The team also oversees the development of Webb's Optical Telescope Element (OTE) and Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM), which collectively make up Webb's Optical Telescope Instrument and Integrated Science Instrument Module (OTIS).

KBRwyle supports OTIS and its integration to Webb's observatory using the latest quality assurance and engineering principles and practices. These practices help ensure that all components and subsystems, and the spacecraft as a whole, are designed, manufactured, tested, processed, transported, and handled appropriately to ensure the success of this vital, $8 billion national asset.

As prime contractor on SMA3, KBRwyle quality engineers have assisted in building OTIS and they will be involved in its future deployment. One of the most challenging undertakings of this process has been developing the sunshield, made of five highly reflective layers - each approximately the size of a tennis court yet only as thick as a sheet of paper. The sunshield has over 120 mechanisms that must work flawlessly to ensure a successful deployment. At the heart of these mechanisms is a device called a non-explosive actuator, which will ensure that the sunshield unfurls from Webb's spacecraft after it reaches deep space.

These small actuators require detailed workmanship, and KBRwyle engineers have been working closely with NASA and the supplier to ensure that they operate reliably. During construction of the spacecraft, cables provided by a supplier in the United Kingdom required special attention. KBRwyle engineers were rapidly deployed to oversee manufacturing operations and confirm that the cables were manufactured to specifications.

Webb's thermal vacuum testing is conducted in a giant thermal vacuum chamber called Chamber A on NASA's Johnson Space Center campus. KBRwyle's quality and safety engineers ensure that the vacuum testing is conducted properly by overseeing hazardous operations such as testing and lifting of the pressure vessels and pressurized systems. KBRwyle engineers also closely monitor the integration and testing of the spacecraft at the prime supplier's facility in Redondo Beach, California.

Blazing a new trail into the unknown

When the Hubble telescope began peering deep into the unexplored universe, it produced breathtaking views of planets, stars, and galaxies; however more mysteries lie beyond the range of the Hubble. Webb promises to unravel these mysteries.

When Webb launches in 2019, it will convey the centuries-old imaginings of men and women who have looked into the night skies with wonder. It will also carry with it the expertise and many hours of hard work of the KBRwyle team who helped make this endeavor possible.

To learn more about the James Webb Space Telescope visit the website atwww.nasa.gov/webb.

Webb being maneuvered into the vacuum-testing chamber at the Johnson Space Center. Once inside, the chamber will be sealed and the temperature and pressure reduced to replicate that experienced in deep space.

KBRwyle employees in front of OTIS at JSC supporting the prime contractor ARES on the SMAS contract. Pictured from left to right: Matt Magsamen (NASA), John Tota (ARES), Joyce Manning (KBRwyle), Bonnie Bradley (ARES), Dave Tomlin (KBRwyle), Peggy Reno (KBRwyle), Vic Dimarco (ARES), Claire Fredlund (ARES).

OTIS out of the chamber with the NASA team."