--- title: "NASA Fixes Months-Long Issue With James Webb Telescope" description: "One of the James Webb Space Telescope's most important instruments had been offline for months — but it's now been brought back to full functionality. " date: "2022-11-10" modified: "2022-11-10" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/nasa-fixes-james-webb-issue" categories: - "James Webb Space Telescope" - "NASA" - "Space" tags: - "James webb" - "james webb space telescope" - "JWST" - "the digest" --- # NASA Fixes Months-Long Issue With James Webb Telescope ![One of the James Webb Space Telescope's most important instruments had been offline for months — but it's now been brought back to full functionality. ]() *\Image: NASA/Futurism\* ## MIRI Me One of the James Webb Space Telescope's most important instruments had been offline for months — but thanks to some ingenuity at NASA, it's now been brought back to full functionality. As the [Space Telescope Science Institute wrote]() in a statement, the "supercold" Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) camera, which lets astronomers see the universe from the wavelength of their choosing, [went offline on August 24]() after its grating wheel started to malfunction. Described by the European Space Agency as [Webb's "coolest" instrument]() — a pun that references the uber-cold temperatures it can see — MIRI is the camera responsible for some of the most stunning Webb images. Having it offline didn't make the telescope completely dysfunctional, but it was certainly missed. https://twitter.com/esascience/status/1589925453279526914 ## Changing of the Guard Upon discovering the problem, NASA took the instrument — which is [one of four]() on board — offline upon discovering the issue. Weeks of remote investigations ensued, and finally, the Webb team determined that MIRI's wheel's problem was caused by "increased contact forces between the wheel central bearing assembly’s sub-components under certain conditions." In English, that means there was too much friction between the wheel and its grate, which was in turn screwing with the camera. The Webb team went ahead and assigned some new operational rules for the instrument while it was being remotely worked on, and on November 2, NASA enacted those rules so that it could finally bring the camera back online after more than two months of it being shut off. For its next move, the STScI notes, MIRI will be "taking advantage of a unique opportunity to observe Saturn’s polar regions" — not bad for an instrument that spent two months on the bench. **More Webb:** [*NASA's New James Webb Shot Is Much Better When You Put Googly Eyes On It*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()