Newest James Webb telescope survives 'space accident'. Between May 23 and 25, a micrometeorite crashed into one of the segments of its primary mirror, according to NASA..

The agency said that after an initial check, the mission team concluded that the telescope was still operating at a level higher than expected.. However, the collision had a certain effect on the data obtained.. A more thorough analysis and measurement of the effectiveness of the apparatus continues.

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The agency notes that such collisions will continue throughout the telescope's mission in space.. Scientists were ready for this and tested the mirrors of the apparatus on Earth.

After a successful launch, mirror deployment and telescope setup, the performance of the James Webb is still exceeding expectations, the observatory is still able to perform the scientific tasks for which it was created..

The James Webb mirror was designed to withstand bombardment by micrometeorites, dust-sized particles that travel at extreme speeds.. During the construction of the observatory, specialists carried out simulations, as well as real test effects on mirror samples, in order to find out how they could be strengthened.. However, the collision that occurred in reality was stronger than the simulations on Earth..

" By adjusting the position of the damaged segment, engineers can compensate for some of the distortion. This minimizes the effect of any impact, although not all changes can be compensated for in this way.. Engineers have already completed the first such adjustment for the recently affected C3 segment, and additional planned mirror adjustments will continue to refine this correction..

Recall that the development of the telescope began in 1996.. It was originally planned to be launched in 2007, but the mission faced a series of transfers and delays.. Because of this, the project budget has also increased, at the moment it is estimated at 9.7 billion dollars, 861 million of which will be directed to support it during the first five years after launch.

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The launch of the telescope was postponed several times last year.. So, it was planned that it would be launched on December 18, then the launch was postponed to December 22, and later to December 24. The launch took place on December 25.