NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
End-to-end Product Development: Design, Fabrication, Testing, and Engineering Support.
In collaboration with NASA GSFC, Newton designed and delivered a highly functional adjustable lift sling for JWST with a custom-designed shipping container for thermal vacuum testing. These time-sensitive results optimized operations and budget considerations for the project compared to similar lift slings built by other vendors.
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) required a specialized solution to assist JWST development during lifting and integration operations.
Newton has been a partner of the JWST program since our inception. We are trusted for providing specialized, high-quality products, engineering services, and solutions for its development.
As the world’s most powerful space telescope ever built, JWST is a high-priority collaboration between NASA and its international counterparts that will revolutionize our understanding of deep space.
Newton designed, fabricated, tested, and delivered an adjustable lift sling (JALS) used to precisely orient the James Webb Space Telescope Pathfinder during lifting and integration operations for thermal vacuum testing. The solution includes a custom shipping container. For this, Newton:
• Designed, fabricated, tested, certified, and delivered the JWST Adjustable Lift Sling (JALS) and custom-designed container in five months;
• Performed multiple critical lifts using JALS to conduct precision orientation adjustments during testing and integration operations;
• Met safe working load requirements with a 50% margin (17,700 lb with up to 1.5 degrees of tilt);
• Qualified JALS to NASA's stringent standards including: ASME BTH-1, NASA-STD-8719.9, NASA-STD-5005B, and ASME B30.20;
• Designed, programmed, calibrated, and tested the JALS' control system. The shackle position is repeatable to 0.0001” and angular tilt is controllable to 0.01 degrees precision.
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