I'm talking about over 1.5 million kilometers to be exact.

確切來說，我指的是 150 多萬公里遠。

But why do we need to send it so far and what kind of technology did we put on board to support mission success?

但為什麼我們要把它送到那麼遠的地方？我們在它的上面搭載了怎麼樣的科技來確保能夠達成任務？

Affectionately known as Webb, or JWST, this next-generation observatory has been in development for over 25 years.

這個經常被簡稱為韋伯望遠鏡或 JWST 的次世代天文台經歷了超過 25 年的研發。

And fun fact, as a mechanical engineer, I actually got the chance to work with NASA on this incredible telescope, specifically with the instrument module, which holds cutting-edge infrared technology.

有趣的是，作為一名機械工程師，我實際上曾有幸與 NASA 一起研發這個令人驚嘆的望遠鏡，主要是在其中配備了最先進紅外線科技的儀器模組部分。

Webb is set to tackle some of humanity's biggest goals like searching for the first galaxies in our universe and observing various signs for potential life in planetary systems.

韋伯望遠鏡會被用來解決一些人類所面對的最重大目標，例如尋找我們宇宙中第一個星系，並觀察在不同行星系統中潛在的外星生命存在跡象。

Mostly known as the successor of the incredibly popular Hubble Space Telescope, Webb will observe the universe with detectors that target near and mid-infrared wavelengths.

作為廣受歡迎的哈伯望遠鏡的繼承者，韋伯望遠鏡將會利用能夠偵測到近與中紅外線波長的偵測器來觀察整個宇宙。

This means that the instruments on board Webb are specifically designed to combat some of the historic challenges astronomers have faced when trying to observe the early universe,

這代表韋伯望遠鏡上的儀器是被特別設計來處理天文學家過去在觀察早期宇宙時，所面對過的各種挑戰，

like huge dust clouds that block the view of celestial objects, cosmological red-shifting, and even interference from other bodies.

例如擋住星體的厚重灰塵雲團、星際紅移現象，甚至是其他星體的阻擋。

In fact, there are three things necessary to create the perfect environment for an infrared telescope: a large mirror to collect as much light as possible, extremely cold temperatures, and a clear line of sight to your target.

事實上，我們需要齊備三個必要條件才能讓紅外線望遠鏡處於完美的環境：一個能夠盡可能反射出最多光線的大型鏡子、極為寒冷的溫度，以及與目標之間不受阻撓的視線。

Each detail has been thought out meticulously over the past two decades leading to this point, like where it will orbit. 1.5 million kilometers is a bit of a trip to say the least.

在過去的二十多年來，每個細節都被仔細地考量與評估後，才總算完成了望遠鏡。例如它應該要在個軌道上運行150 萬公里可不是個隨隨便便就能抵達的距離。

So why are we putting Webb in such a distant orbit?

所以為什麼我們要把韋伯望遠鏡發射到那麼遠的軌道上？

Well, it's headed to L2, the second Lagrange point around the Sun and Earth.

它要進到 L2 運行軌道是，也就是圍繞太陽與地球的第二格拉格朗日點

These five points are stable configurations that allow bodies to orbit each other, but still remain in the same position relative to one another.

這五個點是能讓星體們彼此在軌道上環繞的穩定配置，且維持著相同的相對位置。

The key to L2 is centripetal force, which you can imagine as the tension in a rope on a tether ball that keeps it connected to the pole.

選擇 L2 的關鍵點在於向心力。你可以把它想像是成一顆被繩子拴住的球，繩子被綁在一根竿子上時所受到的張力。

At L2, the centripetal force required for a small satellite-sized object to move in respect to the Earth is equal to the gravitational pull of the two larger masses.

在 L2 上，讓像是衛星這樣的小型物體相對於地球移動起來的向心力，與兩個巨大星體所造成的引力相當。

Meaning that this particularly cozy orbit has several benefits to support Webb's mission.

這代表這個格外愜意的軌道對於韋伯望遠鏡的任務來說有幾個好處。

The first is that because of the gravitational pull from the larger bodies, Webb will move in sync with the Earth as it orbits the Sun,

首先因為受到較大星體重力所吸引，韋伯望遠鏡會在地球環繞著太陽公轉的時候同時移動，

which is great for commanding and telemetry data drops back to our ground stations.

特別適合對將指令與遙測資料傳輸回地面上的工作站點。

This allows us to use the Deep Space Network to stay in constant communication with the satellite, and cuts down on any potential delay time that you might see in other missions.

這讓我們能夠使用深空網路來與該衛星保持穩定聯繫，並降低你常會在其他太空任務中看到的延遲問題。

The second is, thanks to centripetal force, it takes very short bursts of rocket thrust to keep the observatory in the original L2 orbit, which can ultimately increase mission life.

第二個好處則是由於有向心力的關係，我們只需要非常短暫的火箭推力便能將望遠鏡保持在原本的 L2 軌道上，藉此便能提升服役壽命。

The third benefit of the L2 position is that Webb's tennis court-sized sun shield can effectively block out any excess light from the Sun, Earth, and even the Moon.

第三個好處則是在 L2 位置上，韋伯望遠鏡上網球場大小的遮陽護盾能夠有效地阻擋任何來自太陽、地球甚至是月亮的多餘光線。

Thus voila! Creating a beautiful and open line of sight between Webb and our target.

於是，噠啦！韋伯望遠鏡與觀察目標間的視線便暢通無阻。

So remember the reason why we use the shield is because infrared light can also be interpreted as heat.

要記住，我們之所以使用遮陽護盾是因為紅外線其實也可以理解為熱能。

Since one of Webb's main goals is to study extremely distant and usually faint wavelengths, engineers had to ensure the observatory is protected from all heat sources, including itself.

由於韋伯望遠鏡的主要任務是研究極為遙遠且通常相當微弱的波長，工程師們必須確保望遠鏡不會受到任何熱源的干擾，包括它自己。

For this reason, the telescope is uniquely divided into two separate sections: the Cold and the Hot Side with the sunshield layers acting as the dividing line between the two.

因為這個原因，望遠鏡被分為兩個獨立的部分：熱區和冷區，中間以遮陽護盾作為分開的界線。

The cold side handles the observation functions, meaning it's where we get our data.

冷區負責的是觀測相關的功能，也就是我們取得資料的地方。

This side includes the primary and secondary mirrors, infrared instruments, and the detectors with an operating temperature of -233 degrees Celsius.

這一側包含了能夠在 -233 攝氏度下運作的主要與次要鏡面組、紅外線儀器以及探測器。

The hot side includes mainly spacecraft operation elements.

熱區則主要包含了太空船飛行相關的部件。

This includes the sunshield, solar panel, communication antenna, spacecraft bus, and star tracker with an operational temperature of 85 degrees Celsius.

其中包括了能在 85 攝氏度下運作的遮陽護盾、太陽能板、通訊天線、太空飛行器平台以及星體追蹤儀。

And it's insane to think that this telescope has to operate at these two extreme temperatures simultaneously.

而光是想像這個望遠鏡得同時在這兩種極端溫度下運作就讓人嘆為觀止。

Having the opportunity to work on this satellite was an absolutely amazing experience,

能夠有幸參與這個衛星的研發實在是個非常棒的經驗，

and I have to say although I'm Team Cold Side, I can't think of a better group to have fully integrated this amazing telescope with.

雖然我負責的是冷區，但我想像不到還有除了這群人以外，還有誰能夠更好地整合這個望遠鏡了。

And just think, following launch, it will take Webb approximately 30 days to fully deploy and reach its desired L2 orbit.

想想看，在從地球發射出去後，還得花上 30 天韋伯望遠鏡才能完全部署完成並抵達 L2 軌道。

From there, a series of calibrations will occur and we can expect to see data within six months.

接著會進行一連串的校正工序，然後我們便能期待在六個月內看到傳輸回來的資料。

I'm not sure about you, but I'm beyond excited to get one step closer to answering the question, "Where did it all begin?"

我不知道你怎麼想，但我現在對於我們總算更靠近「萬物的起始點究竟在哪？」這個問題的答案感到非常興奮。

So what are some of your biggest questions about the Webb telescope?

你對於韋伯望遠鏡最大的疑問是什麼呢？

Let us know in the comments below and make sure to subscribe.

留言在下面讓我們知道吧，然後請記得訂閱我們的頻道。

Thanks so much for watching Seeker, and I'll see you next time.

非常感謝各位收看 Seeker，我們下次再見。