Malindi Space Station to play crucial role in relaying signal to NASA's James Webb Space telescope
A file photo of Malindi Space Station.
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Malindi
Space Station is set to play a crucial role in relaying the first signals to
Earth from the James Webb Space Telescope that was launched on Christmas day.
The US$ 9 billion infrared telescope was launched on Saturday morning in South America and it was ferried inside the cargo bay of Ariane 5 rocket.
The launch was carried live on a joint NASA-ESA webcast. The project has been in the making for years but has been stalled due torepeated delays and cost over-runs.
The
rocket is due to travel on a 1.5 million kilometre mission to space. In space
terminology, the first "contact" is described as the only means of
sending commands from a specific location and bringing data back to Earth.
After
this is set and done, the Malindi station will revert to a "support"
role during the mission.
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