HackerTube / Video
How to achieve nanometer precision in space?
Breaking Taps
Breaking Taps explains how the cryogenic mirror actuators on the James Webb Space Telescope achieve nanometer precision using flexures. It shows a 3D-printed replica and how one motor handles both coarse and fine motion.
Commenters repeatedly recommend it in JWST threads as a great explanation of clever mechanical design that is accurate and long lasting.
6 Hacker News mentions · 2022–2026