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When to Use the JWST Deployment Sequence 3D Explorer

Last reviewed: 2026-08-12

Open the JWST Deployment Sequence 3D Explorer when you want a fast, real-dates answer to why the James Webb Space Telescope had to fold up for launch, and exactly how its tower, sunshield, and mirror unfolded once in space.

Sessions this explorer fits

Students and teachers explaining why a 6.5 m mirror and a 21x14 m sunshield could not fit inside a rocket fairing already assembled, readers who remember the January 2022 deployment news and want the real order of events, and anyone curious how a spacecraft can have 178 release mechanisms that all had to work all get a direct answer here.

Sessions this explorer does not fit

Sessions this page does not fit are watching what JWST does AFTER it finished unfolding, which is on the JWST L2 Halo Orbit 3D Explorer - that page picks up the story once JWST is already fully deployed and settling into its science orbit. Walk through the controls in the step-by-step guide.

← Back to Space 3D

Last updated: Aug 12, 2026

Reviewed by the Free Tool Online editorial team · Tested in the current versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge before publishing. No account is needed to use any tool. Report a bug - we triage within 72 hours. · Last refreshed April 2026.

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