I definitely agree with you about the slowdown. It seems like when they finished all of Webb’s deployment, they slowed it and are making minor teaks now Webb still has ten days to go before L2 orbit.
We have so much to gain from this project and I can’t wait.
The cruising speed is now down to just 663 mph.
I wonder what speed it has to be going to start its halo orbit of L2?
Also, the hot side of the telescope has maintained an almost constant temperature - currently 131F and 52F at the two measuring points.
The cold side dropped dramatically during the first day.
Both points are almost equal now - minus 328F and minus 329F.
After the first week, the cruise speed was already below 1,000 mph and dropping fast, which completely shocked me.
Like - is this thing even going to escape Earth’s gravity?
Per https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Geometry-and-time-line-for-an-L2-halo-orbit-The-L2-Lagrange-point-is-on-the-Sun-Earth_fig2_259063722, around 50 m/s (about 110 mph) is needed for insertion into a large-amplitude halo orbit at L2.