I was clicking around and found documentation explaining what they'll be doing for the next 5 months, after the insertion burn and after it cools down enough: https://jwst-docs.stsci.edu/jwst-observatory-hardware/jwst-w...

Is there a simulator for all of this?

Or how does a researcher uses those manuals for requesting time?

Or are all request/approvals going through a core tech team?

1. What do you mean by simulator? The wavelength range/sensitivity of the various instruments has been simulated.

2. I think you use this tool to submit proposals: https://jwst-docs.stsci.edu/jwst-astronomers-proposal-tool-o...

3. They go through a panel to be peer-reviewed and compared to other proposals (similar to how grants are allocated by the government). I'm fairly certain this process also includes review by instrumentation experts. The process is double-blind and the first cycle has already been allocated: https://www.stsci.edu/jwst/science-execution/approved-progra....

A simulator which would show you what your selected configuration would return for an image.

Like if exposer time etc. Is correct.

They have a tool called APT that lets the researcher define the parameters of the experiment (target object, instrument settings, time, etc) and the software will find an open time slot which can meet those parameters. Then it goes through a double blind scientific review process. The researchers that worked on the telescope hardware get some amount of guaranteed time slots while the rest is used for general observers.

You can see video tutorials on the software here:

https://www.youtube.com/c/JWSTObserver/playlists

Interesting to see a public docs site using Confluence.