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It just needs a tiny bit of acceleration in the right direction as it is released. It would then just drift away. That is just clever mechanical design and similar things have been done in other craft.

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Have a look at the structure of the JWST, I don't see many 'safe paths' that would work regardless of orientation. Those segments are pretty much bound to hit each other if you eject them at an angle (they are quite thick) and that would make them aimed straight for the focal point.

At a guess: all such theories have been debated and rejected by the people that built then thing in the first place.

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