![]() ![]() This will enable it to observe distant objects in the universe better than any other instrument in the world, due to both its size and its location far away from Earth.Ī large mirror is needed to reflect light from objects in space. The telescope sports a 21-foot-wide, 4-inch-thick tiling of mirrors acting as one large mirror. Webb is nearly ready to take flight.”Ī poster was made by NASA to celebrate the James Webb Telescope. “For the first time, we’ll see the light from the first galaxies that formed in the early universe. “This telescope will fundamentally alter our understanding of the universe,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson announced on August 24, 2021. By looking in infrared light, the telescope can observe the cosmos in greater detail than ever before. JWST is the biggest and most complex telescope ever built by NASA. What will the James Webb Space Telescope do? In August 2021, NASA announced its first task, which will be no small feat: mapping the earliest structures in the universe. It’s expected to begin its science operations in 2022. The first month will involve testing of electrical equipment to make sure its still functioning after its journey. Now NASA is aiming for the late-2021 launch.Īfter the telescope arrives via boat, it will take 55 additional days to prepare it for launch. The telescope had an initial launch window scheduled for 2018, which was then pushed back to 2020. Perseverance, the top-of-the-line new Mars rover, cost around $2 billion. The current cost estimate has been $10 billion. But it has suffered from continued delays, which have also contributed to a large cost overrun. JWST has been in the works since 1989 when the idea for it emerged from a NASA co-hosted workshop. In this photograph, testing teams work on the JWST. ![]() However, an ESA press release indicates that the telescope will arrive by the end of September. “We've enlisted the services of the US transportation Command to assess the complete route and the likelihood that we would encounter any unsafe individuals (or) situations,” Mark Voyton, NASA’s integrated science instrument module manager for the Webb Telescope, previously told Inverse. NASA has been mum on details of its journey - including how long it will take - thanks to a centuries-old problem: piracy on the high seas. ![]() The European Space Agency is providing the rocket and its launch services: Webb is taking off from the ELA-3 launch complex at the European Spaceport.įirst, though, the mission has to make its way safely from Long Beach, California to French Guiana, requiring a trip through the Panama Canal. It will launch near Kurou, French Guiana on an Ariane 5 rocket. UPDATE: This article was updated on September 9 to reflect a new targeted launch date. In August, it began preparations for shipment. In July, it passed three milestone tests, signaling it’s on track for launch. As of June 2021, JWST was still on schedule. The telescope is scheduled for a Decemlaunch date. When will the James Webb Space Telescope launch? JWST is meant to come in as Hubble’s successor, but 100 times more powerful. Hubble has been running for more than 30 years and is due for a long-awaited retirement. Now that we have an observatory and a rocket ready for launch, I am looking forward to the big day and the amazing science to come.”Īs JWST gears up for launch, Inverse breaks down its mission, orbital path, and its long and complicated road to space.īy now, space enthusiasts are pretty familiar with the Hubble Space Telescope. “I also am grateful for the steadfast support of Congress. Robinson, Webb’s program director at NASA, says in a press statement. “Together, we’ve overcome technical obstacles along the way as well as challenges during the coronavirus pandemic,” Gregory L. The telescope will help scientists peer back in cosmic time, with a plan to observe galaxies that are over 13 billion light-years away and study alien worlds with the hopes of finding atmospheres conducive to life. NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) - an ambitious mission in development for more than a decade - has an official targeted launch date of December 18, marking the end of two decades of development and preparing the way for one of NASA’s most ambitious missions.Īccording to NASA, the Webb telescope will travel farther than any current or planned crewed spacecraft. ![]()
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