The James Webb Space Telescope is a collaboration between NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), representing one of the most significant international partnerships in space exploration.
Technology
Includes a large primary mirror composed of 18 hexagonal segments, a sunshield the size of a tennis court to protect it from the Sun's heat.
Launch Date
James Webb Space Telescope was launched on December 18, 2021, from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana, aboard an Ariane 5 rocket provided by the European Space Agency.
Destination
JWST is placed in an orbit around the second Lagrange point (L2), located about 1.5 million kilometers (0.93 million miles) from Earth which provides a stable vantage point for observing the universe with minimal interference from Earth and the Moon.
Objective
JWST's primary mission is to study the early universe, the formation of galaxies, stars, and planetary systems, and the potential for life on exoplanets. It will also investigate the properties of dark matter and dark energy, two mysterious components that make up the majority of the universe.
With its suite of advanced instruments, including the Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam), the Near Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec), and the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), JWST will be able to observe the universe across a wide range of wavelengths, from the infrared to the visible.
JWST promises to open new avenues of discovery and revolutionize our understanding of the cosmos. Scientists around the world are already planning groundbreaking research projects to capitalize on JWST's observational capabilities.
Challenges including the design and construction of its complex mirror system and the development of the sunshield to protect the telescope from thermal radiation, were faced while developing JWST.
Legacy
The James Webb Space Telescope is named after James E. Webb, NASA's second administrator, who played a crucial role in expanding the agency's space exploration efforts during the Apollo era.
JWST is expected to build on the legacy of previous space telescopes, such as the Hubble Space Telescope, and pave the way for future generations of astronomers and scientists to explore the mysteries of the universe.