Twenty five years and $10 billion later, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has finally blasted off on its historic space mission.
Named after former NASA Administrator James E. Webb, who played an integral part in the Apollo program, the space telescope is a joint NASA/European Space Agency (ESA)/Canadian Space Agency (CSA) project set to succeed the Hubble Space Telescope as the world’s premier science observatory.
Launched on Saturday from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, South America, the telescope’s 27-minute ride aboard Ariane 5 began the morning of Dec. 25. After separating from the rocket and unfolding its solar array, Webb embarked on a month-long journey to its intended orbit—nearly 1 million miles from Earth. Scientific operations are expected to begin in approximately six months.
“The James Webb Space Telescope represents the ambition that NASA and our partners maintain to propel us forward into the future,” Bill Nelson, agency administrator, said in a statement. “The promise of Webb is not what we know we will discover; it’s what we don’t yet understand or can’t yet fathom about our universe.”
Development on the world’s largest and most complex space science observatory began in 1996, for an original launch in 2007. But a series of unfortunate events—earthquakes, a hurricane, snowstorms, blizzards, wildfires, and a global pandemic (not to mention cost overruns)—delayed the program.
“Webb’s launch marks a significant moment not only for NASA, but for thousands of people worldwide who dedicated their time and talent to the mission over the years,” according to Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA HQ. “We are poised on the edge of a truly exciting time of discovery, of things we’ve never before seen or imagined.”
Built to complement and expand on its predecessors, Hubble and Spitzer, Webb carries four state-of-the-art science instruments with highly sensitive infrared detectors to study light from celestial objects with superior clarity.
Keep up with the space telescope via an online info hub, including a real-time map of Webb’s location, cruising speed, and schedule, as well as an interactive look at each stage of deployment.
