# James Webb Space Telescope

> NASA/ESA/CSA space telescope launched in 2021

**Wikidata**: [Q186447](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q186447)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Webb_Space_Telescope)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/james-webb-space-telescope

## Summary
The James Webb Space Telescope is a NASA/ESA/CSA space telescope launched in 2021 designed to observe the early universe with unprecedented infrared sensitivity. As the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, it carries advanced scientific instruments to study cosmology, exoplanets, and the formation of stars and galaxies.

## Key Facts
- Launch date: December 25, 2021, aboard an Ariane 5 ECA rocket from ELA-3 in French Guiana
- Dimensions: 21.2 meters long, 14.2 meters wide, with a primary mirror diameter of 6.5 meters
- Mass: 6,161.42 kilograms at launch
- Cost: $9.7 billion total capital cost, with $8.8 billion for design and development
- Main operators: Goddard Space Flight Center (project management) and Space Telescope Science Institute (spacecraft operation)
- Destination: Halo orbit around L2 Earth-Sun Lagrangian point
- Scientific instruments: NIRCam, NIRSpec, MIRI, Fine Guidance Sensor and Near Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph
- Wavelength sensitivity range: 0.6 to 28.5 micrometers
- Named after: James E. Webb, NASA administrator from 1961-1968

## FAQs
### Q: What makes James Webb Space Telescope different from Hubble?
A: Unlike Hubble which primarily observes visible and ultraviolet light, JWST is optimized for infrared observations allowing it to see through cosmic dust and observe the first stars and galaxies formed after the Big Bang. It's also located much farther from Earth at the L2 point and has a larger primary mirror.

### Q: How much did the James Webb Space Telescope cost?
A: The telescope had a total capital cost of $9.7 billion, with $8.8 billion allocated for design and development, and approximately $861 million for spacecraft operations over five years.

### Q: What are the main scientific goals of the James Webb Space Telescope?
A: JWST aims to study the formation of the first stars and galaxies, understand the birth and death of stars, investigate the origins of life, and characterize the atmospheres of exoplanets to search for potential biosignatures.

### Q: How long will the James Webb Space Telescope operate?
A: The telescope is designed to operate for at least five years, with a goal of ten years or more, depending on fuel usage and instrument health.

## Why It Matters
The James Webb Space Telescope represents humanity's most ambitious attempt to understand our cosmic origins. By observing the universe in infrared wavelengths with unprecedented sensitivity, JWST can see through cosmic dust clouds to observe the first galaxies formed after the Big Bang, potentially answering fundamental questions about how our universe evolved. Its ability to study exoplanet atmospheres brings us closer to identifying potentially habitable worlds beyond our solar system. The telescope represents decades of international collaboration between NASA, ESA, and CSA, and has already begun transforming our understanding of stellar formation, galactic evolution, and the conditions necessary for life.

## Notable For
- Having the largest mirror ever launched into space at 6.5 meters in diameter
- Being positioned at the L2 Lagrangian point, approximately 1.5 million kilometers from Earth
- Operating primarily in the infrared spectrum, allowing it to see the earliest galaxies formed after the Big Bang
- Having the most complex deployment sequence in NASA history, involving hundreds of mechanical operations
- Carrying the most sensitive infrared instruments ever flown in space for astronomy

## Body

### Overview and Purpose
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is a space telescope designed primarily for infrared astronomy. It is the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope and complements it by observing in longer wavelengths. JWST's scientific goals include detecting light from the first stars and galaxies in the early universe, understanding the formation of stars and planetary systems, studying exoplanet atmospheres, and observing the birth and death of stars.

### Development History
The telescope began as the "Next Generation Space Telescope" proposal in 1996. It underwent preliminary design review in 2008 and critical design review in 2010. Construction of the telescope itself was completed by November 2016. The assembly of the major components (telescope, spacecraft bus, sunshield) was completed by August 2019. The telescope was transported from California to French Guiana between September 26 and October 12, 2021, before launching on December 25, 2021.

### Technical Specifications
- **Dimensions**: 21.2 meters length, 14.2 meters width
- **Mass**: 6,161.42 kilograms (launch weight)
- **Primary Mirror**: 6.5 meters in diameter, composed of 18 hexagonal beryllium segments
- **Secondary Mirror**: 0.74 meters in diameter
- **Focal Length**: 131.4 meters
- **Spectral Range**: 0.6 to 28.5 micrometers (infrared)
- **Sunshield**: Five-layered tennis court-sized sunshield to maintain cryogenic temperatures
- **Operating Temperature**: Approximately 50 Kelvin (-370°F or -223°C)

### Mission Operations
JWST is operated by two main institutions: the Goddard Space Flight Center manages the project, while the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland handles spacecraft operations and science data processing. The telescope is positioned in a halo orbit around the L2 Earth-Sun Lagrangian point, approximately 1.5 million kilometers from Earth. It was successfully deployed between December 28, 2021, and January 8, 2022, and reached its operational orbit by January 24, 2022. Commissioning was completed by April 28, 2022.

### Scientific Instruments
JWST carries four main scientific instruments:
1. **NIRCam (Near Infrared Camera)**: For imaging and spectroscopy in the near-infrared range
2. **NIRSpec (Near Infrared Spectrograph)**: For multi-object spectroscopy and spectroscopy of individual objects
3. **MIRI (Mid Infrared Instrument)**: For imaging and spectroscopy in the mid-infrared range
4. **Fine Guidance Sensor and Near Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph**: For fine guidance and imaging

### International Collaboration
The JWST is an international partnership between NASA (United States), ESA (Europe), and CSA (Canada). NASA provided the telescope and launch vehicle, ESA provided the Ariane 5 launch and two of the four main instruments, and CSA provided the Fine Guidance Sensor and contributions to the Near Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph.

### Manufacturers and Contributors
The telescope was manufactured by multiple contractors:
- **Northrop Grumman Corporation**: General contractor
- **Ball Aerospace & Technologies**: Primary mirror, secondary mirror, and control system
- **L3Harris Technologies**: Assembly, system integration, and system testing
- **General Dynamics Mission Systems**: Ground segment, operations engineering, and project commissioning
- **Materion**: Optical manufacturing and testing, beryllium components
- **Raytheon and Teledyne Technologies**: Infrared detectors

## References

1. [Source](https://webb.nasa.gov/content/about/faqs/faq.html#whatis)
2. [Source](https://space.stackexchange.com/questions/57722/curvature-of-the-jwst-mirrors)
3. [Source](https://jwst.nasa.gov/content/about/faqs/faq.html#partners)
4. [Source](https://www.northropgrumman.com/space/james-webb-space-telescope/)
5. [Source](https://www.ball.com/aerospace/programs/astrophysics/webb)
6. [Source](https://www.l3harris.com/all-capabilities/james-webb-space-telescope)
7. [Source](https://gdmissionsystems.com/services/space-operations-and-engineering-services)
8. [Source](https://materion.com/about/new-at-materion/before-and-after-apollo-materions-60-years-in-space)
9. The Mid-Infrared Instrument for the James Webb Space Telescope, VIII: The MIRI Focal Plane System
10. [Source](https://www.teledyne.com/en-us/news/Pages/Teledyne-Awarded-$23-Million-Contract-to-Supply-Infrared-Detectors-to-NASA%E2%80%99s-WFIRST-Astronomy-Mission.aspx)
11. Virtual International Authority File
12. Library of Congress Authorities
13. [JWST (James Webb Space Telescope)](https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/jwst.htm)
14. [Source](https://jwst.nasa.gov/about.html)
15. Jonathan's Space Report
16. [Webb liftoff on Ariane 5 to unlock secrets of the Universe](https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Webb/Webb_liftoff_on_Ariane_5_to_unlock_secrets_of_the_Universe)
17. [Source](https://spaceflightnow.com/2021/12/25/webb-telescope-finally-leaves-earth-in-search-of-light-from-first-galaxies/)
18. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
19. [Source](https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Webb/Webb_liftoff_on_Ariane_5_to_unlock_secrets_of_the_Universe)
20. [Source](https://blogs.nasa.gov/webb/2021/12/28/forward-pallet-structure-lowered-beginning-multiple-day-sunshield-deployment/)
21. [Source](https://blogs.nasa.gov/webb/2022/01/08/primary-mirror-wings-deployed-all-major-deployments-complete/)
22. [Source](https://blogs.nasa.gov/webb/2022/01/24/orbital-insertion-burn-a-success-webb-arrives-at-l2/)
23. [Source](https://planet4589.org/space/misc/webb/time.html)
24. [Source](https://blogs.nasa.gov/webb/2022/02/03/photons-incoming-webb-team-begins-aligning-the-telescope/)
25. [Source](https://mashable.com/article/james-webb-space-telescope-first-light-nasa)
26. BBC Things
27. [NASA Webb Telescope (@nasawebb) • Instagram photos and videos](https://www.instagram.com/nasawebb/)
28. [Source](https://jwst.nasa.gov/content/webbLaunch/assets/documents/WebbMediaKit.pdf)
29. [X](https://twitter.com/SpaceflightNow/status/1474021511891755008)
30. [Source](https://spacenews.com/jwst-launch-slips-to-november/)
31. [Virtual Launch Packet ONLINE](https://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/virtual-webb-space-telescope-launch-packet)
32. [Webb Space Telescope](https://jwst.nasa.gov/content/webbLaunch/assets/documents/WebbMediaKit.pdf)
33. [Social Media Shorts: Tower Extension Test a Success for NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfi4_aCc2nEhtUMSGqaim_Q)
34. [Source](https://naif.jpl.nasa.gov/pub/naif/toolkit_docs/C/req/naif_ids.html)
35. Quora
36. [Webb Fact Sheet](https://www.jwst.nasa.gov/content/webbLaunch/assets/documents/WebbFactSheet.pdf)
37. [James Webb Space Telescope](https://old.reddit.com/r/jameswebb/)
38. [reddit.com: search results - jwst](https://www.reddit.com/r/jameswebbdiscoveries/)
39. YouTube API
40. [OpenAlex](https://docs.openalex.org/download-snapshot/snapshot-data-format)
41. [James Webb Space Telescope - sh.itjust.works](https://sh.itjust.works/c/jwst@lemmy.world)