NASA Programs
James Webb Space Telescope
A cryogenic infrared observatory at the Sun–Earth L2 point, partnered with ESA and CSA.
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is NASA’s flagship infrared observatory, built with the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency. It launched on an Ariane 5 from French Guiana on Christmas Day 2021 and unfolded on the way to a halo orbit around the Sun–Earth L2 point.
A 6.5-meter segmented primary mirror and a tennis-court-sized sunshield let Webb observe in wavelengths Hubble cannot reach, from the glow of the earliest galaxies to the atmospheres of exoplanets and the nurseries where stars form.
Webb’s first public images in July 2022, including the deep field of galaxy cluster SMACS 0723, marked the start of a planned multi-year science mission that complements Hubble rather than replacing it.
Milestones
- 2021-12-25Launch — Ariane 5 carries Webb toward L2.
- 2022-07-12First images — NASA releases Webb’s first full-color science images.
Summary original to flyARIA.com. Photograph: NASA/Bill Ingalls. NASA images are generally not protected by copyright in the United States; credit does not imply endorsement.