James Webb Space Telescope
The largest telescope in space, built for infrared astronomy.
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is an infrared space telescope and the largest telescope in space. It can see objects too old, distant or faint for Hubble, such as the first stars and galaxies, and can study the atmospheres of exoplanets.
It launched on 25 December 2021 on an Ariane 5 from Kourou, French Guiana, reached its orbit near the Sun-Earth L2 point about 1.5 million km from Earth in January 2022, and released its first image on 11 July 2022. NASA led the project with ESA and the Canadian Space Agency.
Quick Facts
- Mission type
- Astronomy
- Operator
- STScI (NASA)
- ESA
- CSA
- Manufacturer
- Northrop Grumman
- Ball Aerospace & Technologies
- L3Harris
- Launch mass
- 6,500 kg / 14,330 lb
- Dimensions
- 21.197 × 14.162 m / 46 ft 6 in, sunshield
- Power
- 2 kW / 2.68 hp
- Launched
- 25 December 2021, 12:20 UTC
- Launch rocket
- Ariane 5 ECA+ (S/N 5113, Flight; VA256)
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