That said, JWST is worth the additional cost and time, as no other telescope matches its range and capability. The James Webb Space Telescope is one of the most expensive devices ever built, and its delay impacted the development of other projects. Scientists explain the implications of a project this large. The construction of the James Webb cost NASA $8.8 billion, nearly a third of their astrophysics budget for over two decades. However, due to poor coordination, the project lagged for seven years, and the price of the telescope nearly doubled. The JWST was expected to cost $5 billion and launch in 2014. The telescope cruised for another month to its final destination with its mirrors deployed and active. The Ariane 5 rocket with the JWST payload launched from French Guiana on December 25, 2021. NASA sent observation proposals out and the telescope. Testing was critical due to the telescope’s required position in space Beyond Earth’s lower orbit, the JWST would not receive repairs after launch like the Hubble.Įvery instrument had to test for extreme temperatures, as the instruments needed to be cold to work properly.Īll maintenance and testing on the telescope were completed in 2018, and the instrument was ready for launch. Testing and Launchįor another six years, respective teams workers to ensure all devices communicated with each other as intended. These included the four testing instruments and the backplane, heat shield, and primary mirror. Launch tests ensured that the module could withstand intense launch conditions and extreme heat and cold in space.Ĭonstruction of essential components took several years, but in 2012, they were completed and sent to Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland for assembly and testing. NASA officially moved on to the construction phase and launch tests for the Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM). In 2007,the telescope’s essential technologies were tested successfully under flight conditions. The ESA’s Ariane 5 rocket, the largest active rocket at the time, was contracted to handle the launch in 2005.

The Science Working Group would formally approve the guiding requirements for the JWST, and construction began.ĭesigns of the JWST revealed a total instrument larger than anything ever built with a concept mirror three times the size of Hubble’s, only a super-heavy rocket could handle the payload. Northrop Grumman Space Technology, the NASA Science Working Group, and international space organizations in Europe and Canada would make up the foundation of designers. In 2002, NASA assigned teams to specific projects of the JWST. Named after the first NASA administrator, the telescope would represent an equally large step forward in discovering our universe. Four years later, amid proposals, the project received its official name, the James Web Space Telescope (JWST). In 1998, studies showed an initial design of a working infrared telescope, allowing NASA to issue construction proposals. In 1997, NASA confirmed the feasibility of a telescope with a primary mirror 8 meters in diameter and started looking for companies to build the telescope’s instruments.ĭefense contractors Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Ball Aerospace led studies in infrared technology for future scientific study. But NASA was adamant about going forward and urged further development. Many even tried to downgrade the telescope altogether. STScI sought state-of-the-art technology however, the process took several years. They opened development to several scientific institutions alongside NASA to figure out the telescope’s feasibility. In 1989, the organization revealed its intentions to operate an even larger telescope that could enable infrared wavelength analysis. But even before it launched into orbit, the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) was already considering the next big instrument. The Hubble Space Telescope was pivotal in mapping and understanding the universe.

History of the James Webb Space Telescope James Webb Space Telescope use high infrared resolution to capture distant objects in space. Wondering how this behemoth of a telescope works.Ĭontinue reading about the James Web Space Telescope to learn its history, specs, and more. The newest space telescope is the largest we’ve ever seen and carries incredible new technology. Like the awe-inspiring photos the Hubble produced, these images announce the historic telescope’s succession into the future. In July 2022, President Joe Biden revealed the first images from the James Webb Space Telescope. The James Webb Space Telescope was named after the first NASA administrator.The organization revealed its intentions to operate large telescope that could enable infrared wavelength analysis.The Hubble Space Telescope was pivotal in mapping and understanding the universe.

James webb space telescope completely y