BLUF
On 25 Dec 2021, NASA launched the most advanced telescope ever built, the James Webb Telescope, named after the Director of NASA, who oversaw the moon landings.Summary
This article from the ABC makes the following points regarding the James Webb Space Telescope.
- Cost ten billion and over twenty years to develop and build.
- Will not orbit the sun but instead will orbit the sun but stay in line with Earth.
- It will be located nearly 1.6 million km from Earth, over 1 million km past the moon.
- Once in orbit, it will be almost impossible to reach for maintenance.
- It will take over a month to get into position.
- NASA partnered with the European and Canadian space agencies to build and launch this telescope.
- This telescope should be able to see back in time 13.7 billion years.
- It will be much more powerful than the Hubble Telescope.
References
- Dec 21 James Webb Space Telescope unfurls massive sunshield in major deployment milestone | Space
- Dec 21 James Webb Space Telescope unfurls massive sunshield in major deployment milestone | Space
- Dec 21 NASA's James Webb Space Telescope is finally unfurling its sunshield : NPR
- Orbit - Webb/NASA
- Dec 21 Webb's Launch GSFC/NASA
