James Webb Space Telescope

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The James Webb Space Telescope is a large, space-based observatory designed to study the universe in infrared light, revealing the formation of the first galaxies, stars, and planetary systems with unprecedented sensitivity and resolution.

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Predicate Object
instanceOf NASA space observatory
infrared observatory
space telescope
abbreviation James Webb Space Telescope self-linksurface differs
surface form: JWST
capability coronagraphic imaging
deep field imaging
multi-object spectroscopy
time-series observations
transit spectroscopy of exoplanets
communicationBand Ka-band
S-band
constructionStart early 2000s
coolingMethod cryocooler for mid-infrared instrument
passive cooling
costEstimate around 10 billion US dollars
countryOfLaunch France
dataArchive Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes
designedOperatingTemperature around 40 Kelvin
developmentProgram NASA Great Observatories program successor
distanceFromEarth approximately 1.5 million kilometers
fieldOfRegard approximately 39 percent of the sky at any time
firstImagesReleaseDate 2022-07-12
firstLightDate 2022-07-12
fullName James Webb Space Telescope self-link
hasInstrument FGS/NIRISS
MIRI
NIRCam
NIRSpec
instrumentType Fine Guidance Sensor
Mid-Infrared Instrument
NIRCam
surface form: Near Infrared Camera

Near Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph
NIRSpec
surface form: Near Infrared Spectrograph
internationalCollaboration NASA–ESA–CSA collaboration
launchDate 2021-12-25
launchLocation Guiana Space Centre
surface form: Kourou, French Guiana
launchSite Guiana Space Centre
launchVehicle Ariane 5 ECA
librationPoint Sun–Earth L2
locatedAt space
massAtLaunch approximately 6200 kilograms
mirrorManufacturer Ball Aerospace
missionStart 2021-12-25
missionType astronomy
cosmology
namedAfter James E. Webb
notableFirstImageTarget Carina Nebula
SMACS 0723 galaxy cluster
Southern Ring Nebula
Stephan's Quintet
notableFirstSpectrumTarget exoplanet WASP-96b
numberOfPrimaryMirrorSegments 18
observes Solar System objects
exoplanets
galaxies
nebulae
star-forming regions
operator Canadian Space Agency
European Space Agency
NASA
orbitType halo orbit around Sun–Earth L2 point
orientationConstraint sunshield must face the Sun, Earth, and Moon
originalPlannedLaunchYear around 2007
plannedExtendedMissionDuration 10 years or more
powerSource solar arrays
predecessor Hubble Space Telescope
Spitzer Space Telescope
primaryContractor Northrop Grumman
primaryMirrorDiameter 6.5 meters
primaryMirrorShape segmented hexagonal mirror
primaryMissionDuration 5 years
primaryScienceBand infrared
projectPhase operational
scienceGoal characterize exoplanet atmospheres
observe reionization era
study evolution of galaxies
study first galaxies
study objects in the Solar System
study planetary system formation
study protoplanetary disks
study star formation
study stellar populations
scienceOperationsCenter Space Telescope Science Institute
spaceAgency CSA
European Space Agency
surface form: ESA

NASA
successorTo Hubble Space Telescope in infrared
Spitzer Space Telescope in infrared
sunshieldFunction thermal protection
sunshieldLayers 5
sunshieldManufacturer Northrop Grumman
sunshieldMaterial Kapton
telescopeType Ritchey–Chrétien reflector
wavelengthRange 0.6 to 28 micrometers

Referenced by (51)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Sun–Earth L2 usedBy James Webb Space Telescope