James Webb Space Telescope
Trying to look beyond the frontier
James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is one of the world's most significant technological marvels.
Not only is it a highly advanced telescope, but it's also operating out in space and sending back data to Earth!
Fun facts
When combined, the telescope's mirrors alone are 21 feet (6.5 m) in
diameter, and the sun shield is about 46 by 70 feet (14 m x 22 m). While
the amount of space within a rocket for a payload is considerable, this
would never have a chance of fitting.
The solution, in the end, was both highly sophisticated and elegant -
the entire telescope folded in upon itself.
After it finally reached its destination, it took an incredible
two weeks to slowly unfold, piece by piece, before any of its
instruments could be tested.
A bit more science In addition to seeing things inside our own solar system, Webb will tell us more about the atmospheres of planets orbiting other stars, and perhaps even find the building blocks of life elsewhere in the universe.
Find more about James Webb from NASA