James Webb Space Telescope

James Webb Space Telescope provides the premier infrared space observatory for astronomy, enabling high-sensitivity studies of the universe across its history—from the first luminous glows after the Big Bang to the formation of planetary systems and the evolution of our own Solar System.

{"Astronomers","Scientists","Educators","Students","Researchers in Astronomy and Space Science"}

Key differentiators include a folding origami-style deployment design, a 5-layer sunshield to block infrared heat, an orbit at the second Lagrange point (L2) about 1.5 million km from Earth, and a multi-instrument payload (NIRCam, MIRI, NIRSpec, FGS/NIRISS) enabling broad infrared observations.

Launch on December 25, 2021; Arrival at L2 (Sun–Earth L2) on January 24, 2022; Ongoing science operations and updates since launch (content references 2022–2025).