The biggest launch in history and the most important in 30 years, the James Webb Space Telescope launches today
An Ariane 5 rocket is due to launch between 13.20:13.52 and XNUMX:XNUMX p.m. German time today James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) take off. This will be the largest scientific instrument ever put into space by humans and the most important in the 31 years since the Hubble telescope was launched. Contrary to popular belief, the Webb telescope is not intended to be a replacement for Hubble, but rather a supplement. Scientists from all over the world have great expectations of the observatory, its structure and the NASA the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency are also involved.
The launch of the extraordinary telescope can be seen live on the YouTube channel of NASA be followed.
Image source: Wikipedia / Which
How it all started ...
The NASA even before the telescope was launched into space, thought about how to proceed to Hubble. The same is true now as concepts for more space telescopes after the JWST are being developed. Shortly after the start of Hubble turned out that the instrument is not working as it should. Planning for the next space telescope was accelerated. Later, the famous Hubble repair mission took place, and when the telescope provided the first images after the repair, we were all amazed. Both the public and the international scientific community and NASA were delighted. Based on this success and the widespread enthusiasm, the NASA and the experts working with her to develop the concept for an infrared telescope. One such Telescope could look much further into space than Hubble. You could see the light of the first Galaxies see. Hubble, which works primarily in visible light, does not have these capabilities because it works as a "hot" telescope being blinded by the heat generated by its own scientific instruments. A telescope that works primarily in infrared light is a must "cold" telescope .
The origins of the JWST concept go back to 1996. At that time the project was still called the Next Generation Space Telescope. In 2002, in the next phase of development, it was turned into James Webb Space Telescope renamed after the second director of NASA, who headed the agency during the Apollo program and during whose tenure the scientific activities became the main activity of NASA.
The start of the JWST planned for 2011. However, in August 2005, plans were revised, the launch date was set for 2013, and the cost was estimated at $ 4,5 billion, of which $ 3,5 billion was for design and research, building the telescope and its launch, and another $ 1 billion Dollars should be spent on 10 years of operation in orbit.