All you need to know about James Webb Space Telescope

The US space
agency NASA launched a space telescope that will see anything
in the sky. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has taken 30 years and $10bn
(£7.5bn) to develop and is being regarded as one of the grand scientific
endeavours of the 21st Century.

What is the
objective of this telescope?

The telescope
will be able to see just about anything in the Universe. However, it has one
objective – to see the light coming from the very first stars to shine in the Universe.

Also Read: NASA reveals first image from James Webb Space Telescope: See here

Why would we want
to see the first stars?

When the Universe
was formed in the Big Bang, it contained only three chemical elements –
hydrogen, helium and a smattering of lithium. Every other chemical element –
including those vital to life, such as carbon and oxygen – had to be forged, or
“manufactured”, by nuclear reactions at the centre of stars.

Webb will help us
understand the origins of everything we see around us, and how we came to be.

Also Read: Who was James Webb?

How does Webb differ
from existing space telescopes?

It is much bigger
than the Hubble telescope, which has been orbiting Earth since 1990. Hubble
collects light using a main mirror that’s 2.4m (7.8ft) across, while Webb has a
primary mirror that’s 6.5m in diameter. Webb is about the size of a tennis
court. It’s so big. In fact, it has to be folded to fit inside its launch
rocket.

When will it be launched?

At the moment,
Webb, named after James E Webb, the NASA boss, who oversaw the Apollo
Moon-landing project, is scheduled to go into orbit on December 25, 2021.

Also Read: James Webb vs Hubble: How the images from the two telescopes differ

It will be
launched on a European Ariane-5 rocket from French Guiana. The European Space
Agency is a partner on the project and has agreed to take on the
responsibility of getting Webb into space.

The rocket will
hurl the telescope about one million miles (1.6 million km) from Earth. At that
distance, it can make observations free from the occasional shadowing effects
it would experience if operating closer to our world.

Also Read: James Webb, world’s biggest telescope, reaches 1 million miles from earth: NASA

Can astronauts
service Webb?

No. It will be
stationed too far from Earth for astronauts to reach.

How much has Webb
cost?

NASA spent $8.8bn
on Webb’s design, and it will put in a further $860m to support five
years of mission operations. This gives an American total of $9.7bn.

Also Read: James Webb Space Telescope all set for historic launch

The
European Space Agency has invested about €700m (£590m) in the project,
contributing to two of Webb’s four instruments and providing the Ariane launch
rocket. The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) also put in about CA$200m (£120m).

It all adds up to
a figure in excess of $10bn (£7.5bn; €9bn; CA$12.7bn).