Webb: The New NASA Telescope Named After James Webb
Future Of Space
The James Webb Space Telescope, named by the NASA administrator who helped launch the Apollo missions to the moon and played a crucial role in establishing the space agency’s space science program, will be one of the most important tools ever created by humankind for understanding not only our place in the cosmos but also how we came to be and where we are going from here. The new $8.8 billion JWST, also referred to as simply Webb, will revolutionize our understanding of star formation and galaxy evolution; planetary systems around distant stars; and much more once it begins full operations in 2024 or later.
- What Is the James Webb Space Telescope?
- What Do We Know About It So Far?
- Why Are We Talking About It Now?
- How Do People Feel About the Name?
- When Will it Launch?
- How Much Does it Cost and Who’s Paying?
- How Does it Compare to Other Telescopes?
- How Far Away Can it See?
- What Will it Look at in Deep Space?
- Why is this Important for the World Beyond Science?
The James Webb Space Telescope is a large and powerful next-generation space observatory, set to launch in 2018. It has been designed and developed by an international team of scientists, engineers, and technicians working together for more than 15 years. JWST will be the world’s most powerful space telescope ever built. More than 100 times more powerful than the Hubble Space Telescope, it will study every phase in the history of our Universe, ranging from the first luminous glows after the Big Bang, to the formation of solar systems capable of supporting life on planets like Earth, to the evolution of our Solar System. The telescope will carry a 6.5-meter diameter primary mirror with 18 segments that unfold after launch.
The telescope will carry a 6.5-meter diameter primary mirror with 18 segments that unfold after launch.
2.What Do We Know About It So Far?
The James Webb Space Telescope is the most powerful space telescope ever built and will be able to look back to just 200 million years after the Big Bang. It will be 100 times more powerful than the Hubble Space Telescope, and 10 times larger.
3.Why Are We Talking About It Now?
The new space telescope is now named after former NASA administrator James Webb. The telescope is slated to launch in 2021 and will be the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope. It will be positioned 1 million miles from Earth and explore deep space, giving scientists a clearer view of galaxies, stars, planets, and other objects that are too far away for the Hubble to reach. When it launches, it will be a joint project between NASA and ESA (European Space Agency).
4.How Do People Feel About the Name?
It is an honor to have the observatory named after me. I never could have imagined such a thing happening when I was in high school. I am very proud that my name will be on the telescope and even prouder that it will be on the spacecraft. -James Webb, Former Astronaut and Former Head of NASA
5.When Will it Launch?
NASA’s newest telescope, named after the former NASA Administrator and scientist James E. Webb Jr., will launch in 2021 to search for more planets outside of our solar system. To observe these planets, the telescope will be placed about a million miles from Earth, to avoid any interference from our planet’s atmosphere or surface. Once launched, it will take five years for the telescope to reach its destination and begin exploring space.
6.How Much Does it Cost and Who’s Paying?
The total cost of the entire project is $8.7 billion, which includes all of the construction, operations, and maintenance costs for the next decade. It also includes the cost of technology development, which has been ongoing for several years.
The Hubble telescope was launched in 1990 with an estimated budget of $1 billion, but ballooned to around $5 billion by the time it was finally launched in 1990. With three decades of inflation taken into account, this means that each dollar invested in the Webb would be worth more than five dollars today. In other words, if you were to take away inflation, we are spending less on the Webb per year than what it took to make the Hubble Space Telescope back in 1990. That doesn’t sound too bad when you think about how much better the new telescope will be!
Since we’re not paying for the telescope until it launches (we have contracts), it may seem like there’s no need to worry now about how much money is being spent. But there are still some who question why our tax dollars should go toward a space program when there are so many other problems here on Earth that could use funding as well.
7.How Does it Compare to Other Telescopes?
The James Webb Space Telescope is named after the first Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and is a successor to the Hubble Space Telescope. It will be launched in October 2018, but it won’t be operational until October 2020 due to its complexity.
The JWST will have a 6.5-meter diameter primary mirror and be able to collect light over a broad range of wavelengths from infrared to visible light, including both starlight and light coming from distant galaxies.
8.How Far Away Can it See?
The telescope will be able to see back to the beginning of the universe, about 13.5 billion years ago. It will be able to look at objects in space and get a detailed view of their structure.
9.What Will it Look at in Deep Space?
The telescope will have a wide field of view and will be able to take pictures of objects that are far away. It is expected to look at things like galaxies, stars, and planets.
James Webb will be able to see many more things in deep space than any other telescope has before. For example, it can measure the chemical composition of the atmosphere on exoplanets.
10.Why is this Important for the World Beyond Science?
It’s hard to describe how excited I was when I heard the news that the new NASA telescope will be named after one of the most important figures in space exploration. But for those of you who need a little more information, here are just a few reasons why this is important for the world beyond science.
1) This is a great opportunity to educate people about the importance of space exploration.
2) It allows us to honor one of our heroes and his contribution to science and humanity.
3) It gives all of us a sense of hope because we know that, even though he has left us now, he will always live on in this way.
4) And last but not least, it lets him know what his legacy is and ensures that it continues.
Conclusion
The James Webb Space Telescope is the most powerful telescope ever created and will provide insight into the beginnings of our universe. It’s a project that has been in development for over two decades and is expected to launch in 2020.
