$10 billion Space telescope that will help us travel back in time
NASA’s new telescope has a considerable mission on its hands: to peer deeper into space and further back in time than ever before
[May 18, 2021: Aisling Ní Chúláin]
NASA’s new telescope has a considerable mission on its hands: to peer deeper into space and further back in time than any spacecraft ever has before.
Thirty-one years after the Hubble Space Telescope was sent into low-orbit, the brand new James Webb Space Telescope is undergoing final tests before its launch on October 31st.
The Webb telescope is designed to probe the history of our cosmos. It will investigate how galaxies, black holes and planets were formed, and whether there might be life out there in the universe.
“Webb's infrared capability means it can see into dust clouds that conceal forming stars and planets and learn how those stars are born, ”explains Eric Smith, a program scientist on the project.
“Webb's innovative multi-object spectrograph will pick out thousands of individual galaxies from many epics in the universe's history to see how they change over time,” he adds.
"The discovery capability of Webb is limited only by our own imaginations. Scientists around the world will soon be using this general-purpose observatory to take us places we haven't dreamed of going before." said Eric Smith, Program Scientist - James Webb Space Telescope.
Technological ingenuity notwithstanding, the development of the telescope has not been without its problems.
Originally conceived in 1996 with a launch date planned for 2007, the telescope has been beset with delays and ballooned in cost to over $10 billion (€8.2 million) during that time.
Still, as the telescope prepares for its journey to a point 1.6 million kilometres from Earth, scientists on the project are excited about the enormous potential to enhance our understanding of the universe.
"The discovery capability of Webb is limited only by our own imaginations,” says Smith. “Scientists around the world will soon be using this general-purpose observatory to take us places we haven't dreamed of going before."
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Tags: #New_Innovation, #Space, #NASA, #The_Brighter_Side_of_News
Joseph Shavit
Science News Writer, Editor-At-Large and Publisher
Joseph Shavit, based in Los Angeles, is a seasoned science journalist, editor and co-founder of The Brighter Side of News, where he transforms complex discoveries into clear, engaging stories for general readers. With experience at major media groups like Times Mirror and Tribune, he writes with both authority and curiosity. His work spans astronomy, physics, quantum mechanics, climate change, artificial intelligence, health, and medicine. Known for linking breakthroughs to real-world markets, he highlights how research transitions into products and industries that shape daily life.