The James Webb Space Telescope
The James Webb Space Telescope, the designated successor to the aging Hubble Space Telescope, is expected to be launched in 2013, and is designed to locate the first galaxies formed in the early Universe, and to provide information about the development of our Milky Way Galaxy. The telescope will be able to observe the stars developing planetary systems and to place our own solar system in a galactic context. Instruments on the JWST will be designed to work mainly in the infrared end of the electromagnetic spectrum, although some visible range capability will be possible as well.
The telescope’s primary mirror will have a diameter measuring 21.3 feet, with the overall dimensions of the observatory being about 80 feet long, 40 feet wide and 40 feet high. Although designed to have a mass just one half that of Hubble, the collecting area of the primary mirror is six times as large. The size of the instrument requires that it be transported into outer space in a folded position and subsequently deployed in its planned configuration in an orbit about one million miles from Earth.
Originally known as the “Next Generation Telescope”, it was renamed the James Webb Space Telescope in September 2002, and, during the next decade, it will be the primary observatory in the world, used by astronomers all over the globe. Although the telescope’ science mission is required to last at least 5 years, the observatory is being designed for a potential extension of its mission.
James Webb, the former NASA administrator for whom the telescope is named, led the fledgling space agency from February 1961 until October 1968, and it is widely believed that he did more for space science during these formative years than any other government official. Webb believed it was necessary to look beyond human spaceflight to develop a balanced approach to the space program, stressing the development of space science as well. During Webb’s administration, robotic spacecraft explored the moon’s environment, probes were sent to Mars and Venus, and, in 1965, he advocated for a major space telescope to be developed by NASA.
By the time he retired, just a few month before the first moon landing in July of 1969, 75 space science expeditions had been sent on voyages of exploration, establishing a foundation for an ongoing series of successful missions. Since the James Webb Space Telescope is being planned as the successor to the iconic Hubble, it is fitting that the next generation telescope be named for the visionary who contributed so much to the exploration of space.
This entry was posted on Saturday, August 11th, 2007 at 10:13 am and is filed under Mission Objectives, Space Agency News, The Gear to Get There. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
