Connect with Webb Telescope

› RSS Feed

› Facebook

› Twitter

› Flickr

› YouTube

Latest Features

technicians in protective suits watch a crane move a shiny foil-wrapped instrument towards to the shiny, foil-wrapped panel on the scaffolding to the right

Webb Undergoes 'Eye Surgery'

in the Goddard clean room engineers worked meticulously to implant part of the eyes of the James Webb Space Telescope.

More Webb Telescope Mirrors Delivered

Another delivery of the James Webb Space Telescope's flight mirrors arrived at a NASA facility during the week of April 29, 2013.

NASA engineer Acey Herrera and Webb telescope's MIRI

Thermal Shield Testing on Webb's MIRI

NASA engineer Acey Herrera checks copper test wires inside the thermal shield of an instrument for the James Webb Space Telescope.

›More News & Features

Webb Overview

The James Webb Space Telescope is a large space telescope, optimized for infrared wavelengths. It is scheduled for launch later in this decade. Webb will find the first galaxies that formed in the early Universe, connecting the Big Bang to our own Milky Way Galaxy. Webb will peer through dusty clouds to see stars forming planetary systems, connecting the Milky Way to our own Solar System. Webb's instruments will be designed to work primarily in the infrared range of the electromagnetic spectrum, with some capability in the visible range.

Webb will have a large mirror, 6.5 meters (21.3 feet) in diameter, and a sunshield the size of a tennis court. The mirror and sunshade won't fit into a rocket fully open, so both will be folded and open once Webb is in outer space. Webb will reside in an orbit about 1.5 million km (1 million miles) from the Earth at the second Lagrange point.

The James Webb Space Telescope was named after a former NASA Administrator.

Watch Webb Telescope being built on our "Webb-cam"!

Want to know more? Visit the James Webb Space Telescope project home page.

Recent Webb News

First Flight Instrument Delivered For James Webb Space Telescope

06.14.12 - The first of four instruments to fly aboard NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (Webb) has been delivered to NASA.
Cryogenic Testing Completed For NASA's Webb Telescope Mirrors

12.21.11 - Cryogenic testing is complete for the final six primary mirror segments and a secondary mirror that will fly on NASA's James Webb Space Telescope.
Mikulski Opens Webb Telescope Exhibit at Maryland Science Center

10.26.11 - NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver joined U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) during a dedication of a permanent exhibit of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope to the Maryland Science Center.