James Webb Space Telescope

James Webb Space Telescope

Full scale James Webb Space Telescope model at South by Southwest in Austin
Names	Next Generation Space Telescope James Webb Space Telescope
Mission type	Astronomy
Operator	NASA / ESA / CSA / STScI
Website	jwst.nasa.gov sci.esa.int/jwst asc-csa.gc.ca stsci.edu/jwst
Mission duration	5 years (design) 10 years (goal)
Spacecraft properties
Manufacturer	Northrop Grumman Ball Aerospace
Launch mass	6,500 kg (14,300 lb)
Dimensions	20.197 m × 14.162 m (66.26 ft × 46.46 ft) (sunshield)
Power	2,000 watts
Start of mission
Launch date	October 2018
Rocket	Ariane 5 ECA
Launch site	Kourou ELA-3
Contractor	Arianespace
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Sun–Earth L2
Regime	Halo orbit
Periapsis	374,000 km (232,000 mi)
Apoapsis	1,500,000 km (930,000 mi)
Period	6 months
Epoch	planned
Main
Type	Korsch telescope
Diameter	6.5 m (21 ft)
Focal length	131.4 m (431 ft)
Collecting area	25 m2 (270 sq ft)
Wavelengths	from 0.6 µm (orange) to 28.5 µm (mid-infrared)
Transponders
Band	S-band (TT&C support) Ka band (data acquisition)
Bandwidth	S-band up: 16 kbit/s S-band down: 40 kbit/s Ka band down: up to 28 Mbit/s
Instruments NIRCam Near IR Camera NIRSpec Near-Infrared Spectrograph MIRI Mid IR Instrument NIRISS Near Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph FGS Fine Guidance Sensor Elements: Integrated Science Instrument Module Optical Telescope Element Spacecraft Element (Spacecraft Bus+Sunshield)
James Webb Space Telescope insignia

Fine Guidance Sensor
Elements:

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), previously known as Next Generation Space Telescope (NGST), is a part of NASA's ongoing Flagship program. It is under construction and scheduled to launch in October 2018. The JWST will offer unprecedented resolution and sensitivity from long-wavelength (orange-red) visible light, through near-infrared to the mid-infrared (0.6 to 27 micrometers). While Hubble has a 2.4-meter (7.9 ft) mirror, the JWST features a larger and segmented 6.5-meter-diameter (21 ft 4 in) primary mirror and will be located near the Earth–Sun L₂ point. A large sunshield will keep its mirror and four science instruments below 50 K (−220 °C; −370 °F).

JWST's capabilities will enable a broad range of investigations across the fields of astronomy and cosmology. One particular goal involves observing some of the most distant events and objects in the Universe, such as the formation of the first galaxies. These types of targets are beyond the reach of current ground and space-based instruments. Another goal is understanding the formation of stars and planets. This will include direct imaging of exoplanets.

In gestation since 1996, the project represents an international collaboration of about 17 countries led by NASA, and with significant contributions from the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency. It is named after James E. Webb, the second administrator of NASA, who played an integral role in the Apollo program.