Photo: Bill Ingalls · Public domain (US government)
Mission
Astrophysics · L2
The James Webb Space Telescope is a space telescope developed by NASA, ESA and CSA to succeed the Hubble Space Telescope as NASA's flagship astrophysics mission. Its primary mirror, the Optical Telescope Element, is composed of 18 hexagonal mirror segments which combine to create a 6.5 m diameter…
What it put in orbit
| Object | Type | Orbit | Globe |
|---|---|---|---|
| JWST 2021-130A | Payload | orbits the Sun–Earth L2 point | |
| ARIANE 5 R/B 2021-130B | Rocket body | orbits the Sun |
COSPAR ID 2021-130 (data from GCAT, J. McDowell, CC BY 4.0). Orbits from the CelesTrak satellite catalogue (perigee × apogee, inclination).
Where to watch
Replay Launch webcastIn the news
- Webb and Hubble observe stellar nurseries, galaxies, and gravitational lensing in new images NASASpaceflight,
- Cosmic House of Mirrors NASA,
- Webb Measures Distance to Farthest Fast Radio Burst, Suggesting Origin NASA,
- Webb captures commotion from nebula’s stellar jets ESA,
- NASA’s Webb Captures Commotion From Nebula’s Stellar Jets NASA,
Headlines via the Spaceflight News API.